Since its inception in 2018, premium ticketing marketplace Seat Unique has gone from strength to strength, and has amassed an impressive clientele in just four years.
Just today (Tuesday), Seat Unique and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club announced that its home ground, Bristol County Ground, will become Seat Unique Stadium.
The company was founded by Robin Sherry and Phillipa Hicks (pictured left) and boasts former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton (pictured right) as a brand ambassador.
In honour of International Women’s Day 2022, Seat Unique co-founder and head of product Hicks spoke to TheTicketingBusiness.com about what it is like to be a woman in the ticketing industry.
TheTicketingBusiness: What is it like to work in the ticketing industry as a woman, and especially as a successful woman that has co-founded a business?
Phillipa Hicks: As a woman, working in a tech business within the ticketing industry certainly has its challenges – especially when it comes to my age. However, this doesn’t bother me and it makes me want to succeed even more.
I am proud to be a 30-year old female working in a male-dominated industry and field. I am also delighted that we are starting to see more women in tech, which is very inspiring!
The challenges of founding a business are plenty – even more so as a young woman in a largely male dominated industry. But growing a successful business whatever your gender or background is about overcoming challenges and adversity and finding a way of taking peoples’ preconceptions and using them to your advantage.
TTB: Do you think there are enough women working in the sector, or do you believe there needs to be more routes for women to work within the business side of ticketing?
PH: I would say that women are under-represented in tech, let alone the tech and ticketing industry combined, but we are starting to see vast improvements here. I enjoy working with both men and women in the industry and never feel outvoted by any of my male colleagues.
That said, there is always room for more women. I am very fortunate to have a fantastic team behind me and our chief technology officer, Murray Rowan, who is extremely experienced within the tech space (Yahoo, LoveCraft), has been extremely supportive throughout my career.
TTB: Why should we celebrate women everyday and not just today?
PH: I believe that we should celebrate everyone, every day. It is brilliant that we are seeing greater representation of women in tech, but as an industry, we should all be supporting each other daily and recognising the value that we bring to the field, regardless of gender.
TTB:Who are some of the amazing women that you work with?
PH: I am lucky enough to work in a very fast-paced and exciting industry. With that brings lots of talented individuals, many of whom are women. We are proud to have these talented women working across the tech, marketing and sales departments at Seat Unique.