This story is brought to you by the INTIX Women in Entertainment Technology Program.
Linda Bowlen’s career in ticketing began as a part-time ticket seller working for Ticketmaster nearly 35 years ago. Since that first job at the former Kemper Arena (now the Hy-Vee Arena) in Kansas City, she has worked everywhere from a small cabaret-style theatre that sat just over 150 people on up to a football stadium with a capacity of 76,000. “And everything in between!” she exclaims.
Linda Bowlen
The COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 brought her to California and a job as Director of Ticketing at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert on the campus of the College of the Desert. She has been there ever since, leading a staff of 11 including two managers and nine part-time staffers who ticket the 1,127-seat theatre and concert venue.
The McCallum currently has over 150 shows scheduled for its upcoming season. “Primarily, I build all of the shows, working with marketing and our development department to create sales strategies,” she says. “I collaborate with our President on the day-to-day ins and outs of fulfilling contract requirements, doing settlements, and making sure everything goes on without a hitch … to the best of our abilities [chuckling]. I am also a VIP ticket concierge to our more than 600 ‘Founder’ and above level donors. Then, there are the hundreds of little things that add up to a thousand big things all the time. Call me Official Chaos Coordinator!”
There is an obvious joy in Bowlen’s voice when she talks of her work. The demands of the job no longer surprise her, and she has structured her life to fit the lifestyle a ticketing professional must lead. She says, “I love being a part of an amazing team and seeing our hard work result in sold-out shows. Seeing the faces of the patrons leaving the shows with excitement and awe, I love that!”
Still, the job is not without its challenges and hardships, even for someone like Bowlen who has been in the game since the late 1980s/early ‘90s. The pandemic changed so much. “During COVID times, patrons got really used to the flexible return and exchange policies we adapted to do our best to keep everyone safe and healthy,” she says. “Going back to the regular, no-refund policies has made customer service challenging at times. The level of aggressiveness and sense of entitlement some people come at me with is hard to diffuse at times.”
She continues, “I never really had a mentor in my career. I wish someone would have told me early on not to expect to have much of a personal life, since most evenings and weekends are spent at work.”
But Bowlen has adapted well, and she is quick to give any young women reading this who are just starting out in the ticketing/live event business some wise counsel. “Always persevere and do not shy away from going after any job you are interested in,” she urges. “Even though many sports ticketing jobs seem to go to men, the amount of women in the field is growing every day. Never hesitate to ask for help or advice! As women, we should always be available to lift other women up.”
And, most importantly, enjoy the work! Sit down with Bowlen long enough, and she will regale you with past event stories both big and small. And all of them usually have a bit of humor. She says, “I think we all have similar stories. Like someone visiting from another country trying to pick up her tickets and literally asking for Mr. Will Call, as he was supposed to have her tickets. One time I had a couple show up with tickets for a performer from 14 years earlier expecting to get into that night’s show, as they were unable to be at the last one due to a motorcycle accident! They were adamant that if I just let the artist know, they were sure he would want them let in on the old tickets!”
Bowlen couldn’t have predicted those customers would come back 14 years later. But we have the great benefit of interviewing her here at the beginning of 2024’s fourth quarter and getting her forecast. Indeed, the question was asked, “Are you generally optimistic, pessimistic or a mix of both about the rest of the year and into 2025 with regards to live events attendance, and why?” Her response: “I am very optimistic. We have seen great sales so far, and we are adding more shows all the time. Even with the increase in prices, people want live entertainment in their lives!”
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