Christina Dodge remembers her first full-time job fondly. It wasn’t in ticketing or live events. It was at the University of Guelph Bookstore, where she believes she gained valuable experience, training and supervising a large staff — skills that have definitely served her well in her future box office roles.
From there, in 2000 she joined Ticketmaster Canada and spent more than a decade as Manager of Offsite Box Offices. The job tasked her with managing temporary Ticketmaster locations for major annual events such as Molson Indy, Tennis Canada and FanExpo. She also took on the additional responsibility of overseeing Ticketmaster’s contracted venues in the Toronto metro area, most notably the Sony Centre, the Barrie Molson Centre and Varsity Stadium & Arena.
Christina Dodge
When the Toronto Blue Jays transitioned their ticketing services to Ticketmaster in 2011, she joined their team as Box Office Manager and later Ticket Operations Manager. “In these roles,” she says, “I coordinated daily box office operations for baseball while managing ticketing for all concerts and events.” Her duties grew over time to include work in ticketing communication, website updates, resource materials and collaborating with other Blue Jays departments on process improvements to enhance fans’ game day experiences.
Her Current Spot in the Blue Jays’ Lineup
Today, Dodge serves as Concerts and Events Ticketing Manager. She points out, “I continue to work within the Toronto Blue Jays’ Ticket Operations department, focusing on our growing concerts and events business. I support promoters and touring artists from event build through settlement, ensuring smooth event operations while creating a positive fan experience.”
She lists among her venue’s most recent highlights as the visiting tours of Metallica, The Weeknd, P!NK, Morgan Wallen and a six-show Taylor Swift residency in November 2024 affectionately nicknamed “Tayvember.” Additionally, Dodge continues to serve on the Toronto Blue Jays Accessibility Committee, contributing to initiatives that identify, remove and prevent barriers to create a more inclusive experience for all fans.
“Connecting fans with their favorite teams and artists is what I find most fulfilling about my work,” she says. “I may not be in the outfield catching fly balls or an artist performing on stage, but I take pride in helping make sure the fan ticket journey from presale registration right through to their in-seat experience is as smooth as possible.”
She adds, “No matter how challenging an event may have been behind the scenes, I always step inside after settlement to watch the crowd and just take it all in for a moment. Seeing a ballpark erupt after a home run or hearing tens of thousands of fans sing along to their favorite songs at the top of their lungs is a powerful reminder of why live events matter.”
Dodge and her staff are always aware that people look forward to those moments for months, maybe even longer. For many, it is a sorely needed escape from everyday life. “Knowing how important those bookmarks are in my own life, it’s incredibly rewarding to know I play even a small part in helping create those memories for others,” she states.
The Challenges of the Job
Dodge says there are days when she reminds herself of the quote: “Great achievement has no roadmap.” She prides herself on being highly organized and having put processes in place to keep everything as predictable and routine as possible. Of course, she concedes, “that is simply impossible in the concert industry! No two event days are ever the same. Every day is a school day!”
Over time, though, she has learned that preparation isn’t about predicting every outcome. It’s about being ready for the inevitable “out of left field” moments that come with live events and learning from them. She adds, “The reality is that often our biggest achievements involve accomplishing something that hasn’t been done in the same way before. And while I may find that challenging, it’s also what ultimately brings me the most pride in my work.”
Not only does she rely on great quotes like the one above, but Dodge also draws on pieces of advice she has been given over a lifetime of work and service. She insists that the best advice that has stayed with her wasn’t something that was ever said out loud. It was demonstrated.
“In my first ‘grown-up’ job at the University of Guelph Bookstore, I watched a group of very different personalities come together under the pressure of each semester rush with the collective goal to prioritize the needs of professors, customers and publishers. While each employee was an expert in a different area, what stood out most was how naturally they jumped in to support one another during busy and challenging moments, often without being asked. Terms like collaboration or cross-functional teamwork were never mentioned, they were simply lived.”
Milestone successes like meeting deadlines or exceeding sales goals are certainly worth celebrating to people in Dodge’s position. But she says the most valuable treasure she has mined have been during those long days with teammates huddled over a computer, “trying to ‘MacGyver’ a system issue or solve a reporting mystery before it keeps everyone up at night. Those small problem-solving wins amongst teammates become the moments I cherish most.”
Even years later, she still hears from various former box office staffers, promoters and clients who reach out to fondly remember their time working with her and the Blue Jays organization in the same way she still cherish her younger bookstore years. “The bonds you build with colleagues are just as important as the results you achieve,” she states.
A Full-Circle Moment
One of Dodge’s favorite memories from working in ticketing goes back to 2001 at a Backstreet Boys concert, where she was assisting another Ticketmaster manager with a last-minute relocation project. Production changes meant two full sections at the back of the floor had to be relocated. This was way before widespread mobile email use. Consequently, fans had to be met at their original seats and informed about the change in person.
“At first,” she recalls, “understandably, fans were stressed when they arrived at their empty sections. But as I escorted them to their new seats in upgraded sections much closer to the stage, their nervousness quickly turned into excitement. One preteen girl in particular was so thrilled she hugged me on the spot.”
“Fast forward 14 years,” she continues. “I was preparing floor relocation tickets for a show with the help of some part-time staff. As we sorted and enveloped the tickets, one of them shared a story about receiving a relocation at a BSB show years earlier. As she was led closer to the stage, she remembered getting more and more excited before she teared up and hugged the ticket rep. I was stunned and exclaimed, ‘That was ME!’ It was such a full circle moment. Not only did we unknowingly share a fun memory, but she was now in a position to create the same magical moment and become a ‘ticket fairy’ for other fans.”
Paying It Forward
Dodge often finds herself in a position to help young staffers new to the ticket office, especially young women. With this being our Women in Ticketing series, we asked Dodge for her advice for young women reading this just starting out in the ticketing/live event business.
“Build a network!” she exclaims. “While the live event industry casts a wide net, the world of ticketing is surprisingly small. You’ll often cross paths with the same people again, so the connections you make early on matter. Anytime I am stumped or want to learn more about a new piece of ticketing technology, I am grateful for the list of colleagues I have worked for, alongside or simply share industry experience with.”
Looking ahead, Dodge expressed enthusiasm and optimism about where live events is headed in 2026, particularly in metro Toronto. She concludes, “There’s been such a strong mix of veteran artists and emerging talent touring recently across a wide array of genres, which means more fans can experience the shows they really want to see. After an incredible 2025 season, we’re also very excited for the Toronto Blue Jays’ regular season. Celebrating the club’s 50th season alongside last year’s AL Championship makes this season especially meaningful!”
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