AEG Presents partners with Australia’s Playbill Group

AEG Presents and Frontier Touring have announced a partnership with Playbill Group, a venue management specialist and merchandiser based in Australia.

Established in 1958 in Sydney, Playbill’s interests include the management of the city’s iconic Hordern Pavilion, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Playbill also merchandises for theatrical productions including musicals, national theatre and music companies in 12 countries worldwide, including Chicago, Beauty & The Beast, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. 

Additionally, the firm partners with major sporting teams and operates venue concessions across Australia and Asia.

“In AEG, we have found a like-minded partner to continue to honour the legacy my parents created when they founded the business”

The family-owned business will continue to run as usual, reads a joint statement, with Michael Nebenzahl remaining at the helm. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

“I am delighted to be partnering with AEG Presents and Frontier Touring in this next phase of the Playbill journey,” says Nebenzahl.

“We have always prided ourselves on serving our customers, whether in musical theatre, sport or as a venue through the Hordern Pavilion. In AEG, we have found a like-minded partner to continue to honour the legacy my parents created when they founded the business.”

Frontier Touring CEO Dion Brant, comments: “We’re excited to enter into this partnership with Michael and Playbill. Frontier has always had a great affinity with the Hordern Pavilion and consider it, in its 100th year, to be one of the very best live music venues in the world today for both artists and fans. Playbill’s merchandise division has been a mainstay of the theatre scene in Australia for over 60 years and is now a major force on the world stage. Michael has a great team and we look forward to partnering with them in the next era of their iconic business.”

The partnership has the potential to unite Playbill with Frontier Touring sister company Love Police ATM, the Australian merchandise company, Brant adds.

AEG Presents announced a strategic joint venture with Frontier Touring, the leading promoter in Australasia and part of Mushroom Group, in April 2019.

The partnership saw the two companies merge their operations in Australia and New Zealand.

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