As we continue our ongoing series of staff interviews to reveal what goes on behind-the-scenes at Ticketmaster and TicketWeb UK, we chat with Tom Cummins to find out more about his role at the company.

Tell us your story – how did you end up as Client Marketing Manager – Theatre, Arts & Comedy?

During my further education years in Brighton, studying music performance and production, I worked my way into live music as a show rep for promotion company Melting Vinyl and The Great Escape Festival. But it was my box office and marketing role at Theatre Royal Brighton where I gained my appreciation and interest in theatre. Following my move to London, I worked in the box office of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, which was on the Ticketmaster system at the time – this was my way into TM! Having worked as a Client Account Assistant for one year I realised that marketing was my calling. I worked as a Campaign Executive for another year before moving into my current role and have enjoyed every moment.

Can you explain a normal day at work for you?

Working across 70+ clients within the West End, regional theatre, comedy and all things umbrellaed by the term “Arts”, my day consists of working with marketing agencies, promoters and venues to determine the best approach to promoting their shows across Ticketmaster’s channels. Once finalised I orchestrate with our internal teams to implement these campaigns.

What has been your favourite campaign to work on?

A group of us recently took a trip to Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe to gather content for Ticketmaster Blog. Leaving out the late nights of catching up with clients over a few drinks, the best parts had to be meeting with comedians for interviews and getting to see many shows to review – who knew “work” could be so fun!

What’s it like working on product in the West End?

It’s brilliant! Whether you’re a thriving thespian or West End novice, live theatre offers an experience like no other genre and it’s incredibly exciting working on campaigns for both multi-award winners and new works. Furthermore, since gaining access to increased inventory via API, we’ve been given a real opportunity to prove how effective our marketing can be – no pressure!

What has been your favourite show that you’ve seen recently?

I’m a sucker for a gritty story and was recently lucky enough to see The Ferryman, dubbed “play of the year”. And for good reason, as Sam Mendes has directed a brilliant piece of theatre telling the tale of one family that spans three generations. But I won’t get into review mode – all I’ll say is see it if you can.

And finally, what live event are you most excited for in 2018?

For anyone that works in the West End, there’s one show that springs to mind: Hamilton. I will be seeing it in December this year, so not technically 2018, but for many it will be the highlight of next year.