The Phantom Peak story
In 2024 I joined Phantom Peak as Head of Marketing. It is London's first and only fully open-world immersive experience.
Phantom Peak isn't a show you see once; it's a place you return to as the world evolves. The distinction between Phantom Peak as a place, not a single event, became the foundation for a new marketing strategy built from the ground up.
The results: a community of over 1,300 dedicated members (from ~250 in 2024), a 30% return visitor rate, an e-CRM rebuilt, and a new membership scheme with return visits as the primary objective rather than an afterthought. A 30% return rate is an industry record for immersive entertainment, a format typically treated as a one-time experience.
Alongside this, I implemented dynamic pricing in a way that improved yield without eroding the audience goodwill that makes return visits possible. Getting this balance right requires understanding your audience. You have to return who returns, when, and why.
How I think about audience building
Most live entertainment marketing is acquisition marketing: spend to get someone in, then stop. The CRM system sends a post-show email and goes quiet. This approach treats the first visit as the end of the relationship. It isn't.
The audiences that matter most to a live experience are the the return visitors and the people who bring others. They are not acquired through advertising. They're cultivated through the quality of the ongoing relationship between the experience and its audience. That relationship is mostly communications, community, and narrative. None of it requires large budgets. All of it requires intention.
Career
Head of Marketing — Phantom Peak (2024–present). London's open-world immersive experience. Full marketing function: brand, performance, CRM, community, pricing strategy.
Digital Marketing Manager — Layered Reality (2022–2024). Performance marketing lead for The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience and The Gunpowder Plot at the Tower of London. Agency management, paid social, search, and organic strategy.
Marketing Officer — Mamma Mia! The Party (2021–2022). ABBA's long-running immersive dining experience. Full marketing mix across a sustained run, from asset development to campaign delivery.
Programming & Marketing Assistant — Bill Kenwright Ltd (2019–2021). West End productions and UK national tours including Heathers the Musical, Blood Brothers, Be More Chill, and Love Letters. End-to-end campaign management: creative brief to press night, touring venue coordination, ticketing partnerships.
Co-Producer — The Wind of Heaven, Finborough Theatre (2019). Freelance production credit for the revival of Emlyn Williams' play, presented by Weighed In Productions.
Speaking
I speak at industry conferences on audience building, return-visitor strategy, and the future of marketing for live and immersive entertainment. Recent talks include On Sale Live 2026 and the National Attractions Marketing Conference 2025. Full speaking details →
Work together
If you're working on a live or immersive entertainment project and want to talk about audience strategy, community building, or marketing — get in touch.