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Case Study: Hull New Theatre looks to establish a new standard for modern theatres with help from AJ Products
In the realm of entertainment venues, particularly theatres, providing an exceptional guest experience is paramount. This means creating a convivial atmosphere while maintaining a practical and flexible space. This case study explores Hull Theatres innovative efforts to transform its front-of-house experience, to establish a new standard for modern theatres, and the ways in which furniture supplier AJ Products helped support them in this vision.
Background
Hull Culture and Leisure is a subsidiary of Hull City Council that operates Hull New Theatre and Hull City Hall (Hull Theatres), providing entertainment for a diverse region, including shows, concerts, exhibitions, and workshops. The New Theatre recently underwent a £17m upgrade, making it a prime location for major UK touring productions.
Hull New Theatre has a capacity of 1330. With an extensive programme of events every year, it handles a high volume of people daily, weekly, and annually.
Operations Manager Jozef Csendes said of their front-of-house design, “Due to our large capacity, we needed to find a robust furniture solution for our various front of house areas that met our many requirements.”
Workplace furniture and equipment brand, AJ Products, is a one-stop shop that prides itself on its modern Scandinavian design and providing high quality solutions at affordable prices.
Challenges in finding suitable solutions
Hull New Theatre had been grappling with several significant challenges regarding its front-of-house flow. The primary concern, a struggle that resonates with many in the industry, was the need for durable, versatile, and aesthetically pleasing seating options that align with the Theatre’s contemporary interior design.
Jozef said of the challenges, “Our previous experience was that furniture suppliers didn’t really understand our needs as a theatre, offering standard sofas and park-style benches.”
Objectives
Hull New Theatre was looking for versatile furniture to accommodate a theatre’s various functions, such as restaurant seating or corridor seating. Durability was also key. The furniture needed to be suitable for everyone, from concertgoers and musical patrons to families experiencing the annual pantomime, yet it also needed to ensure that it fitted within their style and design ethos.
In addition, Hull New Theatre’s front-of-house seating needed to accommodate every single visitor, from those waiting for a lift before finding their seats in the circle to excitable children before a pantomime.
Like any location with no apparent function, some front-of-house areas did not naturally lend themselves to a set role and had become underutilised. By identifying a purpose for these areas, they could uphold their professional appearance, maintain efficiency, and ensure customer comfort.
As Hull New Theatre is part of a local authority, any furniture solution would be subject to robust procurement guidelines.
Solution: modular and adaptable furniture
Despite having access to numerous organisations’ websites with online solutions, the venue operators struggled to find a suitable design. Many seating options had legs, making it difficult to clean under, or had a limited colour choice, came with backs or in unsuitable fabric.
Operations Manager, Jozef researched suppliers and chose to approach workplace furniture supplier, AJ Products, who were able to suggest furniture ideas that had yet to be considered.
AJ Products' modular modern seating blocks are designed for environments that are used daily. They have a sturdy frame in an array of colour options that actually look good. An additional benefit is that they are light enough to be moved around the venue by staff quickly and easily, as theatre usage can change overnight, from productions and large musicals to conferences and small workshops.
“AJ Products’ quality is fantastic and offers excellent value for money”, Jozef said of discovering Swedish-owned furniture manufacturer and supplier AJ Products, who offer a seven-year guarantee on their entire range.
Benefits of modular seating
Jozef was delighted with AJ Products’ solution, praising “The design quality and their seamless integration with the theatre’s existing décor.” In addition, he said, “They’re very durable, very light, and they’re not in difficult sizes, so they fit into most areas without compromising the layout or setting.” This endorsement highlights the importance of aesthetic alignment alongside functional benefits.
Their adoption of AJ Products’ modular furniture has proven a highly effective solution. Modular seating offers several advantages: it is durable and built to withstand heavy use, making it ideal for high-traffic venues. Its ease of maintenance, with easily replaceable or reconfigurable modules, ensures long-term practicality. Additionally, its versatility allows for adaptation to different event setups, providing a flexible solution for the Theatre’s varied programming.
In a world where most procurement is online, and the only communication is through a bot, Jozef extolled the advantages of interacting with a human representative from AJ Products during the procurement process. Saying “having a human level of conversation” made the process run smoother and contrasts with the often impersonal nature of online transactions and the reliance on stock images, which can obscure the true quality and suitability of products.
Conclusion
Hull New Theatre needed to upgrade its front-of-house furniture to provide an exceptional guest experience and as part of a strategic move to position it as a leading regional theatre. AJ Products and the solutions they offered in the form of modular and adaptable furniture superseded the brief in terms of durability, versatility and design.
The value of human interaction in the procurement process delivered easier decision making and long-term satisfaction.
“For many years, we have been benchmarking other venues. Since our stylish re-design, we have become a benchmark for other venues, and we’re enjoying that” Jozef said at the end of the project.
