A TASTE OF COMMERCIAL WEST END OPERATIONS
Sue Uings
Ticketing & Sales Consultant, Cameron & Delfont Mackintosh Limited
Presenting the up-selling and cross-selling techniques used by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres
and Cameron Mackintosh Limited, and how they are communicated internally.
This session will include an insight into Delfont Mackintosh marketing activities, CRM strategy
and front of house operations.
THE BRANDS
&
COMPANY & PERSONAL OVERVIEW
• Who is Cameron Mackintosh?
• What are his productions?
• What are his goals and aims?
• Which are his theatres?
• We sell 2 million tickets a year
• Who is Sue Uings?
• An Overview of who her team are – and who she works with?
• What are our goals and aims?
Cats, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, My Fair Lady, Oliver!, Five Guy’s Named Moe,
Avenue Q., Martin Guerre, Hey, Mr Producer!, Oklahoma, Carousel…
The Noël Coward, The Wyndhams, The Gielgud, The Prince of Wales, The Prince Edward, The Novello and The Queens
Box Office, Phone Room, Group Sales, Education and Access, Hospitality and Special Events,
In House and External Marketing & Development, FOH Managers and Teams, Back Stage and Production Teams,
DMT and CML Senior Management and Directors, Advertising Agencies, Ticket Agencies, Tour and Travel Operators,
Marketing Business Partnerships and Sponsorships incorporating hotels, RHS etc.
Simply to be the best and offer the best!
BRAND MANAGEMENT
We have a very strong ethic for our brand and image.
This is instilled into all our staff by our customer service, appearance of our staff and buildings
and by our conduct in the market place. However, as landlords we are not just managing our own brand
we are also managing and caretaking that of our incoming producers,
so it is sometimes a very difficult tightrope to walk
• What is a brand – logo – Artwork Style - Ethos – colour scheme – staff training
• Do you have a brand?
• Does someone control your day to day brand management
on artwork and with staff training and building maintenance? –
These all combine to make YOUR brand!
REVENUE STREAMS
Below are listed a variety of revenue streams that we embrace, some are obvious, some not so obvious,
however, potentially they can all be significant!
Ticket Sales
Bar Sales
Catering
Special sponsors promotions – Bars, Confectionery etc.
Merchandise
Ticket Agents
Travel Agents
Group Travel Companies
VIP Hospitality Services
Back Stage Tours
Theatre Tours
Commissions from Outside Services linked to your facility – hotel
I am unable to be specific with the exact nature of our figures, but can offer an overview of how various shows
and their individual audience demographic affect our potentials.
• Certain types of productions enhance Bar Sales – Musicals, Comedies, TV, and celebrity driven productions
• Family and High Energy shows generally have a high level of merchandise sales
– Oliver!, Cats, Mamma Mia!, High School Musical etc.
• Family & Seasonal Shows also drive Ice Cream and soft drink Sales as does hot weather
• Discounted and “Papered” shows, generally have low sales all round.
For example – our larger Musical Houses will typically have between 81% and 98% ticket capacity. Between £2.27 and £3.63 FOH/bar spend per person and between £1.20 to £1.41 merchandise spend per head.
Plays are less, and those with NO INTERVALS - a FOH Managers nightmare!
MARKETING BUDGETS
How much are they – well for bricks and mortar in the West End virtually nothing!
For some print runs we encourage sponsorship for example envelope supplies for window and postal sales,
this is usually a local restaurant or major store. Everything is done with a commercial eye!
How are they funded?
Bricks and Mortar Budgets – usually very small
Producers and Presenters Budgets and Fees
Sponsorship and contra Deals
Bar and Hospitality Profits which usually go toward VIP marketing and publications
Where do they get spent?
Group Sales Brochures
Education Brochures
Leaflets
Trade Show Representation
Meet and Greet Events for Customer Development
E-Blasts
Mail Shots
Ads paid and Advertorial
DMT Priority
Hospitality
CROSS SELLING, UP SELLING & PACKAGING
• Via Phone Staff
• Via E-Blasts
• Via Mail Shots
• Via Agents
• Via VIP Services
• With business partners – restaurants, hotels, travel companies etc.
