From the moment Golden 1 Center books a concert or event, to the day thousands of fans enter the building — she is the liaison between tour and fan, making sure you know when your favorite artists come to Sacramento! Get to know Kim Allen, our Director, Arena Marketing.
Tell us a little about your main duties as Golden 1 Center’s Director of Arena Marketing.
I handle the marketing for the concerts and special events that come through the Golden 1 Center. This includes placing advertising, building email and digital marketing campaigns, coordinating building asset creation, and so much more. To simplify, my job is to get the word out about our events, and make sure we sell them out!
What does a typical work day consist of for you?
My work day changes every day with all the different shows that we have on the calendar. I may be working with a media partner to place an ad buy for an upcoming show that we’re announcing. I could be analyzing our sales numbers to see which shows need more help and how we can go about getting fun, unique content out to drive awareness to push sales. I could be setting up media days with WWE wrestlers to do interviews prior to their event. It’s always different — which keeps things interesting.
When choosing a career path, did you always know you wanted to be in marketing? If so, did you have a specific type of marketing job in mind?
I always gravitated to the live event industry. I loved going to concerts and events and looking at everything going on in the background to see how the event was being put on.
What would you say are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your job?
My favorite and most rewarding part of my job happens at the start of every event. The lights go out, the crowd is full of excitement, and the atmosphere is electric. To see the fans’ reaction when the artist hits the stage always puts a smile on my face. Seeing the faces of children when Mickey hits the stage for Disney on Ice is just as rewarding as seeing a reaction for Elton John for someone who has followed him his whole career.
Some of the most challenging parts of the job is just being able to multitask and juggle multiple shows at once. You never know when you’ll announce 4 shows in one week and have 2 shows at the same time.
What is an accomplishment you’re most proud of thus far as the Marketing Director?
Pollstar nominated Golden 1 Center for Arena of the Year and the venue is ranked #16 in the US and #36 in the world based on Pollstar’s 2018 Year End Ticket Sales recap. It makes me so proud to have my work help set a venue apart in the entertainment industry!
Tell us about your previous job before working for Golden 1 Center.
Prior to the Golden 1 Center, I was the Marketing Manager at the recently demolished BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI. In college, I worked for the athletic department for the University of Illinois when the school went to the NCAA men’s basketball college championship game in 2005 and the Rose Bowl in football in 2008.
Your position has allowed you the chance to see a number of awesome Golden 1 Center performers. Which has been your favorite and why?
I don’t think I can pick a favorite, but one that meant a lot to me was the Foo Fighters show we had. It was a full circle moment for me to see how far I have come in my career because the Foo Fighters were my first show that I ever worked back in college. It was that show that got me into this industry.
Do you have any advice for aspiring marketing students looking to get a position similar to yours?
Do what you can to learn about live event marketing and get your foot in the door with internships, part-time jobs, or even volunteering. Just remember, no job or experience is ever too small. You never know who you’ll meet who might be able to give you that break into the industry.
