How can digital arts organisations bring in a business mindset while maintaining artistic integrity as major producers of digital art? DI/S – Digital Inter/Section, a multiyear project supported by Creative Europe, is releasing four case studies of new business models for digital arts organisations and the creative sector. Some of the key finds include a strong audience perspective and that funding through a diversification of income streams, independent of public or private funding, creates stability and sustainability. First case study: Signal Festival, new business model targeting ticketing and audience strategy.
The goal of the pilot project carried out by Signal Festival was to ensure long-term financial sustainability and enhance the visitor experience through the optimization of ticketing models, improved audience segmentation, and the redefinition of premium products such as the Gallery Zone.
A key takeaway from this case study is that by targeting both mass and niche audiences, the festival aims to secure long-term growth while maintaining artistic integrity and developing visitor experiences – thus putting audience perspective and artistic integrity at the centre.
Signal Festival – Project purpose
The main goal of this project is to transform Signal Festival’s business model to ensure eliminer long-term financial sustainability and improve visitor experience.
By leveraging data-driven strategies, the festival aims to create a balanced approach between inclusivity and monetization, focusing on optimizing B2C engagement through premium offerings like the Gallery Zone.

Why we need this
Research and analysis have revealed key insights that underline the necessity of this project:
- Retention and loyalty issues: only 10% of visitors from 2023 returned in 2024, and retention from 2022 was as low as 3%. These figures highlight a critical need to improve loyalty by enhancing the overall visitor experience and creating stronger incentives for repeat visits.
- Awareness gaps: despite the festival’s growing brand awareness (60% among Prague residents), 47% of visitors remain unaware of the paid zones, limiting the potential for converting free visitors into paying customers.
- Short engagement times: approximately 40% of visitors spend no more than two hours at the festival, reducing exposure to its full offerings and limiting opportunities to upsell premium experiences.
- Behavior-based segmentation: personas identified through research (e.g., Seekers of New Perspectives, Experience Enthusiasts, Social and Community-Oriented Visitors) show clear motivational differences.
These findings frame the key strategic questions we aim to
Address:
- How can we better communicate the value of paid zones to increase conversion?
- What strategies will improve visitor loyalty and repeat attendance?
- How can we create a more immersive and engaging experience to encourage longer visits?
- What specific value propositions will resonate with different personas?
What we want to achieve:
- Growth in the B2C segment: develop sustainable strategies to increase the share of paying visitors.
- Enhanced audience understanding: use data-driven insights to align offerings with visitor needs and motivations.
- Retention improvement: implement loyalty programs and repeat visitor incentives.
- Ticketing optimization: develop dynamic pricing and improve premium product value to boost revenue.

Key partners supporting the project
The success of this project relies on collaboration with various partners who bring unique expertise and resources to support Signal Festival’s transformation.
1. Senior product development consultant:
- Role: Contributed expertise in product strategy, helping to define the value propositions for paid zones such as the Gallery Zone.
- Contribution: Guided the application of strategic tools (e.g., Value Proposition Canvas) to refine offerings and align them with visitor expectations.
2. Ipsos (Research agency):
- Role: Conducted in-depth audience research, providing critical insights into audience segmentation, motivations, and barriers to engagement.
- Contribution: Their data-driven findings form the foundation for optimizing ticketing strategies and enhancing communication about the value of paid zones.
3. Sociologist consultant:
- Role: Supported qualitative analysis by interpreting research findings and conducting deeper sociological studies on visitor behavior and motivations.
- Contribution: Helped refine personas and provided strategic recommendations for audience engagement and retention.

4. Ticketing platform:
- Role: Managed the technical infrastructure for ticket sales and provided analytics on visitor behavior, preferences, and retention.
- Contribution: Insights from the ticketing platform enable better understanding of paying audience patterns and inform the development of loyalty programs.
5. T-Mobile (Big data analysis):
- Role: Provided anonymized geolocation data from mobile networks to analyze visitor behavior, mobility patterns, and engagement during the festival.
- Contribution: This data offers a detailed understanding of visitor dynamics, helping to identify high-traffic areas and optimize event logistics.
Strategic impact of partnerships:
These partners play a critical role in ensuring the project’s success by providing:
- Data-driven insights to guide evidence-based decision-making.
- Innovative tools and expertise to develop and implement sustainable ticketing models.
- A collaborative approach that aligns with Signal Festival’s vision and mission.

Competition and uniqueness
Key Challenges:
1. Internal competition:
- Perceived quality of free sections: Research shows that a significant number of visitors feel the free sections offer enough value, reducing their incentive to explore paid zones. Many visitors perceive the artistic and experiential quality of the free installations as comparable to that of the paid areas.
- Limited time: Approximately 40% of attendees spend no more than two hours at the festival, leaving them with little opportunity to explore the full range of offerings, including paid zones.
This short engagement time makes the value of premium experiences less compelling.
2. External competition:
Competing festivals, such as Colours of Ostrava or Designblok, focus on similar audiences or have strong brand loyalty. These events challenge Signal Festival to stand out through innovation and unique value propositions.
Our unique position:
Signal Festival’s strength lies in its ability to combine art, technology, and public spaces in ways that are:
- Innovative: Delivering groundbreaking experiences that set trends in digital and creative culture.
- Accessible: Offering a balance of free and paid sections to engage diverse audiences.
- Immersive: Creating “wow” moments through large-scale installations and interactive experiences that few competitors can match.