GROUP SALES & VALUE ADDED INCENTIVES
• Back Stage Tours and Lectures
• Cast Meet and Greet
• Group leader benefits
• Priority Booking Periods
• Priority Entry Times
ADVERTISING
As Theatre Owners, although we maintain our brand and image within our own publications,
we do not generally undertake commercial advertising; this is left to the incoming producing managements.
We try to be self funding by selling advertising space to other productions in our group sales and
Educational magazines
As a comparison – a major West End Musical would expect to invest upwards of the following sums:
• £500,000 as pre production
• £30,000 as a weekly running budget
We do however; have a budget for advertising in trade publications for example, Coach Weekly/Monthly,
the Travel Trade Gazette and other travel or tourist related publications.
Also, we do from time to time share ads and events with our producing partners
We also attend a certain amount of trade shows a year
• The Travel Trade Fair
• Education Live
• The World Travel Market
• Square Meal
• Excursions
• Partner with other agents and tourist organizations who attend European and World Wide travel shows
to promote tourist business
DO REVIEWS AFFECT SALES?
• The answer is YES particularly in today’s climate where every pound counts
• Was it always the same ? - NO!
• Can you turn bad reviews around
– sometimes – with time and with a huge amount of promotional and advertising spend.
SALES ANALYSIS
We know across the theatre and entertainment industry that 65% of all sales are made by females
• Checking special promotions and booking periods via sales
• Via promotional codes
• Checking special promotions via dedicated phone numbers or links
Sales Reports
• What figures and Reports do you provide – are they what is required
– have you asked the people concerned?
• So many people compile reams of reports but when you actually check
only one or two key reports are actually read.
• Do you make decision and form other campaigns based on sales reports?
DATA CAPTURE & CRM
What is Customer Relationship Management – DO YOU HAVE IT DO YOU DO IT??
• All too many organisations don’t capture data and allow their staff to bypass this function
• Data is one of the most powerful tools you have
It represents your market segment
It reflects trends and demographics
It represents a powerful sales tool for your own use and to exchange with other like minded organisations
It offers you the opportunity to communicate with your client base
It offers you the opportunity to build customer loyalty
What Data do you capture?
• Name
• Postal Address
• Phone Number – Land Line - Mobile
• E-Mail address
• Sex
• Family Booking
How do you break down your analysis?
• Into age
• Into performance genre
• Post code areas
• Sex
• Offer related
Data Exchange
• Have you done it?
• Are you permitted to use the data legally – have the patrons opted into the list.
• Is the data you are exchanging “safe” we only swap from know venues and sources
– we always employ best practice
STAFF TRAINING, TEAM BUILDING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Including all levels of Staff from All Departments, associated agencies and other relevant applicable departments
and sponsors
• Regular Training programmes and Business Awareness is always paramount
to maintaining a good flow of information and keeping staff fresh and alert
• Update Company Intranets on a regular basis
• Hold regular weekly and monthly meetings both departmental and company wide.
• Ask for feedback on promotions and offers – your staff are the eyes and ears of the business.
• Hold regular social events as a group and as departments
• Visit Other departments and encourage job exchanges across the company and with other suppliers
and sponsors – DO YOU KNOW HOW THEY OPERATE AND WHAT THEY DO
– NO How can you get the best out of the relationship then?
• Get to know your regular clients and patrons – ask them what they want
and how you could best improve on your offers and facilities – it will benefit you and your staff
SUMMARY
In summary – budgets for all areas of sales can be large or small, but none of them work successfully
unless executed correctly from all sides.
A venue only works well if run as part of an overall team. We all depend on each other from marketing
and advertising. Communication is vital when an offer is instigated you must notify everyone from the
operations/systems department that enable the offer, to the box office and FOH manager,
who will be communicating this to their staff for follow through with the public.
Also it is vital to involve all staff including back stage and other casual or volunteer support staff
– you will be amazed at the number of ideas generated from the most unlikely sources.
Listen to the public – they are our bread and butter, and where as we may not always be able to
provide exactly what they want we can at least take on board their views and implement where possible.
Know your product!
Know your staff!
Know your building!
Know your market!
THANK YOU!