In Part 1 of this two-part feature, we chronicled the skills learned working in college and university ticket offices, whether starting in the business while still a student or entrenched in career positions as a ticketing pro at campus sporting and arts events. Here, in Part 2, we will explore the rewards of such jobs. And just as the interviewees are many, so too are those rewards!
Darren E. Coelho, Assistant Athletics Director of Ticket Operations at San Jose State University, says, “The most rewarding thing for me as I approach my 24th season here this fall is still the relationships for what I do. I still very much enjoy the interaction with our fans and donors, alumni, industry colleagues and folks who I might be meeting for the first time. The university atmosphere is so great, and it's so cool that I can help provide a forum for them to enjoy our student-athletes performing in sports they love.”
Andrew G. Keller, Associate Director of Ticketing, Sales, and Brand Advancement for the Rochester Institute of Technology, says the most rewarding part of his job is experiential. He says he will always love “walking through a venue after an event has started and seeing the crowd. Seeing a large group of people all coming together for an event makes the months of work leading up to that day worth it and is something that I take great pride in being a part of.”
Lori Murphy
As Assistant Director of Ticketing Services at the University of Denver’s Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Richard Moraskie finds the most satisfaction “seeing students develop skills they never thought they had, like accounting/reconciling; problem solving with customers; and being a representative of the university, as well as a role model for newly hired staff.”
As Director of Ticketing Sales and Operations for Georgetown University’s Athletic Ticket Office, Lori Murphy has come to really enjoy working with the students and the student athletes. “The most rewarding part of the job is watching the students work as a team,” she says. “If one of them runs into an issue, the other students can jump in and help them. We work as a team and watching them work as one is very rewarding.”
Holly Bobo
Holly Bobo, Assistant Manager of the Duke University Box Office, comes from a theater teaching background. Consequently, she finds it incredibly rewarding that she is still fostering her love for the arts “just in a different way. It is exciting to play a key role in making the arts accessible to a wide range of people. I also find the team collaboration to be rewarding. I am part of such a great team now and there is no better feeling than finishing an event and all of us feeling proud of its success.”
Harmony McGivney, Box Office Manager for The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, loves that she plays a key role in helping her clients realize their vision. Her venue is a rental house. “Clients come in and bring their show to life,” she notes. “I love working with the clients and assuring them that their patrons will have the best experience possible.”
Courtney Files
For some of our interviewees, specific memories that stand out are some of the sweetest rewards of working college ticket offices. Courtney Files, Business Development Manager for VBO Tickets, says her most memorable moment was “opening day for our brand-new stadium that we worked so hard to build, and it was almost game time when the radio buzzed. There was an issue with a long-time season ticket holder. So, I personally took the call. I arrived to discover the gentleman was missing his seat … literally! It physically did not exist. The contractors missed it! How did this happen? We counted all the seats … or, so I thought!”
So, what did she do? “I did not even think, I just reacted and immediately apologized. I told him how much we appreciate his support and promised to ‘fix it.’ I said, ‘Follow me and give me 30 seconds.’ I put a radio call into my boss informing him I was bringing two guests to the Athletic Director’s suite. We were hosting them for the game. Problem solved! They had a great time, and what a story to tell.”
James R. Swindell is currently an Administrative Technician for SevenVenues, the City of Norfolk’s Department of Cultural Facilities, Arts, and Entertainment. But his first job in ticketing was at the Ferguson Center for the Arts located on the campus of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. His stand-out memory? “My supervisor was on maternity leave toward the end of my junior year, and our interim supervisor happened to have a trip planned that overlapped with her leave. I was asked if I would mind running some reports for the tour of Spamalot toward the end of the semester in their absence.”
Easy enough, right?
“After several training sessions over the course of the next several weeks, I arrived at the box office for the first performance and our House Manager said she was told that I was in charge,” he says. “Little did I know that meant that I was the de facto Box Office Manager and that I was in charge of reporting for settlement! Reality finally sank in. I’ll never forget that feeling two performances later when the Executive Director looked up and said “Thank you, James! We couldn’t have gotten through these performances without you.” It’s an affirmation that ‘you can do this’ in trying times. I will always cherish that.”
Moving forward, several of our interviewees had words of wisdom for member-readers about succeeding whether as a student worker or a full-time employee of a college box office. Keller advises, “Treat your job with the same enthusiasm that your fans/customers have. Your day-to-day will be much more fun and fulfilling. Whether the event is sports or arts, your ticket buyers are coming to the event because they are passionate about what they are coming to see. I want to do my job well to make the fan experience the best.”
Bobo encourages those reading this to “take advantage of the perks of the job! We work in events because we enjoy them. Therefore, whenever you can, go to the events. I could argue that it also allows you to view your processes from every angle. I hope to never lose the excitement of seeing what's coming up next.”
Coelho believes customer service should always come first. “The first thing that you should do is try to learn people's names,” he says. “Get to know those who are supporting you with their fandom and dollars. That will help bring an identity to what you do and how you represent your area of athletics and the university.”
Christy Grantham, Director of Ticketing for The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College, says simply, “Always look for ways to be better, to be ‘more’ — more efficient, more helpful, more reliable, etc. Whether you are improving yourself or your workplace, it's always going to be worth the time.
For her part, McGivney advises anyone working in a college ticket office to “approach your work with a positive attitude, and know that when things get frustrating, this too shall pass. I also think it’s important to manage expectations when working with clients and staff. If you set expectations, then everyone will know what is needed of them, and they’ll be satisfied. Lastly, when things feel overwhelming, I always say to myself, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!’”
Stephanie Tancredi, Box Office Manager at California State University, Fullerton, perhaps summed it up best: “Do it! Honestly, it’s so rewarding. Box offices are special places to work, in general. There is such a camaraderie and fun and positivity amongst us, but I think it is amplified when you can create that environment for young adults who might not have that in other areas of their lives.”
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