LW Theatres has announced the launch of LW Partners, a new global advisory and venue operator division designed to help theatre owners, developers and cultural institutions create, develop and operate world-class venues and experiences.
The new division will draw on the expertise behind LW Theatres’ portfolio of six West End venues, including the London Palladium and Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
LW Partners will offer services across every stage of a venue’s lifecycle, including strategy and planning, technical design advisory, operations, programming, marketing and ticketing, customer experience, finance, technology, partnerships and organisational development.
Jules Arnott, Co-CEO of LW Theatres, said: “Over many years, LW Theatres has built an incredible depth of expertise across every aspect of creating, operating and growing successful live entertainment venues. The launch of LW Partners is a conscious and important step in our strategy: to harness that experience more widely and work with visionary clients who are determined to advance theatre both in the UK and around the world.
“We know from first-hand experience that the best venues are created when ambition, expertise and execution come together. By combining strategic thinking with the practical insight that comes from operating some of the world’s most celebrated theatres every day, we can work in collaboration with our partners to shape venues that are commercially strong, operationally robust and built for long-term success. Most importantly, we can help create extraordinary experiences that bring joy to audiences and ensure theatre continues to thrive for generations to come.”
Madeleine Lloyd Webber, Group President of LW Theatres and LW Entertainment, said: “Andrew and I have always believed passionately in the transformative power of live entertainment. We believe that live theatre will not only thrive over the next decade, but will grow in importance and play an increasingly vital role in people’s daily lives.
“LW Partners will work alongside ambitious organisations to help create the great venues and destinations of the future, venues that are technically outstanding, fit for purpose and, above all, designed around the audience and the experience of a thrilling night at the theatre. We want to help create places that excite and inspire, bring people together and deliver lasting cultural, social and economic impact.
“We are enormously excited that our unique and brilliant team at LW Theatres will bring their creativity, experience and deep expertise to partners around the world, helping to shape the next generation of live entertainment.”
The division will be led by Tee Barnes, formerly Director of Commercial Operations and Partnerships at LW Theatres, whose career has included senior roles with FIA Formula E and AEG.
Barnes said: “LW Partners has been created to work in true collaboration with clients throughout the entire journey of a venue, from the earliest strategic decisions to opening the doors, welcoming audiences and building a sustainable operation for the long term.
“Our advantage is that we understand both the ambition behind major cultural projects and the operational reality of delivering them. We can bring together the right expertise at the right moment, while always keeping the audience experience and the long-term performance of the venue at the centre of our thinking.
“We are already working with clients across a number of markets, and I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to build LW Partners into a leading force behind the next generation of standout live entertainment venues.”
Barnes will be joined by Sandor Kiss as Director of Commercial Strategy and Liz Young as Director of International Operations. The company launches with a portfolio of live and in-development projects across the UK and international markets.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
