Case study

Somerset House: Unified Event & Cultural Management

February 27, 2026
Somerset House

Somerset House in central London handles over 3,000 annual requests and a high volume of space rentals. Balancing cultural programming and event management was challenging. With #DIESE, all activities are now centralized in a single environment, enabling smoother operations and better oversight.

A Cultural Organization with Complex Needs

Somerset House hosts exhibitions, installations, events, and space rentals simultaneously. This dual focus requires:

  • Managing high volumes of incoming requests
  • Coordinating commercial, technical, and operational teams
  • Tracking space usage efficiently

Each week, about 100 requests are received, totaling 3,000–4,000 per season.

The institution sought to replace its old event management software. Quickly, it became clear that combining cultural programming and commercial management in one system would optimize global oversight.

Structuring Event Management in #DIESE

The project now covers:

  • Requests and sales management
  • Project management (cultural and events)
  • General planning and space allocation
  • Budget tracking
  • Event equipment inventory

The transition started with importing data from the old system (Priava):

  • Over 1,300 projects
  • More than 12,000 activities
  • All associated contacts

#DIESE is now the central platform for operational management.

From Request to Planning

Connected web forms allow structured capture of requests. After qualification, commercial teams convert requests into projects, plan them, and track them within #DIESE.

Forms have been extended to internal needs, such as staffing security, cleaning, and operational teams. Integrating cultural programming and event management in one system streamlines the workflow and reduces manual errors.

Consolidated Space Management

Teams plan space usage for exhibitions, events, and rentals in #DIESE. Each department uses the system according to priorities:

  • Commercial teams track requests and opportunities
  • Event teams structure operational organization
  • Exhibition teams plan artistic schedules

Somerset House now analyzes space usage, occupancy periods, and revenue contribution. They also leverage the Analytics & AI module to enhance decision-making.

Collaborative Implementation

The project involved strong collaboration between commercial teams, IT, and IT4Culture. Processes evolved to ensure requests were properly converted into projects. Today, the full cycle—from request to post-event tracking—is integrated into #DIESE.

Key Benefits

Combining cultural programming and event management in one system allows:

  • Fewer data re-entries
  • Higher data reliability
  • Improved coordination across teams
  • Consolidated view of space usage
  • A structured database for decision-making

Centralizing these processes is a strategic choice. Somerset House now has a single platform to structure activities, secure data, and optimize management.