We round up the latest movements from the ticketing ecosystem…
The Royal Albert Hall has announced the current chief executive Craig Hassall (pictured) will step down at the start of the 2023 season.
Hassall joined the iconic 5,272-capacity venue in 2017 from his previous role as CEO of Opera Australia. He worked on plans for the London venue’s 150th anniversary in 2021 and aided its survival and recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “After six wonderful years at the Hall it is time for me to bid a very fond farewell. I have genuinely loved working with the team, and despite all the recent challenges we have faced, it has been a huge privilege to lead the Royal Albert Hall through some great times (and some daunting ones).”
President of the Royal Albert Hall, Ian McCulloch, added: “We have benefitted from Craig’s many talents for nearly six years. During this tenure, Craig has accomplished a great deal for the good of the Hall and the wider cultural sector.
“He has played a pivotal role in sustaining us through the Covid-19 pandemic, in enhancing our reputation and in enabling the Hall to reach even wider audiences. He will be leaving us with our deep gratitude and goodwill.”
Hassall will join Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio as its president and CEO.
New Zealand-owned and operated event ticketing company iTicket has appointed Sarah Cowley as chief commercial officer.
Cowley has over 25 years of experience in events and media sales and has previously held senior management positions with Ticketek and TEG, where she was most recently general manager of commercial and marketing with Ticketek NZ.
She said: “It’s great to be working with a passionate, local team, who bring their ideas and leading innovation to life in this critical growth chapter for our industry. We create commercially sustainable partnerships supporting the full NZ live event ecosystem.
“Expertise combined with integrity is what makes us standout as a market leader; there to support our clients and customers every step of the way.”
Shah-Zeib Ahmed has announced he will be re-joining his old team at FIFA and working on ticketing for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. He previously worked as the head of ticketing at Rugby League World Cup 2021.
English League Two football club Harrogate Town has appointed Hamilton Mattock as its first fan engagement manager.
Harrogate hopes the appointment will improve its match-day experience and grow its ran base. Mattock’s role will allow the club to work more closely with junior clubs, schools, organisations and its community foundation.
United Talent Agency (UTA) has announced that Robert Gibbs has joined as a partner and co-head of its Atlanta office.
In his new role, Gibbs will work alongside co-heads Rich Paul, Arthur Lewis and Steve Cohen to help grow the agency’s presence across music, sports, film, fine arts, television, podcasts and more.
Mitch Blackman has left music and events company ICM Partners to join agency APA as an agent in its concerts department.
Blackman told Variety: “I love what’s happening at APA and am excited to join the team which now includes many great friends from ICM, which makes this transition very comfortable for me and my artists.”
Do you have news of an appointment that we should know about? Get in touch by emailing [email protected] and we’ll include it in our next Wednesday round-up…
Image: Andy Paradise/Courtesy of the Royal Albert Hall