Merac, an integrated ticketing, retail and fundraising platform in the Crowd Convert group, has collaborated with Coffin Works, an award-winning museum offering a unique insight into coffin furniture manufacturing, to upgrade its ticketing operations.
By adopting the Merac platform, the museum has simplified its online visitor journey and can now meet the increasing demand for its factory tours and attraction experiences.
Based in the historic Newman Brothers manufactory in Birmingham, UK, Coffin Works launched in 2014 and attracts approximately 10,000 guests each year.
Andy Povey, CEO, Merac, says: "Partnering with Coffin Works is a perfect example of how our platform can transform day-to-day operations for smaller, independent attractions.
"By streamlining daily operations, we’re helping staff work more efficiently while also enhancing the visitor experience. It’s incredibly rewarding to see technology make such a practical, tangible difference."
The museum, which focuses on the period from 1894 to 1999, allows guests to experience life at the factory through displays of original stock, tools, and working machinery.
The factory produced some of the finest coffin furniture in the world, including the fittings for the funerals of Winston Churchill and Princess Diana.
Unified booking system
As the government-funded Arts Tickets programme concludes, the Coffin Works' operations team needed to transition to a comprehensive, long-term attractions management and e-commerce platform.
Coffin Works chose to return to Merac to support its next stage of growth, following the platform's acquisition by Povey, an industry veteran.
Under its new ownership, Merac has undergone major development and refocused on customer support and product innovation.
Povey has implemented a stronger support structure for customers and expedited the platform's evolution into a fully connected, visitor-centric commerce ecosystem.
The platform's new modules and enhanced ecommerce functionalities bring ticketing, operational data, F&B sales, memberships and Gift Aid in a single system.
This unified approach gives venues like Coffin Works a clearer view of performance across the whole operation, while delivering a seamless experience for both physical and digital visitors.
By switching to the Merac platform, Coffin Works can now provide a simple, effective booking system that has enhanced overall guest satisfaction.
Claire McGibbon, volunteer and operations coordinator, Coffin Works, says: "Moving to Merac has completely streamlined our ticketing and reporting processes.
"As a small, independent museum, it was important for us to find a system that felt intuitive, flexible and tailored to our needs, not something overly complex or corporate.
"The support from the Merac team has been exceptional, they’re responsive, proactive and genuinely invested in helping us succeed. It feels like a partnership, not just a provider relationship, and that’s made all the difference."
Earlier this year, Merac launched the fourth edition of the Visitor Attractions Website Survey.
This publication provides museums, theme parks, heritage sites, and cultural destinations with industry-specific trends and insights on how to optimise websites for AI search, deliver digital sustainability, and reduce friction to boost digital ROI.
