Liverpool Philharmonic

Background
Founded in the 19th century, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra is the UK’s oldest surviving professional symphony orchestra and the second oldest concert-giving organisation in the country. Beyond the orchestra, the organisation includes a choir, chamber groups, a contemporary music ensemble, a youth orchestra, and multiple youth choirs.

Each year, from September to June, they deliver around 70 performances at the iconic Liverpool Philharmonic Hall—a Grade II listed venue and one of the UK’s premier arts and entertainment spaces. Their performances also extend to London, venues across the UK, and abroad.

Challenge
Since 1998, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic has been an EDSL client, initially using Sage 100 and later upgrading to Sage 200. Unlike many commercial entities, the organisation’s finance system must support a unique requirement: producing a dedicated profit and loss account for every event it hosts.

Solution
At present, the system supports between 475 and 500 individual profit and loss accounts. This gives the management team full visibility over event performance—encompassing ticket sales, staff costs, refreshment and programme revenue, and more.

Results
This detailed financial insight enables the team to accurately assess profitability per event, make informed decisions for future bookings, and plan artist engagements based on historical event data.