TheProfessionals – Hans de Kretser

Title: Web Development Manager

Name of Organisation: Sadler?s Wells Theatre

Phone: 020 7863 8102

Email: [email protected]

How long in present post?
18 months

What does your organisation do?
Sadler?s Wells is a lyric theatre presenting British and international dance as well as opera and music theatre. The organisation also runs the Peacock Theatre in London?s West End and the Lilian Baylis Theatre

What are your responsibilities?
I manage new media elements of the marketing strategy including email marketing, online viral marketing campaigns, the website, multimedia content and recent experiments with sms text messaging. I am currently further developing our online ticketing and e-commerce capabilities, including angeltix where we sell online for other theatres. I am part of a team that set up http://www.londondance.com which I continue to manage ? a Sadler?s Wells/London Arts initiative to promote dance.

Who did you used to work for and what did you do?
My previous post at Sadler?s Wells was as Marketing Manager, focusing on audience research, and database marketing as well as web and multimedia. Before that I was Marketing Officer for English National Opera focusing on direct marketing and audience research, having joined the company working in the Box Office.

What do you enjoy most about your present post?
I always enjoy working with talented and creative people, testing new ways of marketing and I admit I still get a buzz from working in a theatre.

What do you find most difficult in your present post?
Saying ?no? to new projects

What is your career ambition?
To continue enjoying my work and always have a varied range of projects to keep me on my toes.

Who has influenced your career to date most – and why?
Carole Britten (Head of Marketing at Sadler?s Wells) helped me shape my career as it is today.

If you could have done any job in the world what would you like to have done?
Composer of film and theatre scores

If you had three wishes for the future of the arts, what would they be?
? That there was one great UK arts content and information website for all artforms
? Cheap broadband access so more people can interact with/test drive performing arts through video streaming
? Cheaper drinks in theatre bars