#TBF23 Guest Q&A: Edgbaston’s Will Kerr

Ahead of this year’s TheTicketingBusiness Forum 2023, we caught up with Will Kerr, membership services executive at Edgbaston Stadium and Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

Kerr began at Edgbaston in 2021 and during his period at the venue also held the role of ticketing venue manager during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. While studying, he was the University of Birmingham’s First XI cricket captain.

2023 will be another bumper year at Edgbaston, with an Ashes Test match, the Vitality Blast Finals Day, another The Hundred campaign and Warwickshire’s fixtures.

Here, Kerr discusses Edgbaston’s plans for 2023, digital uptake and what he is looking forward to discussing at TheTicketingBusiness Forum at Emirates Old Trafford from April 19-20…

What are the key current challenges and opportunities in the sector?

Will Kerr: “With an incredibly busy summer facing us at Edgbaston, one key challenge that continues to face all of us in the sector is the presence of third-party selling platforms resulting in duplicated tickets. We have and continue to work very hard behind the scenes to be ahead of the game with our digital ticketing to reduce the prevalence of such issues.

“Customers are beginning to adapt well to the move to digital tickets after a relatively slow start, and there is certainly plenty of opportunity to develop the ways in which this is implemented across the summer and beyond and I look forward to speaking to many faces at the Forum to understand different ways in which people are mitigating against similar issues.”

What are the most interesting trends you are witnessing in the sector?

WK: “In the current climate, money is tight for all of us and one of the first things that is removed from people’s expenditure is entertainment and non-crucial activities such as sport. In order to mitigate this, we all need to ensure that the products on offer are as good as they have ever been.

“As part of the ticketing team, we can assist this hugely by making the purchase to entrance phase as easy as possible for the customer, creating a simplistic yet secure as possible pathway whilst also continuing to evolve and make strides forward in an ever-developing sector. One key focus of ours is looking at the way in which our access control is implemented alongside digital tickets, both for general admission and hospitality sections, to reduce waiting times at gates and get people in and experiencing what they have paid to see.”

What are Edgbaston’s ticketing priorities over the coming year?

WK: “The summer of 2023 is an extremely busy one for us at Edgbaston and will create a number of challenges alongside opportunities. On top of the major matchdays, where we expect to welcome over 150,000 spectators across eight days, one key focus of our team is the implementation of the newly developed Blast Off fixture which will set the tone for the whole season at both Edgbaston as well as the entire T20 Blast competition.

“By successfully hosting and getting a near sell-out crowd into the ground for a showcase start to the Twenty20 season in the UK, we hope to raise awareness of the competition and help contribute to seeing increased crowds across all grounds.”

What are you looking forward to exploring more at the Forum?

WK: “I am very looking forward to speaking to as many different attendees of the Forum as possible to find out different ways in which people are stretching themselves as far as possible to be ahead of the curve with ticketing implementation and bringing back as many ideas as we can to put into place at Edgbaston.”

Explore the future of ticketing with Will Kerr and hundreds of industry leaders at #TBF23 at Emirates Old Trafford. BOOK TODAY