When Culture Shines Digitally: The New Digital Infrastructure of KKL – Headless, but Never Mindless

What used to be called ticketing is now much more: it’s the first act of the visitor experience. The Culture and Convention Center Lucerne (KKL) demonstrates how a pure sales system can become part of the artistic experience — from the very first click to the moment the doors to the concert hall open.

Together with vivenu and the brand and digital agency &why, KKL Lucerne has redesigned its digital visitor journey. The result is not a ticket shop in the traditional sense, but a seamless access experience that connects service, brand, and emotion. Those who purchase tickets move through the world of KKL Lucerne with the same commitment to quality and hospitality that also defines the experience on stage.

Here are the insights from Urs Rinert, Head of Ticketing & E-Commerce at KKL Lucerne:

Digitalization & Investment in 2024

What was the decisive factor for your major investment in digital transformation in 2024 — and why in partnership with vivenu and &why?

Urs: The successful launch of our new KKL Lucerne B2B website with the agency &why was the starting point. After an extensive evaluation, we chose vivenu because its modern, technology-first approach fit best with our business and digital case.
We wanted a solution that integrates flexibly and allows us to use data purposefully via interfaces.

Collaboration & Partnership Management

Three strong partners, one complex project: what was key to making this collaboration work so well?

Urs: From our perspective, the clear structure of the overall project was crucial. We divided the project into subprojects, defined responsibilities, and established fixed communication channels. A particularly successful example was the implementation of the “Shadow Checkout”, developed together with &why, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, and vivenu.

Economic & Technical Development Since the Switch

Compared to before, what progress do you see — in figures, processes, or visitor experiences?

Urs: The need of our guests to combine concert visits directly with gastronomies inside the house can now be fully met. This is a great advantage for both our guests and our gastronomy partners — in preparation, planning, and execution. In the first six months after introduction, over 3,500 products were sold, and the trend is rising.

The share of online tickets also increased from 82% to 94%.
Thanks to the open API structure, we were able to build our own reporting system and simplify internal processes. The use of Secret Shops and POS access for event organizers has also streamlined back-office operations.

The cross-selling of gastronomy offers has proven to be a real added value — it increases revenue while enabling better planning of staff and resources.

Technical Foundation & Flexibility

Which technical features have proven most valuable in day-to-day operations?

Urs: Clearly, the flexibility through the API. We use interfaces extensively and have built our own reporting system on that basis.
Templates, coupons, and products, as well as the integrated voucher management in vivenu, are important components of our daily work.
They help us reduce costs and increase online sales at the same time.
With vivenu Access Control, we can manage entry processes flexibly across multiple devices — a real benefit in day-to-day operations.

The Future & the Role of Ticketing

How is the role of ticketing changing in the concert hall world — towards data, community, and experience management?

Urs: Ticketing today is far more than just sales.
It is the gateway to further experiences and part of an extended value chain.

With qualitative data, we can address guests more precisely and personalize offers. vivenu provides the right technological foundation for this — with high development speed and a modern architecture that integrates seamlessly with our headless CMS and BI system.

Outlook

In three years’ time, how will you know that your digital strategy has been sustainably successful?

Urs: When our platform is perceived by event organizers as indispensable and successful, and our guests naturally use it as their central point for booking, information, and communication. Cross-selling products, such as gastronomy offers, should then be fully established and easily adaptable.

Conclusion

The example of KKL Lucerne shows that digital transformation in the cultural sector does not mean alienation — it creates new closeness.
With the open, API-based infrastructure from vivenu, KKL has redefined ticketing: not as a system, but as an experience. Together with &why, a digital foundation has emerged that unites brand, service, and culture — headless, but never mindless.