In this series, we meet people at Kakao Entertainment, affectionately known internally as our Krew. Together, we navigate uncharted waters and collaborate to build an open and inclusive environment where Krew members can nurture individual capabilities and grow in concert with the company. 

Live entertainment is back. And people are flocking to shows in a big way. That means the people on our Ticket Platform Team are getting busy again. They’re in charge of live shows and connecting fans around the world with their favorite artists on Melon, Korea’s leading online music streaming platform. You knew Melon is part of the Kakao Entertainment family, right? Well, the Ticket Platform Team handles everything from announcing concerts and theater productions, to selling merch and, you guessed it, ticket sales.

We got together with James, one of the key guys working behind the scenes to make it easier for fans to do what they love. Here’s a rundown of our chat.

Q. Tell us about Melon’s ticket business. 

James 

We’re kind of hidden away, that’s for sure. And there actually two teams: Content Investment Management and Ticket Platform. The content Krew handles market research and planning shows, while the ticket team oversees everything from platform operations to ticket purchase and delivery. I started out as a content sourcing specialist but was always interested in platform planning, so I jumped at the chance to switch over. It doesn’t happen often, and Melon’s Ticket platform is still expanding. It’s a great place to grow and get hands-on with various tasks. 

Q. And what are some of the things you’re working on?

James

A whole range of services like content registration, seat reservations, payments, delivery, CS and so much more. It’s a process of planning and consultation. Once you get the plan set, you need to reach out to developers and team members for alignment, and then you can upload to the platform. And of course, there is plenty of troubleshooting! It’s a dynamic job that depends on great communications internally. I take a lot of pride in that. 

Q.  What’s the best part about being a Krew member on the Ticket Platform team?

James 

For one thing, we’re all really into performing arts so everyone is close. It’s a friendly atmosphere. Some of us are into K-pop concerts, some of us musicals. I’m big into global artists performing in Korea. Another thing in common, is that we’re all really good at buying tickets. I mean, we can do it with our eyes closed. In other words, we know what customers are looking for and what kind of experiences they expect from our systems. We also get to try new things like NFTs and virtual concerts. 

Q. Wait, NFTs? Does Melon have an NFT service? 

James

We do! In fact, we are researching various ways to use NFTs on Melon’s ticket platform. We recently did an event to provide limited-edition NFT goods to ticketholders of the musical Gentleman’s Guide: Love and Murder. That was a first. 

Q. How do you measure success in your job?

James 

When tickets sell well (laughs)! It’s true, I feel rewarded when everything goes smoothly for an event, and no one has any issues buying tickets. Think about it, popular performances like Melon Music Awards, IU’s concert, and even musicals like “The Man Who Laughs,” they all involve major web traffic of more than a million hits. So, the system has to be smooth. When a repeat business partner calls up and says they want to use Melon’s ticket platform again, that means we did our jobs properly. That makes me smile.

Q. Any advice for aspiring ticket platform planners?

James 

Anyone doing this work has to love live entertainment. And if you’ve ever bought a ticket before or experienced anything inconvenient, then you might have some good ideas for improvements. Understanding our customers is so important. In terms of job experience, lots of people have fancy portfolios but it’s easy to spot someone who didn’t really work that hard on a project. But no matter how big or small, if you worked hard to bring a project to life, then we’re interested in you. Passion and commitment are so important.