What is the Vpod Advanced GainShare Buyer’s Guide?

The guide helps attractions, venues and event operators assess the commercial, operational and visitor-experience decisions involved in a smart locker GainShare deployment. It expands on the introductory buyer’s guide with more detailed planning and performance considerations.

Who is the Advanced GainShare Buyer’s Guide for?

It is designed for commercial, operations, security, finance, procurement, retail and visitor-experience stakeholders assessing smart lockers for attractions, entertainment venues, event spaces and other high-footfall locations.

What is a smart locker GainShare model?

GainShare is a managed commercial model in which smart lockers provide paid self-service storage and the resulting revenue is shared under an agreed arrangement. The precise responsibilities, costs and commercial terms must be confirmed for each deployment.

How does the advanced guide differ from the basic buyer’s guide?

The basic guide introduces the GainShare model and the initial questions a venue should consider. The advanced guide explores a broader set of decisions covering stakeholder alignment, locker placement, size mix, pricing, promotion, additional uses and ongoing performance improvement.

What factors determine whether GainShare is suitable for a venue?

Suitability depends on factors including visitor numbers, event frequency, storage demand, customer mix, dwell time, site layout, operating hours, security requirements and the availability of suitable locker locations.

How should a venue choose the best locker location?

Locker placement should reflect where storage demand occurs, how visitors move through the site, visibility, accessibility, security, power and connectivity requirements, and the effect on entry and exit flows. A site assessment is needed before the final location is agreed.

How is the right locker size mix determined?

The size mix should reflect the belongings visitors are likely to store, such as bags, coats, merchandise or luggage. Demand patterns, venue type and available space should be assessed before deciding the proportion of small, medium and large compartments.

Can smart locker pricing change by event or demand?

Pricing can potentially reflect locker size, location, rental duration, event profile, visitor type or expected demand. Any pricing approach should remain clear to visitors and be reviewed using actual usage and revenue data.

Do visitors need to download an app?

The intended visitor journey can allow users to scan a QR code, select a locker, pay and receive access through a mobile browser. The exact booking and access experience depends on the deployed configuration.

Can lockers be promoted before visitors arrive?

Yes. Venues can introduce storage through booking confirmations, event emails, venue websites, mobile apps, visitor guides and arrival information. This can help visitors understand availability before reaching the site.

Can locker storage be sold during ticket checkout?

Where the relevant booking and technical integration is available, storage may be offered alongside admission, parking, hospitality or other upgrades. Integration requirements must be assessed with the venue’s ticketing and technology teams.

What additional uses can venue smart lockers support?

Depending on the location and configuration, lockers may support visitor storage, merchandise collection, premium packages, sponsored placements, contractor storage and access outside normal opening hours. Each use requires its own operational and commercial assessment.

Can external lockers help venue security?

External lockers may provide storage before visitors reach screening or controlled entry points. Their suitability depends on the venue’s security policies, site layout, access controls, monitoring and procedures for prohibited or unclaimed items.

How can smart lockers support merchandise collection?

Lockers can provide a controlled self-service collection point for prepaid merchandise or event packages. This may reduce reliance on staffed collection desks and provide customers with more flexibility over collection timing.

How is locker performance measured?

Relevant measures can include occupancy, rental sessions, revenue, availability, size demand, peak usage periods and operational incidents. Reviewing these measures helps venues identify pricing, capacity, placement and promotional improvements.

Does the guide guarantee a particular level of revenue?

No. Commercial performance depends on venue-specific factors including demand, footfall, pricing, placement, promotion, operating model and visitor behaviour. A site and business-case assessment is required before deployment.

What information should a venue prepare before discussing GainShare?

Useful information includes visitor and event volumes, operating calendar, current storage provision, likely locker locations, bag policies, customer profiles, opening hours, security requirements and relevant booking or payment systems.

What is the next step after reading the guide?

The next step is to discuss the venue’s demand, layout, operating requirements and commercial objectives with Vpod. This allows the potential deployment model and required site assessment to be considered in more detail.

