Improving a Christmas Market Booking System for EG#
As part of a collaboration with a company called EG, we had a meeting where they introduced us to some of the systems used on their website and discussed areas they believed could be improved in the future.
Some of the topics included:
- admin workflows
- logistics
- Christmas market management
One of the things that caught my attention the most was how their Christmas market stand booking process currently works.
Understanding the Existing Process#
From what I understood during the meeting, a large part of the booking flow is currently handled manually through email communication between EG and customers.
Customers contact EG, requests are handled manually, and replies are sent back individually.
While this works, it also creates several challenges:
- a lot of repetitive administrative work
- slow communication
- risk of confusion or double bookings
- difficulty managing larger amounts of requests
As I listened to the explanation, I immediately started thinking about how the process could be streamlined and improved for both EG and the customers applying for stands.
My Idea for Improving the System#
The idea I came up with was inspired by seat booking systems used in cinemas, but adapted for a Christmas market with more flexibility.
Instead of sending emails manually, users could interact directly with a visual booking system.
The process could work like this:
- The customer opens an interactive market map
- They select three preferred stand locations
- They continue to a registration form
- They enter personal and business information
- The request is submitted to an admin system
On the admin side, EG employees would have access to a dashboard where they could:
- see all incoming requests
- view preferred stand locations
- approve or reject requests
- adjust placements if needed
- manage capacity more efficiently
AI-Assisted Communication#
One interesting addition would be integrating AI-generated email responses.
When a stand request is approved, the system could automatically generate and send a personalized email to the customer.
This could:
- reduce repetitive manual work
- speed up communication
- create a more professional workflow
- improve the overall user experience
The AI would not make important business decisions itself, but instead assist with communication and administrative tasks.
Why This Could Be Useful#
The biggest advantage of this type of system is workflow optimization.
Instead of handling every request manually through email chains, much of the process becomes:
- centralized
- visual
- easier to track
- easier to manage
It would also improve the customer experience significantly because users would immediately understand:
- which areas are available
- what they are applying for
- what happens next in the process
At the same time, admins would gain a much better overview of the entire market layout and booking flow.
Reflection#
What I found most interesting about this exercise was thinking about software from a real business perspective instead of only focusing on code.
The technical solution itself is not necessarily the difficult part. The real challenge is understanding:
- how people currently work
- where inefficiencies exist
- how technology can simplify workflows
- how to improve user experience without overcomplicating the system
It also made me realize how many business processes are still surprisingly manual, even in companies working with digital systems.
Overall, this was a good example of how relatively small system improvements can potentially save a lot of time and create a smoother experience for both employees and customers.