By Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
Concert promoter AEG is aggressively increasing its venue division by acquiring an interest in the Brisbane, Australia-based Ogden IFC, and will form a new division to operate arenas, theatres, stadiums, convention and exhibition centers across the Asia Pacific region.
The joint venture to be known as AEG Ogden will be led by Ogden IFC Chairman & CEO Harvey Lister and Rod Pilbeam, the company’s executive director. Pilbeam will work in conjunction with Bob Newman, the chief operating officer of AEG Facilities and other divisions of AEG, including AEG Live.
AEG Ogden’s territory of operations will focus on the Asia region from China through India, including South East Asia; the Western Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand; and the Middle East and North Africa regions. In total, this territory encompasses countries with 64 percent of the world’s population. A total of 65 venues will be affiliated under the AEG Ogden Global Family of Facilities joint venture. It also creates one of the largest venue and events businesses in the world.
“Merging the assets and experience of AEG Facilities with the great infrastructure and management team already in place with Ogden IFC is going to create an organization that will not only set a new standard within our industry but will have a positive impact on the diversity of programming and guest services throughout the region,” Newman said in a statement.
