Powering Experiential Venues with Business Central

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Mark Channen

August 1, 2025

Our experiential venue industry is more vibrant than ever. From Alton Towers drawing over 2.3 million visitors, to Chessington’s 1.5 million attendees and Thorpe Park’s 1.7 million, in recent times, the demand for immersive experiences continues to soar; and with the Universal UK Resort set to open by 2031 and attract up to 8.5 million visitors annually, the pressure is on for venues to deliver excellence at scale.

Yet these attractions are more than just rides, they’re seasonal hubs, event-hosting venues, and full-service retail operations with cafés, gift shops, ticketing systems, and private events. Successful operators need seamless end-to-end systems that support:

Peak‑season ticketing and revenue management
Private and corporate events
Merchandising, café operations, and food service
Data-driven staffing and stock management

Here, we take a look at how Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central addresses these deliverables.

Ticketing & Event Management Made Simple

From seasonal festivals at Chessington to spooky Halloween events like Alton Towers’ Scarefest, ticketing can become very complex. Business Central integrates with systems (LS Retail for example) to provide:

Efficient walk-up and pre-booked ticketing workflows
Event-specific pricing and capacity tracking
Automated modifiers for late-night shows or VIP meets

Benefits: Reduced queues, better revenue capture, and higher guest satisfaction.

Merchandising & Merchandise Control

Retail play zones and gift shops generate big revenue during peak season, and of course require:

Real-time inventory across outlets and events
Replenishment workflows based on demand spikes
Cross-channel loyalty and product syncing

Business Central manages merchandising centrally, while Dynavics integrates Business Central with POS and loyalty platforms, to ensure consistency across the venue.

F&B Operations That Flow

Food and beverage is critical income, and a hotspot for wastage. Integration with Business Central enables:

Batch-level tracking and expiry notifications for perishables
Automated routing of supplier invoices (through Continia)
Spend dashboards to analyse hourly guest footfall

Benefits: Slimmed margins, faster service, and smoother compliance.

Staff & Capacity Planning Powered by Data

From summer weekends, to seasonal events like Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights or Chessington’s Summer Festival, staffing demands shift constantly. With Power BI dashboards and demand forecasts, Business Central helps to:

Predict busy hours and adjust rosters in advance
Automatically roll staffing schedules through Power Automate
Align staff levels with guest metrics

Rich Performance Insight & Trend Analysis

Operators use Business Central, Jet Reports or Power BI to drill into:

Ticket sales by time, day, event type
Retail and F&B revenue per visitor
Stock movement and shrinkage levels

Benefits: data fuels smarter decisions, such as scheduling new rides, opening pop-up shops, or adapting marketing campaigns.

Private Events & Venue Bookings

Many parks offer after-hours rentals, corporate takeovers, or influencer events. Business Central supports:

Private event booking and pricing within the main system
Capacity planning alongside standard guest flow
Integrated billing and resource allocation

Benefits: Additional revenue streams and better event control.

Scalability & Multi-Site Management

As crowds grow and venues expand, Business Central supports multi-site management:

Central finance and stock control across parks
Role-based permissions for local teams
Seamless integration with emerging sites (like the Universal Resort)

Benefits: Single view real-time data management

Why Dynavics Makes Business Central Work Smarter

With deep industry knowledge and a strategic partner network (including LS Retail, Tasklet, Jet Reports, Continia), Dynavics helps leisure venues operate at peak efficiency:

Bespoke implementation for events, retail, and F&B
On-site training and seamless migrations
Reporting, dashboards, and operations automation

UK experiential venues are booming, but managing ticketing, retail, events, staffing, and data is complex. Our experience in this sector will give you: