BEAM Hertford
A cutting-edge website for a cutting-edge venue - pushing the boundaries of digital experiences in the arts and culture space.
Act 1 laid the foundations with a Spektrix Starter subscription enhanced by goal-focused navigation, modular design components, and seamless event discovery across all devices. Act 2 builds on that foundation with bold design thinking, powerful innovation, and performance-driven delivery.
We drew inspiration directly from BEAM’s architecture, the distinctive angles of the building are reflected throughout the design, creating a visual identity that feels intrinsically connected to the venue itself. Bold colours define key areas, including their Stage, Screen, and Social programmes, bringing clarity and vibrancy to the browsing experience. The aesthetic is bold, confident, and unmistakably BEAM.
The website introduces innovation at scale. A personalised recommendation engine analyses user preferences, browsing behaviour, and purchase history to surface relevant events - encouraging deeper engagement and incentivising users to become a member and log in to access this experience. Personalised messaging is woven throughout the site, creating a personal, user-led experience.
We also eliminated Spektrix iframes entirely. From the moment they enter the booking flow, the journey is tailored for frictionless conversion. Despite the usual shortcomings of a calendar UI for event listings, we found a way to make it work. For long running shows, when a potential customer presses “Book Tickets”, they are taken to a calendar view, allowing them to quickly browse the available dates. Typically, calendars awkwardly try to fit all of an event’s details into a small date block, leaving the user frustrated and overwhelmed. This is because customers want to find the event first, then the date, and calendars flip this journey. However, moving the calendar to this stage of the journey, once the user has discovered the event, works with the buyer’s browsing patterns.
Our fully customised seat selection experience delivers a smooth, on-brand booking journey. The bespoke seat map is intuitive, mobile-friendly, and designed to keep users informed at all times. Accessible seating is intelligently handled: if an account indicates specific access requirements, relevant seats are automatically highlighted, or users can manually select requirements to instantly spotlight the best seats for them.
Working with the Grandad team is an amazing experience. They bring true collaboration, creativity, and commitment to every stage of development. Their expertise and reliability make them a trusted partner, and we feel fortunate to have them by our side.Sam Veck Ticketing & Systems Manager, BEAM, Hertford
Alongside these advancements, we implemented our full suite of Spektrix innovations, including integrated membership and donation components and a custom basket that dynamically calculates potential savings across membership tiers, actively supporting upsell and long-term loyalty.
The results are already significant. With Act 1 alone delivering a 56% increase in items purchased (December 2024 to December 2025), Act 2 pushes BEAM’s platform even further, revolutionising what an arts and culture website can achieve. Now firmly established as BEAM’s digital partner, this is far from the final act. More innovation is already in development.