Advanced buyer's guide

Turn venue smart lockers into a stronger commercial and operational service

Go beyond the initial business case. Explore 21 decisions that can improve utilisation, revenue, visitor experience, security and day-to-day performance across venues, attractions and events.

Download the advanced guide Book a demo Watch the overview video

21 buyer considerations
Commercial and operational lenses
Practical venue recommendations

Vpod Performance Guide for attractions, venues and events with a visitor using smart lockers

From feasibility to performance

The basic guide asks whether GainShare is right. The advanced guide asks how to make it perform.

This page introduces the decisions inside the advanced guide without replacing it. Use the summaries to align stakeholders and identify priority questions. Download the full guide for the practical recommendations, examples and prompts that support a venue-specific plan.

Still assessing the model? Begin with the smart locker GainShare buyer's guide, then return here when you are ready to optimise the opportunity.

Six decision lenses

Build one business case that works for every stakeholder

GainShare is strongest when the commercial, operational and visitor outcomes are considered together.

Six GainShare decision lenses—commercial, operations, security, visitor experience, finance and retail—aligned around venue performance

Commercial return

Test rental income, wider visitor spend, premium services and the long-term value of a shared-revenue model.

Operational efficiency

Assess queue reduction, self-service capacity, staff workload, availability and event-day resilience.

Security and entry

Plan for bag policies, prohibited or oversized items, controlled access and smoother screening flows.

Visitor experience

Make storage visible, easy to book and convenient to use before, during and after a visit.

Finance and procurement

Compare capital purchase, lease, managed service and GainShare using whole-life value and measurable outcomes.

Retail and partnerships

Explore merchandise collection, premium packages, sponsorship and other uses beyond paid visitor storage.

Download all stakeholder prompts

15 performance areas

The decisions that turn locker capacity into measurable venue value

Each area below introduces a question explored in the full guide. The strongest answer depends on your footfall, event calendar, customer mix, site layout and operating model.

Locker placement

Where does storage demand occur, and which visible locations support the best flow and utilisation?

Locker size mix

Which combination of small, medium and large compartments matches real visitor belongings?

Flexible pricing

How should size, location, rental length, customer type and event demand influence price?

Booking and payment

Can visitors scan, select, pay and access without an app, cash desk or avoidable steps?

Four-step smart locker visitor journey: scan, select, pay and access

Pre-arrival promotion

Are lockers visible in confirmations, event emails, venue apps, guides and arrival instructions?

Ticket-checkout add-ons

Can storage be purchased with admission, parking, hospitality and other upgrades?

On-site signage

Do directional signs, screens and QR prompts make the service easy to find and understand?

Internal visitor lockers

Where can hands-free storage improve changing, leisure, hospitality and performance spaces?

External lockers

Could pre-entry storage reduce disruption at security and prevent visitors leaving the site?

Out-of-hours revenue

Can externally accessible lockers support luggage, local storage or collection outside opening hours?

Merchandise collection

Could locker collection reduce retail queues and let customers collect before, during or after events?

Premium merchandise

Can reserved lockers deliver pre-paid merchandise, hospitality bundles and exclusive packages?

Locker sponsorship

Could brand placements create income or contribute to installation and operating costs?

Premium locker options

Will more space, priority locations, longer rentals or unlimited access support higher-value offers?

Contractor lockers

Can secure storage for tools, PPE and personal items improve accountability and recover costs?

Watch the overview

See the opportunity before you open the guide

The short video introduces how better storage can support commercial returns, visitor convenience and smoother venue operations.

Watch on YouTube

Vpod Gainshare Performance Guide video for attractions, venues and events

Continuous venue locker performance cycle: measure, review, improve and repeat

Choose your next step

Download the framework or test it against your venue

Read the advanced guide

Take the complete set of recommendations into your internal commercial and operational review.

Download the guide

Make it venue-specific

Discuss footfall, events, capacity, placement, visitor demand and the right commercial model with Vpod.

Book a demo