This month we meet Killian McNeive, Campaign Executive at TicketWeb and the man behind viral internet sensation, Kill’s Walk to Work.

Q: Hey Killian! Tell us your story – how did you end up joining Artist Services at TicketWeb?

I moved to London from Dublin in January of last year with a marketing degree. I was originally searching for marketing roles in real estate companies as I had experience in this field. I was close to becoming a lettings agent when I interviewed for Ticketmaster. I am a massive music and sport fan but never considered working in the live entertainment industry – it was more of a dream to work with music in any capacity. Safe to say I was delighted TM/TW took me on as I doubt letting flats in London would have suited me!

Q: Can you explain a normal day in the office for you?

I work in the marketing team at TicketWeb. My day consists of writing and creating content for our blog, posting on our social media channels, compiling newsletters and dedicated emails for upcoming events and if it’s a Thursday – doing an episode of Kill’s Walk to Work where I compile a playlist of songs, play them on my phone and record myself while I lip sync the lyrics and walk to work. This is done as a fun piece of content to increase our followers on Instagram and to engage with fans online in general. I’m also in charge of the marketing for TicketWeb Ireland which launched recently and is growing rapidly thanks to our excellent sales team.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best thing TicketWeb and Artist Services can do for artists and fans?

Support new music and up-and-coming artists. This is the best thing we do, introducing fans to brand new acts, ticketing their shows and shouting about them online. Helping fans discover new music and providing a platform for new artists to be noticed – through our blog or recording a TicketWeb session with them is mutually beneficial for the artist and fans.

Q: What are you listening to at the moment?

Hip hop. Always hip hop: Tyler the Creator and SZA brought out incredible albums this year. I’m seeing Action Bronson this month and I listen to Kendrick Lamar almost daily. Also the new Little Simz and Gorillaz tune is absolute fire.

Q: What are the most interesting challenges faced by the concert and/or music industry today?

Filling the venue. Two challenges come with this: the controversy when the demand is higher than supply and the extra work required to fill the room when the demand is low. This has been a hot topic in the industry for some time. When demand for a show is higher than the supply of available tickets, should we be pricing the house? Should resale be utilised or intentionally restricted? On the flipside, when a show isn’t selling well, how do we convince fans that going to the show will be more enjoyable than Netflix and chill?

Q: Kill’s Walk to Work has been a surprise hit online. Tell us about how it came about and what it was like doing your first one!

I did it on my personal Instagram and Snapchat accounts for a while for a laugh and I got great feedback. Although it was just my friends telling me they liked it, I thought I could introduce the format to the ticketing world. In 2017 some of the most effective advertising comes from “social influencers” – basically a web/social media personality who documents their life/interests on their social media channels, gaining a huge following and acquiring brand sponsorship. This individual then promotes products to their loyal followers.

Season 1 of Kill’s Walk to Work was just a bit of fun content to increase TicketWeb’s social following. The plan is to promote tours and sell tickets through it further down the line. The first episode was great fun – I began playing the songs and filming myself outside a packed Kings Cross train station – people think I’m mad but I don’t care it’s all in good fun. The video is the most viewed piece of content TicketWeb has ever had. (Click here to watch Kill’s Walk To Work Season 1 Episode 1.)

Q: And finally, what are you looking forward to in the remainder of 2017 and in 2018?

Kill’s Walk to Work season 2! This is coming soon and I’m very excited about it. Our Ones To Watch campaign is also on the way, this is my favourite campaign that we run. I believe 2018 will be a big year for TicketWeb UK and Ireland, I’m looking forward to contributing in any way I can – even if it means behaving like a complete lunatic on Pentonville Road at half 9 in the morning…all in the name of tickets.