Case study from Made Grand. Project: Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair. Focus: . Outcome: A custom WordPress platform that automates art fair bookings while giving artists their own e-commerce stores within the BCAF community.
Booking
Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair
An automated booking and multi-vendor e-commerce platform designed for a growing art fair community.
A multi-vendor art fair platform that automates exhibition bookings and gives artists their own e-commerce stores.
Visit Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair →
The Problem
Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair needed a platform to manage exhibition bookings, payments and artist participation more efficiently.
The previous processes were time-consuming for organisers and involved a high level of manual administration.
The organisers wanted a system that would simplify applications and payments while supporting the growing community of artists.
Artists also needed a way to showcase and sell their work online under the BCAF umbrella.
The Challenge
Replace time-consuming manual booking and payment processes with automation.
Support multiple transaction types including exhibition space bookings, artwork sales and donations.
Create a multi-vendor platform where each artist can manage their own store.
Deliver a system that is powerful enough for organisers but simple for artists to use.
“A transformative platform that automates art fair management and empowers artists to sell online.”
What we built
We focused on identifying the organiser’s biggest administrative pain points and designing a platform that removes friction at every stage of the process.
- Bespoke WordPress platform built around WooCommerce.
- Multi-vendor marketplace enabling individual artist stores.
- Automated exhibition booking and payment systems.
- Artist dashboards for managing products and sales.
- E-commerce functionality supporting artwork sales and transactions.
- Flexible architecture designed to evolve with the fair and its community.
Outcome
The platform has transformed how the art fair operates, reducing administration while creating new opportunities for artists to showcase and sell their work.
- Automated booking and payment processes that reduce organiser workload.
- A multi-vendor e-commerce platform supporting individual artist stores.
- A stronger digital presence for the BCAF community.
- A scalable platform that supports future growth and development.
“The updates to the website have been hugely transformational for BCAF. We've had more artists sign up than even before, and the application process is much simpler now which means I have more time to plan for the future. Simply amazing.”
— Paul, Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair
What This Included
- Analysed the booking workflow to identify where time and effort were being lost.
- Designed an automated booking and payment structure to reduce manual administration.
- Implemented a multi-vendor marketplace so artists could manage their own online stores.
- Built the platform around the needs of the BCAF community, organisers, artists and buyers.
Reflection
Complex community platforms succeed when the technology disappears into the background. By removing administrative friction, organisers can focus on curating the event and artists can focus on their work.
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