Press Releases

AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP ANNOUNCES EXCITING NEW PLANS FOR MARKETING ITS LONDON AND TOURING PRODUCTIONS

Issued : 15 August 2003

AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP ANNOUNCES EXCITING NEW PLANS FOR MARKETING ITS LONDON AND TOURING PRODUCTIONS

FOUNDER DIRECTOR OF MCCABES AT ATG LONDON

The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) has unveiled new plans for its innovative London Marketing Department. The Department is responsible for the marketing of ATG co-productions both in the West End and on tour.

Pat Westwell, Group Head of Marketing for ATG, will be spearheading the strategic development of the department, working closely with senior new appointment, Elaine McGowan. A highly experienced marketing professional, Elaine has enjoyed an extremely high-profile career, including as a founder director of McCabes, working on numerous West End shows including Mamma Mia!, West Side Story and Showboat. Elaine has worked with many venues and companies including the Royal Court, RSC, and English National Ballet, as well as handling comedy clients including Eddie Izzard, Lee Evans and Jack Dee. Well-known to ATG, Elaine has previously worked on ATG's The Rocky Horror Show, and has been involved in the launches of ATG's theatres in Woking, Milton Keynes and Stoke-on-Trent where she has also headed up the marketing department. Richard Abba, ATG's current Head of London Marketing, is moving to Dewynters in September after three and a half successful years in the role.

Formed in 1992, ATG has grown to become the UK's second largest theatre group and also one of the country's foremost theatre producers, this year alone co-producing 19 productions to date. ATG's London Marketing Department has been integral to this success. Always at the forefront of audience development, plans going forward include establishing a marketing and sales infrastructure within the West End and Greater London in order to develop a core theatregoing base to feed ATG's West End productions, building on the success of its current Summer In The City programme. 3 ATG co-productions - Shared Experience's After Mrs. Rochester, Ed Hall's all-male A Midsummer Night's Dream and the award-winning Royal National Theatre production of Vincent in Brixton - were promoted for just £10 per ticket. The campaign targeted the principal theatregoing areas of London and the South East through innovative "hothousing" techniques - an expansive saturation campaign including on-the-street blitz teams with ticket offers, door-to-door leaflet distribution, additional ticket agencies, local media editorial, magazine inserts, telemarketing and press promotions.

Plans also include a further integration of the marketing and sales functions, enhancing the roles of ATG's West End Sales Ambassadors (WESAs). Based in target areas of the capital, WESAs have an in-depth knowledge of their local communities. A field sales force, they have excellent pro-active relationships with groups such as sports clubs, WIs, social groups, firms etc, providing grassroots feedback to the producers and acting as ATG's eyes, ears and voice in target areas.

Direct selling initiatives have increased sales by an astonishing 57% over the last year, and will prompt further development of the Group Sales and Telemarketing team, Upsales. ATG also has ambitions to expand its Call Centre facility, with the establishment of additional ticketing agencies in London and the suburbs. ATG's West End Membership Scheme, Upstage, boasts 15,000 members, and a review is underway to add more value to the membership and further boost recruitment. New marketing software, Profilemaster, is soon to be installed, adding enhanced marketing intelligence to ATG's 1.5 million database of active theatregoers.

ATG is also developing a number of new strategic relationships with high-profile companies such as Orange, Nectar, WH Smith, Saga, Past Times, and Laura Ashley, designed to increase ATG's sales channels, grow new customers, and add more value to the ATG offer.

Howard Panter, Managing Director, ATG
We are thrilled at the new plans we have for marketing our London and touring productions, which are vital to ATG's success both in the West End and in the regions. We are delighted to welcome Elaine McGowan to the Department. Her commitment, wealth of experience and enthusiasm will be a tremendous asset to London and ATG. We thank Richard Abba for all his hard work over the last 3 and a half years and wish him well in his new role at Dewynters.

ENDS
For more information, please contact John Chittenden, Group Press Officer, on 01483 545822 / johnchittenden@theambassadors.com

Current ATG co-productions:
Ed Hall's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Comedy Theatre
The Royal National Theatre's Vincent in Brixton at the Playhouse Theatre (until the end of August, then on a UK tour)
Shared Experience's After Mrs Rochester at the Duke of York's Theatre
The Royal National Theatre's Noises Off at the Piccadilly Theatre
Franco Zefferelli's Absolutely! (perhaps) at the Wyndhams Theatre(Sonia Friedman Productions)
Hitchcock Blonde at the Lyric Theatre (Sonia Friedman Productions)
The 30th Anniversary UK tour of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show
John Godber's Bouncers on national tour

Forthcoming ATG co-productions:
See You Next Tuesday starring Nigel Havers and Ardal O'Hanlon at the Albery Theatre from September 2003 after dates at Richmond Theatre and Theatre Royal Brighton (Sonia Friedman Productions)
Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! at Sadlers Wells in December 2003 after dates at Churchill Theatre, Bromley, and the Lowry, Salford, prior to international tour

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