The New Bosses 2024: Chloe Cura, AEG Presents

The 17th edition of IQ Magazine’s New Bosses, in association with Futures Forum, was revealed in IQ 129, recognising 20 of the most promising 30-and-unders in the international live music business. 

To get to know this year’s class a little better, IQ conducted interviews with each one of 2024’s New Bosses, discovering their greatest inspirations and pinpointing the reasons for their success.

Chloe Cura is a senior ticketing manager at AEG Presents. Beginning her time at AEG Presents as a Ticketing Assistant in 2019, with no prior music industry experience, over the last five years Chloe has built a strong foundation in all things ticketing and has steadily climbed through the ranks to the position of senior ticketing manager. Working primarily in the UK Touring sector, most recently with a focus on stadium-level shows (Bruce Springsteen & Billy Joel), Chloe has a wealth of knowledge in international ticketing as well as large-scale events.

Career highlights include winning the AEG Outstanding Achievement award in 2022 for her work on the Just for Laughs London festival, executing the UK and International on-sales for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour as well as most recently helping to grow and develop UK Ticketing team in her new role.

You had no experience in the business before you joined AEG Presents. What advice would you give to younger people who also want to get a foot in the door of the live music industry?
I would say the most important rule is to put your hat in the ring! Anyone you speak to working in music knows that this is where they’re meant to be, it’s just a matter of how you get here. I think it’s important to actively expand your network any chance you get and also be open to exploring alternate avenues. When I applied to be in ticketing, I didn’t really know what it was and now I’m here!

In terms of expanding your network of contacts, how have you created long-lasting relationships in the industry?
The best way to create long-lasting relationships across the industry, for me, has been to get involved in larger projects that have forced me to get out of my comfort zone and have stretched the remit of my role, for example getting involved in more operational aspects on larger shows/events. A lot of my industry relationships are built on trust and performance, it’s usually not until the show/tour plays out that I get to meet the teams/agents/management behind the emails.

You work on a wide range of events outside of live music. Are there any in particular that stand out to you?
I’m really excited to see AEG growing into other forms of live entertainment, outside of music. I’ve particularly enjoyed working on a few passion projects such as the Bianca Del Rio UK and international tour; Critical Role at the OVO Arena Wembley was a truly special show but I would have to say winning the AEG Outstanding Achievement award in 2022 for my work on the Just For Laughs Festival was a particular standout for me.

“Getting involved in larger projects has forced me to get out of my comfort zone and have stretched the remit of my role”

What has been the highlight of your career, so far?
Having worked my way up from club shows to now having the privilege to work on a number of Stadium shows and tours, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and most recently helping to orchestrate and execute the onsale for the biggest and highest grossing tour in history across both the UK and International legs was an absolute pleasure and milestone for me. Seeing the shows come to fruition this summer and realising I played a part in bringing so much joy to the fans is a significant career highlight for me.

Your remit involves a lot of venues. Where is your favourite?
It’s got to be the Royal Albert Hall. The grandeur, the history, the atmosphere, it never fails and any gig you manage to see live is truly an experience. I think it’s such a cornerstone venue, for some acts it’s the pinnacle of their careers, for others, it’s a ‘For One Night Only’, but I think it goes without saying that no matter where you are in your career everyone wants to say they played a Royal Albert Hall!

What do you do outside of work to relax?
I’m a bit of a foodie but you can generally find me hanging out with friends, ideally with a glass of wine in my hand or walking my dog Harvey. I’m also partial to a bit of travel too.

You’re obviously enjoying learning about the business as your career progresses. How would you encourage the next generation to choose the live music sector for their career path – and how can they find out about all the different roles that exist?
Starting as a ticketing assistant in 2018, I’ve been able to really learn my craft from the bottom up and that also includes learning about the industry and its many roles too. The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that you have to ask questions, you have to be curious and you have to knock on doors – so many of my opportunities have opened up to me because I was brave enough to ask.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is that you have to ask questions, you have to be curious and you have to knock on doors”

I am a big advocate for giving everybody a chance and would encourage anyone thinking about a career in music to consider the live industry. From starting on small club shows to most recently working on Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel stadium shows, we’re continuously creating and delivering once-in-a-lifetime shared experiences here at AEG.

Do you have a mentor, or anyone you rely on to bounce ideas off?
Holly Scanlon (commercial director at AXS). I truly value the conversations Holly and I have together and it’s made me refocus on what I really want out of my career. I think mentorship is so important in our industry (both being the mentor and mentee). It’s so refreshing having someone encourage you, push you and genuinely care about seeing you do well for no personal gain. To put it simply, she’s an absolute legend and I’m so grateful to have her as my mentor.

As a new boss, what one thing would you change to make the live entertainment industry a better place?
I would love to see a bigger drive towards mental health awareness and consideration in our industry, especially in the office space. Whilst our industry is fulfilling, it can also be relentless. Since Covid, the industry has seen a surge in burnout and I’m consciously trying to be more involved in finding resolution as part of our AEG Mental Health & Awareness employee network group.

What would you like to see yourself doing in five years time?
That is the million-dollar question for me at the moment! I’m keen to see how the skills and knowledge I’ve built in the ticketing sector can be transferrable to avenues outside of ticketing, particularly with a commercial mindset.

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