Some thoughts on the @castindoncaster Dynamic Pricing blog post.

Firstly, good on them for being willing to inject their voice into a debate. Theatre as an industry doesn't do robust debate well, too many people stay silent, or indulge in backroom manoeuvres and arm twists!

The response can often be "Who is X to say Y?".

I know that many have said "Who are a venue that don't use Dynamic Pricing to judge those that do?"

It can be exhausting keeping track of who has "earned" the right to speak on an issue, until you remember everyone has that right

In a purely commercial environment, any theatre is welcome to go where the river flows. If people are buying your tickets, it follows that they are affordable.

Demand-based price inflation* is an effective way of increasing revenues, & loyalty schemes do of course increase LTV

(*I find that this is what most venues mean by "Dynamic Pricing".)

When considering whether demand-based price inflation is right for SUBSIDISED theatre, this should be balanced with:

Charitable objectives (usually)
Equalities duties
Audience Development priorities

It has been said many times that lowering prices, alone, does not make theatre accessible - this is very true.

*It is often not said that raising prices can, alone, make theatre inaccessible to some*

This should be taken into account when venues are subsidised by the taxpayer

It is a reality that @castindoncaster are a publicly funded organisation operating in a poorer, price sensitive area, & they have chosen the model which feels right for them.

This is clearly a values led decision, as well as data/revenue-led, and I applaud that holistic approach

Data and revenue management on their own are not enough, when it comes to *publicly funded* organisations.

Subsidised orgs who DO operate demand-based price inflation and/or preferential pricing for members of loyalty schemes, should pay attention not only to whether

...their existing audience is narrowed, but *also to what effect higher prices have on their efforts to attract the lowest engaged in society.*

It may well be that those efforts are underfunded, underprioritised, or underappreciated - but you cannot escape a simple truth

The current standard rate of Universal Credit is £317.82 a month.

People on very low incomes often live chaotic lives, and find it difficult to (for example) plan ahead to access the best prices.

Subsidised art exists for everyone.

This is not to say that Dynamic Pricing (in which prices can go down as well as up) has no place in subsidised theatre. It can have a very positive effect on perceptions of value for those who can afford higher prices, on income, and on engagement & loyalty.

But subsidised organisations must check themselves to ensure they are 100% confident that they remain fully accessible to all of the communities they serve.

I don't accept that Dynamic Pricing is inherently "dishonest and bad for customers", to use CAST's language, but as with any major innovation which has seen such rapid and widespread uptake, it is right that its use and long term effects on audience diversity are monitored.

...Evidence is always stronger than assertion. Or as my old employers at @royalsociety put it, "Nullius in verba" - may be Latin, but it's a mantra for our age. Look it up!

If you haven't seen it, here is the post which prompted the debate https://castindoncaster.com/about/latest-news/why-dynamic-pricing-is-dishonest-and-bad-for-customers/