Jay E.
About me
| Jay E. | |
| Theatre, Film and Television | |
| Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Langwith | |
| 2017 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Theatre Deputy Sales Manager | |
| ATG | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Tourism, leisure and hospitality |
More about Jay
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A day in the life of a Theatre Deputy Sales Manager in the United Kingdom
I've married my degree subject and passion for theatre with my proven track record for sales and management to build a name for myself within my company and now work on some of the most exciting productions.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for ATG, the largest theatre company in the world. We run 35 venues Nationwide and 46 Worldwide with new venues soon to be acquired/built. We also produce major shows in Europe, Australia and America.
What do you do?
Currently, I manage the ticketing and sales for all shows at the Savoy Theatre, London. I deputise for the Head of Department looking after long-running productions including 9 to 5 and Sunday in the Park with George and take full responsibility for any one-night shows including Whitney: Queen of the Night. Within this role I support the programming and scheduling of new shows, enact dynamic pricing and inventory management to increase sales potential, attend and advise marketing meetings, manage the box office and liaise with other departments to maximise non-ticket sales.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I had to work throughout University so while studying for a theatre degree I also held several jobs in hospitality management culminating in running the bar and bistro full-time at a local 4-star hotel while finishing my final year. After graduation, I moved to help open a new fine-dining restaurant in York and a year later joined the Grand Opera House as the Head of Ticketing and Sales, joining at a time of new management to revitalise a previously under-performing venue. I've married my degree subject and passion for theatre with my proven track record for sales and management to build a name for myself within my company and now work on some of the most exciting productions.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
It took a while but I am exactly where I set out to be!
Describe your most memorable day at work
I pride myself on my crisis-management skills and the time they were most put to the test was during a fire at the Grand Opera House. We were very close to making our sales targets on a challenging show a few nights into it's run when, between the matinee and evening performances, a fire was discovered in our auditorium. The day itself was a hard one, having to cancel a show on two hours notice and not be allowed back into the building so largely having to coordinate from my mobile phone and talk to customers on the street but the next day was the real task; we had to ascertain whether or not the next show could go ahead safely and communicate that to all customers while still dealing with the previous night's refunds and prioritising rebookings to minimise lost revenue. After a very long days work, we had the show back again safely and had rebooked enough customers to not see a significant difference in revenue.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
This job involves a lot of difficult decisions that will ultimately make or break a show but for me the real challenge is the culture. When I was a Regional Sales Manager I was the youngest by a very long way with most of my peers being about 15-25 years my senior, now that I'm on the Westend I have the same issue while also being one of the only women. Many of my peers are old-school pros and that makes getting them to try new strategies a real challenge, especially when those ideas come from the mouth of a woman in her early twenties. Things are getting better all the time though, my venue's culture is unrecognisable from the way it was 6 months ago and I fully intend to spread that far and wide.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
My job is a great mix between planning and strategising, and operational management so it's easy to mix things up! Though I may have a day full of data analysis and meetings I might get to spend the last two hours duty managing the incoming audience at the box office so there's always a variety in my day-to-day. No one week of any show is the same so the needs of the business are constantly shifting which is fantastic for me. When I was in a less well-funded venue I found myself working all hours of the day for no overtime but now I actually find it easier to hit a balance between home life.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
Due to the high demands of my course and busy work schedule, I didn't have much free time. One thing I did do was to volunteer for the student union as an academic rep, working as a liaison between staff and students. Through this role I learnt how to write policy, set agendas and chair meetings and help make the university a better place.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I do miss being a Head of Department so the next step would be to take that role again at one of our Westend venues but for now I'm very happy perfecting everything at the Savoy. Eventually, I would like to take on a group management role looking after multiple venues.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Never stop working! The grind is hard but it's worth it. When I was opening a new restaurant I worked 14 hour days and on my lunch break I would fold napkins and listen to management podcasts or take online qualifications in software packages so that I had something to say I was working on right now at every interview. And give 100% to every job you're doing even if it's just a stop-gap, everything has value.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Sales, Theatre industry, line-management as a young person and/or woman, managing mental health for yourself and your team, anything really!
Next steps...
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