Maria Hayden
Small Business Owner in Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Maria is the Co-founder and Head of Live at BandWagon, the leading live booking platform in the UK.
A graduate of the Central School of Speech and Drama's MA in Creative Producing programme, Maria has extensive experience in producing fringe theatre.
Maria's passion for producing theatre began in 1999 when she volunteered to assist David Jubb (then development producer) at the BAC, to programme The British Festival of Visual Theatre.
Whilst continuing her theatre work, Maria began managing bands leading them from small local outfits to national tours and major label offers. Maria also worked as a promoter in top London music venues. Whilst promoting together with Stan Mcleod, it became apparent that the live music industry required more transparency and sustainability. They created BandWagon.
BandWagon hosts over 10000 emerging artists and 600 venues. Promoters and Festival organisers across the UK post gig opportunities and book the right acts for their events, simplifying the gig booking process. In 2013, BandWagon booked over 3500 gigs.