Building an Accessible Booking Experience for BAFTA Events
Building an Accessible Booking Experience for BAFTA Events
The Accessible Booking Workflow launched in BAFTA Events this September is a key step forward in BAFTA’s commitment to inclusive event experiences, allowing guests with accessibility needs to specify their requirements directly within the ticketing process. Previously, this required a separate conversation by email or phone, which could feel inconvenient for both guests and the events team. This new workflow emerged from BAFTA’s LIT team, responsible for non-awards events, following feedback from their advisory committee members. They noted that guests with accessibility needs often felt like an inconvenience when arranging support, such as wheelchair users witnessing seats being rearranged upon their arrival. This feedback posed a valuable question: could the Events platform be enhanced so guests could communicate their accessibility needs seamlessly at the time of booking?
BAFTA’s members’ club in central London, which includes a private cinema and members’ bar, hosts hundreds of screenings and industry events each year. Following an extensive refurbishment, the venue reopened in January 2022 with updated accessibility features, such as flexible wheelchair spaces in the Princess Anne Theatre, meeting standards set by the 2010 Equality Act. However, a streamlined, user-friendly way for guests to communicate their accessibility requirements remained a need. Allowing guests to book directly through the system—without relying on email or phone—aligned with BAFTA’s goals for efficiency and inclusivity, while also supporting attendance and operational KPIs.
The stakeholder I worked with was exceptionally informed about industry-wide booking issues and what we needed to achieve with BAFTA’s accessible booking workflow. This input was invaluable; they not only brought thoughtful ideas but validated solutions, enriching the development process with real-world expertise. Although development usually involves stakeholders identifying problems rather than solutions, in this case, their extensive events management experience formed a strong foundation for our collaboration.
The concept of a seat having multiple purposes emerged early, aligning with the venue’s flexible space design. I began by researching accessible booking in other systems, particularly UK cinema chains, to understand the best approaches. This research, combined with insights from BAFTA’s accessibility advisory sessions, highlighted the challenges faced by guests with accessibility needs and their desire for a dignified, independent booking experience.
I proposed that seats could serve multiple purposes without deterring general attendees from booking accessible options. Initially, I envisioned a toggle to display accessible seats, but feedback from the lead developer indicated that this approach was too simplistic for seats with multiple accessibility uses. Additionally, tickets were unnamed until post-booking, making it difficult to ensure specific seats matched accessibility requirements during selection.
After several discovery sessions, we settled on a workflow that balanced flexibility with a seamless user experience. Instead of a toggle, bookers would select accessibility needs at the ticket selection stage. This information would highlight suitable seats, which they could freely choose without restrictions. The system also included alerts on the basket page, reminding bookers if their selections didn’t match initial requirements, though they could override this if desired. This approach maintained booker autonomy while promoting accessibility awareness.
To support this new accessible booking workflow, a redesign of the API was essential. The seat selection interface operates as an application layered over the main booking system, requiring us to overhaul data flow between the app and the booking platform. This restructuring enabled real-time updates to seat availability and accessibility options, delivering a seamless booking experience. Our team adopted an iterative development approach, reviewing each stage with stakeholders and refining based on feedback, ensuring that both resource efficiency and stakeholder alignment were achieved at every step.
Once the allocated seating workflow was complete, we shifted our focus to non-allocated workflows, which required a distinct approach to accommodate general admission events. For these events, accessibility information is gathered directly on the booking page, streamlining the process for bookers and providing a consistent experience regardless of event format.
A critical feature of the new accessible booking system is its notification function for the events team. While certain accessibility needs, such as stair-free access, do not require confirmation due to existing venue setups, other requirements like BSL interpretation or flexible wheelchair spaces need pre-arrangement. To address this, we created an automated alert system for admins that sends notifications via email and the admin interface whenever these specific accessibility needs are booked. This proactive setup reverses the previous workflow: instead of guests initiating contact to confirm arrangements, the events team reaches out to them, providing a more organised and responsive experience for all parties involved.
Delivering this accessible booking workflow has brought significant improvements to both user experience and BAFTA’s operational efficiency. Bookers can now easily specify their accessibility needs during the booking process, while administrators have a streamlined system for managing these requests and coordinating with the venue team. This is a clear step forward in BAFTA’s commitment to inclusivity, simplifying the process for guests with specific needs while optimising seat occupancy.
Although formal metrics are not yet available, this workflow is designed to enhance both accessibility and operational performance. Allowing accessible seats to be reserved for all users ensures that seating is maximised, reducing the risk of unfilled seats while maintaining inclusivity.
The Accessible Booking Workflow sets a new standard within BAFTA’s Events platform, demonstrating how thoughtful digital enhancements can create a more inclusive, flexible, and user-friendly experience. This project stands as an example of how technical innovation can reshape traditional processes, positioning BAFTA at the forefront of accessible event management and offering a model that other organisations can aspire to in promoting inclusivity.
