Shane Harmon - GM Marketing & Communications, Rugby NZ 2011 Ltd
Twitter @shane_harmon

Shane Harmon is General Manager, Marketing and Communications for Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd.  Shane is responsible for all marketing, communications, ticketing, VIP and events and ceremonies activity. Originally from Ireland, Shane has relocated from Australia where he had been living and working since 1995 having held a range of senior marketing and management positions.

Shane Harmon Interview: Social Media Strategies for Rugby World Cup 2011
Article by Lewis Howes in The Sports Networker  

Shane is General Manager of Marketing and Communications for Rugby New Zealand 2011, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for Rugby World Cup 2011. He holds responsibilities in Marketing, Ticketing, Media and Communications, Ceremonies and VIPs.

I had a chance to spend some time with Shane and hear about what his team has done to strategically promote the games and sell the maximum amount of tickets in what is considered a very small market in New Zealand to host such a large event.

The commercial model differs between major events. For Rugby World Cup, ticketing is the sole source of revenue for the LOC. The Tournament owner, the International Rugby Board, retains all other revenue such as sponsorship and broadcast, which it invests in the growth of the game globally.

The ticketing numbers are big by international standards. However, by New Zealand standards they are huge. Shane and his team have a sales target of 1.4 Million tickets worth $268 Million NZD for the 6 week tournament.  With 8 months to go they are on track with 60% of the tickets sold and 85,000 international visitors confirmed.

In the interview below, Shane talks about the ticketing challenge and how RWC 2011 has embraced Social Media to address that challenge.  I hope you enjoy the video, and feel free to share you thoughts on what Shane and his team are doing with the RWC.