Strategic approach
- Strategic vision: the strategy for this project revolves around leveraging data-driven insights to transform Signal Festival’s B2C model. By focusing on behavior-based segmentation, audience engagement, and premium offerings, the festival aims to create a sustainable business model while enhancing the visitor experience. The approach is structured into specific, actionable steps designed to achieve measurable outcomes.
- Research and data collection: the first phase of the project centered on gathering comprehensive data to understand audience behavior, motivations, and preferences. Using tools such as quantitative research (Ipsos studies) and big data analysis (T-Mobile), the festival gained insights into visitor demographics, mobility patterns, and spending behaviors. Qualitative studies and sociological analyses complemented these findings by delving deeper into visitor expectations and barriers to engagement.
- Workshops and strategic planning: the second phase utilized data-driven tools and methodologies to refine the strategy. A series of workshops focused on:
- Audience segmentation and persona development: mapping customer journeys and defining three key personas to guide decision-making: Seekers of New Perspectives, Experience Enthusiasts, and Socially-Oriented Visitors.
- Value proposition mapping: identifying key «pain points» and opportunities to enhance the perceived value of paid zones through tools like the Value Proposition Canvas.
- Monetization strategies: exploring pricing models and premium experiences that align with visitor motivations and willingness to pay.
- Loyalty and retention: discussing strategies to improve repeat attendance, such as loyalty programs and exclusive offers.
- Implementation and testing: the third phase focuses on integrating findings and workshop outputs into actionable operational plans. Before full implementation, the priority will be to create a financial plan that aligns with audience insights and expectations. This includes:
- defining product categories, such as standard entry, Signal Plus, and VIP, each offering distinct value and exclusivity,
- developing a pricing strategy with tiered models and dynamic adjustments based on demand and visitor willingness to pay. Once the financial plan and product categories are defined, the next steps will involve:
- developing communication campaigns to craft targeted messaging aimed at improving awareness of paid zones, particularly for the 47% of visitors unaware of their existence,
- enhancing visitor experiences by introducing curated programs, interactive installations, and exclusive content in premium areas like the Gallery Zone to increase perceived value,
- monitoring and creating feedback loops to measure the impact of these initiatives and adjust strategies as needed.
- Focus on innovation: the strategy embraces innovative tools and approaches to ensure sustainable growth while maintaining the festival’s artistic and cultural mission. By aligning operational goals with audience expectations, Signal Festival can lead the cultural sector in both artistic value and financial sustainability.

Sustainability
Sustainability as a core principle: the future of the Signal Festival is deeply intertwined with sustainability — financial, cultural, and ecological. As the festival evolves, it is committed to creating a balance between inclusivity and monetization, ensuring long-term growth while preserving its artistic integrity. This approach extends to both environmental responsibility and cultural sustainability, integrating these principles into all aspects of the festival’s operations.
Cultural sustainability: Signal Festival strives to maintain a delicate balance between delivering high-quality experiences for visitors and preserving the integrity of its artistic content. This balance is achieved by addressing two key perspectives:
- Visitor expectations: Offering accessible and engaging experiences that resonate with diverse audiences while meeting their expectations for quality and innovation.
- Artistic excellence: Ensuring that the festival remains a platform for artists and experts to present new topics and ideas through art, inspiring and educating the public.
Ecological approaches:
Signal Festival continues to reduce its environmental impact by:
- Digitizing processes: Fully adopting digital ticketing.
- Promoting recycling: Collaborating with vendors to ensure waste reduction and the use of recyclable materials.
- Local sourcing: Prioritizing local suppliers to lower transportation emissions and support regional businesses.
Art as a tool for education:
Signal Festival uses its platform to raise awareness about pressing societal and ecological issues. Projects like the «Rhythm of the Ocean» by the Spanish collective Desilence highlight human impact on marine ecosystems, combining stunning visuals with impactful messages. These artistic interventions inspire reflection and foster deeper understanding of global challenges.
Future developments:
Premium areas like the Gallery Zone will integrate themes of sustainability and cultural dialogue. Collaborations with environmentally and socially conscious artists will create installations that educate, inspire, and push the boundaries of digital art.
Commitment to leadership:
Signal Festival aspires to lead by example, demonstrating how art, technology, and sustainability can coexist. By balancing business goals with artistic and environmental priorities, the festival will continue to innovate, inspire, and redefine modern cultural events.

Lessons learned
To know about the lessons learned, and a complete case study about Signal Festival, download it on DI/S – Digital Inter/Section’s website.
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