UK Ticket Factory Appoints Director

UK venue operator NEC Group’s ticketing agent The Ticket Factory has appointed Richard Howle as director of ticketing at the start of December.  

– Richard Howle
Ticket Factory

Howle is responsible for expanding the Ticket Factory’s technological capabilities and improve the user experience for both client and ticket buyer. He brings with him 18 years of experience in the ticketing industry, having worked for the Really Useful Theatres Group as commercial director, and AKA Promotions Ltd. as international sales director.

Howle is also a director of the governing council overseeing the work of STAR, the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers. He said: “I am thrilled to join The Ticket Factory and to bring my experience of running in-house ticketing operations to the role. It is a company I have long admired with a well-deserved reputation for delivering excellence. I am looking forward to building The Ticket Factory brand at this pivotal point in the company’s history, having just celebrated its tenth anniversary.”

Howle reports to Phil Mead, the NEC Group’s managing director, who added: “Richard’s appointment will serve to further strengthen the offering of The Ticket Factory in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

The Ticket Factory is the official box office for both of NEC Group’s Birmingham Arenas, the Arena Birmingham, currently in search of a naming rights partner, and Genting Arena. It also offers tickets for a range of events across the UK, selling some 2.5 million tickets a year, according to its own figures.