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Germany’s Biggesee Open Air to return

German open-air concert series Biggesee Open Air is set to return next summer after a three-year hiatus.

Launched in 2022, the debut edition of the A.S.S.-promoted festival took place in Sauerland, the largest tourist region in North Rhine-Westphalia, across eight days in June.

Around 75,000 visitors attended concerts from international stars such as James Blunt and Paul van Dyk and domestic talent including Max Giesinger, Mark Forster, Cro, Wincent Weiß, LEA and JORIS.

Next year’s event will take place between 18-22 June, with German electro band Deichkind the first act to be announced.

Headquartered in Hamburg, the company also operates in Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux

Part of the Mehr-BB Entertainment Company, A.S.S. has operated as a booking agency and tour promoter for German and international rock, pop, folk, jazz, and world music artists since 1979, presenting up to 1,200 concerts a year. It also operates in Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux, and represents various artists throughout Europe as an agent.

The Hamburg-headquartered company works with acts such as 10cc, Bob Geldof, Crash Test Dummies, Donovan, Jack Savoretti, The Stranglers and Wishbone Ash.

Last month, the firm appointed a dual leadership team – Sabrina Sapone and Nils Max – to run its Düsseldorf office. It also has a Berlin branch.

 


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A.S.S. appoints management for Düsseldorf office

Germany’s A.S.S. Concerts & Promotion has appointed a dual leadership team to run its Düsseldorf office.

One half of the team is Sabrina Sapone, who joined the company in August 2023 as a local promoter.

Prior to that, she spent eight years at Essen-based cultural centre Zeche Carl, first in press and public relations, then as production manager and event planner. As an artist manager, she also worked for Rock am Ring and Wacken Open Air.

Sapone will be joined by Nils Max, who worked as an intern at A.S.S. in 2009 as part of his studies.

Max’s training as an event manager at ZAKK Düsseldorf was followed by studies at the Popakademie Baden-Württemberg. He worked at the Popakademie from 2011 to 2024 as head of the music exploitation department, where he was responsible for the top funding programme Bandpool and the artist agency Klinkt.

“It is a great pleasure for me to continue to expand the Düsseldorf location together with Nils,” says Sapone. “With the expertise and passion of our outstanding team, we will realise extraordinary projects together.”

“We are wonderfully positioned with the dual leadership of these two industry-experienced and competent employees”

Max adds: “I am really looking forward to working with Sabrina, I think we complement each other very well in our core competencies and together we can expand ass’s position as a local organiser in North Rhine-Westphalia [NRW].”

Florian “Böde” Böhlendorf, managing director of A.S.S, comments: “With the more than 300 events that we organise in NRW every year, the formats that continue to become more diverse, the demands that booking, artist development, team management and marketing pose, we are wonderfully positioned with the dual leadership of these two industry-experienced and competent employees.”

“Both also bring an extensive network, new ideas and a breath of fresh air to the agency. I am very much looking forward to the future development together with Sabrina and Nils.”

Part of the Mehr-BB Entertainment Company, A.S.S. has operated as a booking agency and tour promoter for German and international rock, pop, folk, jazz, and world music artists since 1979, presenting up to 1,200 concerts a year. It also operates in Austria, Switzerland and the Benelux, and represents various artists throughout Europe as an agent.

The company works with acts such as 10cc, Bob Geldof, Crash Test Dummies, Donovan, Jack Savoretti, The Stranglers and Wishbone Ash.

A.S.S. Concerts opened its Dusseldorf branch in 2018, located at the headquarters of Mehr-BB, which specialises in promoting and producing theatrical shows. The move expanded A.S.S.’s network beyond its headquarters in Hamburg and an existing branch office in Berlin.

 


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