Who are Imagine Theatre?

Imagine Theatre, part of the Trafalgar Entertainment Group of companies, are producers of pantomime and family theatre in the UK.

For the 2024/25 Christmas season, we are producing a large portfolio of pantomimes. It will also see us open our 245^th professional pantomime production. For 2025, we are planning a full season of pantomimes alongside a UK wide children’s tour and a production across Scotland with possible West-End transfer.

Up to 30 full and part time staff work for us. Our head offices are in Coventry, where we also accommodate a 20,000 sq ft warehouse packed with scenery, costumes, props and special effects. During the main Christmas show season, our staffing levels can exceed 500 people, working over multiple satellite sites. During the 2024 Christmas season, a curtain will rise more than 970 times on one of our productions, playing to an audience of over 575,00 people.

What are we looking for?

We have a vacancy within our senior management team for an exceptional marketing professional, who will oversee the strategic delivery of our marketing provision. Ideally educated to degree level or similar, and working immediately under the CEO’s of the business, with some direct reports, this individual will be highly experienced in the fields of theatre, and marketing.

In collaboration with our two Marketing Managers, and a team of external marketing consultants, this role will deliver the strategic direction of our marketing department, with a vision to develop the Imagine brand and business, drive ticket sales and attendance, sharing useful information to help motivate and inform the team, ensuring that financial targets are met or exceeded.

Our ideal candidate will

• Have a strong understanding and knowledge of theatrical marketing and ideally a minimum of 5-7 year’s work-based experience.
• Be an enthusiastic and passionate theatre marketeer, communications practitioner, and inspiring leader.
• Highly numerate and analytical in regard to sales, audience data and budget management. A good knowledge of Excel is essential.
• Have great administration and project management skills including computer literacy.
• Experienced in social media platforms, including the creation and management of content, and social media channels.
• Considerable experience of managing complex creative campaigns; generating ideas, driving process and evaluating success.
• Have a positive, ‘can do’ attitude.
• Be able to occasionally work outside traditional working hours which may, as required, include some evenings, weekends and public holidays particularly during photo shoot season and over the pantomime period.
• Be able to occasionally travel across the UK to attend events as required, always with notice.
• Have the integrity and skills to work at a senior management level and to work with our partner venues.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships with colleagues, venues, suppliers and other stakeholders.
• Be able to manage their own time, and to effectively plan schedules and delivery dates.
• To be able to identify areas for improvement and use their own initiative to come up with suggestions for change.
• Be able to produce reports and chair meetings as required.
• Be able to take the initiative to make decisions if required to.
• Be able to work to a deadline and to work under pressure.
• Be able to represent the company in a professional and appropriate manner.
• Adhere to all company health and safety procedures.
• Be willing to drop everything to go and help a colleague.

The role itself would include (but not be limited to)

Strategic lead of the marketing provision for the company. To include activities such as:

• Management of the internal Marketing department and its processes and procedures, setting delivery targets to venues and internal departments.
• Weekly sales reporting including target and sales monitoring and reporting, including red flagging, monitoring ticket yields and reacting to variances and trends.
• Working on the strategic element of Panto Marketing campaigns, in collaboration with the Marketing Managers who will take individual leads on their venues.
• Supporting the scheduling and pricing for future productions in conjunction with the Associate Producers and Joint CEO’s.
• Overseeing the delivery of Imagine’s branding, and the marketing of our productions and scenic hires business in conjunction with the Marketing Managers.
• Budget management and reporting.
• Audience profiling and reviewing vs marketing campaigns.
• New audience growth and retention.
• Supplier liaison, ensuring best value is achieved.
• Oversee the introduction of a structured marketing management system, potentially in line with our parent company Trafalgar Entertainment.

Marketing our shows – Working on the strategic elements of the marketing campaigns on our pantomimes and productions. To include activities such as:

• Overseeing the strategic planning, delivery and budget management and analysis of the marketing campaigns for our company, pantomimes and productions working collaboratively with the Marketing Managers.
• Building excellent relationships with venue colleagues in marketing departments and elsewhere within the organisation.
• Working collaboratively with, and supporting the Marketing Managers, who lead on their own venues, to support with the roll out of the following areas which are overseen and managed by the Marketing Managers:
  • Social media and digital content creation and scheduling – both for Imagine and in conjunction with our partner venues.
  • Commissioning and delivery of digital, social media and instant communication strategies and assets.
  • Creation of EPK’s including promotional videos, vlogs, Tik Toks, IGTV assets, Facebook videos etc.
  • Press days, photo shoots, launches, Christmas light switch-ons, opening nights and on location activities, including travel and accommodation logistics.
  • Engaging with press, PR, influencers, ensuring both local and National engagement.
  • Ensuring timely delivery of artwork and design assets from our partner graphic design houses to our venues.
  • Regular liaison and reviews with our venue partners of marketing campaigns, plans and activities.
  • Implementation and analysis of our external digital advertising.
  • PR working alongside our strategic partner.
  • Engaging with our star talent and performers to ensure prominence in press, social media and other outlets.
  • Other production marketing campaigns.
  • Management of designers and sourcing of programmes, print and artwork quotes.

Marketing of Imagine Theatre – working on the branding of our organisation in conjunction with the Marketing Managers, alongside its identity as part of Trafalgar Entertainment. To include activities such as:

• Managing the Imagine brand – ensuring our profile in the industry is represented to the highest standard via our social media channels, website and external communications.
• Focus on the growth of our scenic hires business working alongside the Head of Operations and Production Coordinator.
• Podcast roll out, branding and engagement (strategy of topics supported by Joint CEO’s).
• Monthly Trafalgar Ensemble Newsletter article.
• Strategic planning and management of our external advertising campaigns (e.g. Google / Facebook etc) and the associated analytics.
• Website rankings, SEI’s and analytics.

This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties. From time to time, you may be required to undertake additional activities.

Location of position: This role offers a blended approach with travel and access to our Woking, Strand (London) and Coventry office as well as UK wide travel. There will be a minimum requirement to be in the Coventry Head Office as negotiated. 

For salary details please contact - sarah@imaginetheatre.co.uk

How to apply

• Please submit your CV and covering letter via our recruitment portal, telling us more about yourself, your past work experience and why this role interests you.
• Deadline – Wednesday 27^th November 2024 at 5pm
• Please ensure your CV includes reference contacts and details of your previous work experience.

 Imagine Theatre are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to a work environment which embraces and supports diversity and inclusion across all departments.

Your data is protected by our privacy policy which can be found at http://www.imaginetheatre.co.uk/cookie-and-privacy-policy

Imagine Theatre, www.imaginetheatre.co.uk,

2, Brandon House, Woodhams Road, Coventry, CV3 4FX

14^th November 2024