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 Hanna Chamberlain to find out more about her role at the company.
Tell us your story – how did you end up as Project Manager – Client Operations?
Like so many of us I fell into the world of box offices and ticketing after I finished university, initially intending it to be a temporary thing to save some up some cash to do a Masters in Screen Translation. I worked in the Visitor Services team at the BFI Southbank for a couple of years and realised that I have more of a knack for working with ticketing systems than I did for languages. I then applied for a role at Ticketmaster as a Product Trainer which I did for a couple of years and then at the end of 2015 the opportunity came up to become a Project Manager within the Client Operations team.
Can you explain a normal day at work for you?
I’m usually working on a couple of different projects at any one time, so it is nice that I can switch my focus depending on what needs the most attention each day. A “normal day” usually involves working through the more immediate requirements and then saving some time to dig in to something that requires a bit more detailed attention. There are plenty of abnormal days to keep things interesting though – recently I got to visit Austin, Texas as part of one of the big projects I’m working on and I’m probably going to be out on site at events for a decent part of 2018.
What has been your favourite event to work on?
I was lucky enough to be involved in the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games when I was in my training role at Ticketmaster. We provided training on our system for hundreds of ticket office staff in the months before the games, and then I was out in the ticket offices providing support to staff there. I really enjoyed being involved in such a large scale project for a specific event, so I’m very happy that this is pretty much what I’m doing in my role at the minute!
What’s it like working on events?
I work on all sorts of events and find that regardless of genre you have to be able to go with the flow. Even the most meticulous planning can go out of the window when you get on site so being adaptable is key. Luckily the team at Ticketmaster have a lot of experience, so it takes a lot to really throw us.
What has been your favourite show that you’ve seen recently?
I love the Eurovision Song Contest and have been travelling to the host cities to watch the show since 2013, so it has turned into a bit of an annual tradition. I normally see a rehearsal of the final in the afternoon and then watch the live show in a main square later that evening. Each year varies, but Kyiv 2017 was a particularly good year.
However, to balance out the Eurovision, I think LCD Soundsystem at Alexandra Palace in September 2017 were fantastic as always and a lot of their new tracks really work well alongside the classics.
And finally, what live event are you most excited for in 2018?
Aside from Eurovision 2018 which is in Lisbon, I have tickets for Primavera in Barcelona. The line-up is what really does it for me when it comes to a festival, but nothing has been announced so far. I’ve got a couple of educated guesses as to who might play based on the touring schedules of bands over the summer, so I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.
