The Australian-based venue management specialist Playbill Group has partnered with AEG Presents — the renowned company in live events — and the Australasian concert promoter Frontier Touring.
Playbill has a long history in Australia’s entertainment scene, with collaborations extending from major sporting teams to musicals, national theatre and music companies. It was established in Sydney in 1958 by Brian and Jocelyn Nebenzahl. The family-owned company operates in more than 10 countries around the world.
Besides operating venue concessions across Australia and in Asia, the company boasts of managing the city’s iconic venue, Hordern Pavilion, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The new deal with AEG Presents and Frontier Touring will see no change in administrative division at Playbill Group. Michael Nebenzahl will continue as the Managing Director of Playbill. With his team, Nebenzahl is growing the business from its original Australia and New Zealand focus to include operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, China, The Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom and the USA.
“I am delighted to be partnering with AEG Presents and Frontier Touring in this next phase of the Playbill journey,” Nebenzahl said about the partnership.
“We have always prided ourselves on serving our customers, whether in musical theater, sport, or as a venue through the Hordern Pavilion. In AEG, we have found a like-minded partner to continue to honor the legacy my parents created when they founded the business.”
Dion Brant, CEO of Frontier Touring, said that Playbill and Frontier had a lot in common.
“Australian-founded family companies proving competitive on the global stage,” Brant said. “When we met Michael and his team it became obvious that the similarities didn’t stop there. We think very similarly, we have similar values and a similar culture.”
No financial terms for the agreement were disclosed regarding the partnership between Playbill Group Partners and AEG Presents, Frontier Touring.
This is the latest news for AEG; recently the company revealed it would back a new concert venue in Portland, Oregon through its partnership with the Portland-based concert promoter Monqui Presents. Additionally, AEG announced it is looking for a naming rights partner for its new live music hall at Olympia in London.
