"I'm the rare case of a person who didn’t just fall into ticketing; I chose this path!”
So says Karie Lurie, Senior Director of Audience Services at ASU Gammage, a multipurpose performing arts center within the main campus of Arizona State University. “I knew my skills were in business, but my heart was with the theater,” she says. “So, I got a degree in Theater Management at the University of Evansville.”
She started at ASU Gammage as Group Sales Manager in 1999. When the Ticket Office manager departed, she then took on that role and continued managing group sales for several years. In 2006, she was promoted to Director of Audience Services.
Karie Lurie
Lurie says, “One of my greatest accomplishments is how my team and I have grown concessions from sodas and candy to a robust food and beverage program. We’ve added two martini bars; tripled the size of the VIP donor lounge; and expanded offerings such as sandwiches, fresh baked treats, kids packs, specialty cocktails and, most recently, mocktails.” The program has been so successful that nearly 5,000 mocktails were sold during a recent four-week run of “Wicked.”
Throughout the years, Lurie has mentored hundreds of college students. She and her managers offer all students who are interested the opportunity to do a mock interview and resume critique. “I’ve maintained bonds with many former students,” she notes. “I’m proudest of the five employees who have gone on to manage their own ticket office. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!”
As Senior Director of Audience Services, Lurie manages all points where the audience interacts directly with ASU Gammage. This includes everything from Box Office and Food & Beverage to the VIP Donor Lounge and ASU Gammage's Accessibility program.
So, what is the favorite part of her job? “I adore my staff!” she exclaims. “I have a ‘work hard, play hard’ motto, and every day I want my employees to enjoy coming to work. My staff is committed and ready to dig in and do whatever needs to be done. Patrons can be really tough, and you need fun to balance that out. I have found being through the best of days and worst of days together builds loyalty and commitment to the team.”
Indeed, some of the fun things she and her colleagues along with their student staff have participated in are pumpkin carving, ornament making and trivia contests. And, of course, there’s food. Lurie says, “We have done blind taste tests of everything from peanut butter to bottled water. Recruiting staff is never an issue. Our ticket office is the place to work!”
Still, challenges remain. Every once in a while, Lurie acknowledges hiring someone who isn’t a good fit. She says, “I want every employee to succeed, but you can’t let a bad apple spoil the barrel. When someone isn’t fulfilling their commitments, it brings down your superstars. Too often, I see organizations where there is someone not pulling their weight and that has been accepted as normal.”
In such instances, Lurie relies on an old motto she has based much of her career success on: “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.” She elaborates, “Ticketing is always up against the clock, trying to get each patron in before the show starts. Instant decisions are necessary. I encourage my managers to trust their judgment, and I will always have their back even if it isn’t the choice I would have made.”
Being this is our Women in Ticketing series of articles, Lurie was eager to share some wisdom for any young woman reading this just starting out in the ticketing/live event business: “Be your genuine self! It’s OK to show vulnerability, to ask for help, set boundaries and share your emotions.”
And once your career is launched, the great moments, experiences and memories will follow. Several past shows and productions stand out to Lurie. But one of her craziest came instantly to mind when discussing favorite work anecdotes.
“We reopened the ‘Hamilton’ tour after COVID. To social distance, the company manager and I were standing outside discussing the show. My jaw dropped and I said, ‘There’s a naked woman behind you’ — words I never dreamed I’d utter to a company manager. To our shock, a completely nude college student, holding a mushroom figurine in her open palm, walked our direction while ‘thanking the Academy for her award.’ Thankfully, a female security officer immediately gave her a jacket and escorted her to a police officer.”
She continues, “No two days are ever the same! For years, our ticket office has journaled true patron interactions. Looking through the years of stories is always a rite of passage for new employees to know what they have gotten into.”
Lurie loves her memories of the work and is looking forward to making more for years to come. She is especially optimistic about where things are headed the rest of this year. “The live events industry is booming, and the rest of 2025 we will continue to see records broken,” she says. “Loneliness is a growing problem, and in-person encounters are becoming fewer as technology thrives. However, live events provide a shared experience of coming together with complete strangers for a unique moment in time!”
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