MCT Agentur unveils expanded management team
German independent promoter MCT Agentur has announced two key appointments as it unveils a significant expansion of its management team.
The Berlin-based firm, which also operates agency and management divisions, has appointed Asita Sadeghian and Kristin Schulz as additional MDs, working alongside MCT founder and owner Scumeck Sabottka.
Sadeghian and Schulz are both credited with playing crucial roles in the company’s success for more than two decades.
“This appointment represents a significant milestone in the company’s development”
“Their many years of expertise and commitment promise fresh impetus and new ideas for the future of the MCT agency,” says a statement by the firm. “This appointment represents a significant milestone in the company’s development and demonstrates MCT Agentur’s commitment to further expanding its leading position in the industry.”
MCT, which promotes the likes of Rammstein and Robbie Williams, was founded in 1984 and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. It has upcoming tours with artists such as Moby, Nadine Shah and Trentemøller.
Sabottka is also a founder and director of FEAT (Face-value European Alliance for Ticketing), an organisation dedicated to the promotion of face-value ticket resale across the continent.
Subscribers can read our market report on Germany, which was published in the latest edition of IQ, here.
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DEAG forms partnership with Black Mamba
Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) has formed a cooperation with Black Mamba Event & Marketing, organiser of longstanding electronic music festival Sputnik Spring Break.
The Pouch-based festival has been taking place since 2008 and is now one of the largest festivals in eastern Germany with around 30,000 visitors every year.
The 2024 edition of the festival was completely sold out, with headline performances from Cro, Scooter, Nina Chuba, Tream and Timmy Trumpet.
According to DEAG “comprehensive synergy effects with the Group, in terms of production and infrastructure as well as artist acquisition, will lead to continuous margin improvements”.
The firm claims to be the leading producer of EDM/Techno/Urban festivals in Germany, with a stable of events that includes Airbeat One, MAYDAY, NATURE ONE, Indian Spirit, Syndicate, Ruhr in Love, Toxicator and the Kessel Festival in Stuttgart. The new partnership sees DEAG accelerate its growth in this market.
“We have successfully and profitably implemented our growth strategy in the EDM festival segment since 2019”
The German domestic market leads the ranking of monthly Electronic Music listeners with 369 million, ahead of the United States. Electronic Music outperformed other genres such as Rock, Latin and Hip-Hop in terms of growth in online consumption and recorded the strongest growth worldwide in 2023, according to the IMS Business Report 2024.
“We have successfully and profitably implemented our growth strategy in the EDM festival segment since 2019,” says Detlef Kornett, Group CEO of DEAG. “The cooperation with Rico Tietze will enable us to leverage synergies throughout the Group and in various projects beyond Sputnik. This is the next big step for us at DEAG to strengthen our leading role in this segment.”
Rico Tietze, managing director of Black Mamba event & marketing, adds: “We are delighted to have found a strong cooperation partner in our segment in DEAG. Together, we will continuously improve our festival for our guests and use the network within the Group featuring other strong festivals and the experienced team for further expansion.”
DEAG organising more than 30 one-day and multi-day festival events of all music genres in its core markets of Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Spain and Ireland, attracting over 800,000 visitors each year.
Last week, the Berlin-headquartered firm spun off its hip-hop booking division into a standalone brand called District Live.
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DEAG spins off hip-hop division into District Live
Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) has spun off its hip-hop booking division into a standalone brand called District Live.
The Berlin-headquartered firm says this is “the next logical step” after launching the division in 2022, with Alexander Handwerker at the helm.
The division, which focuses on booking for up-and-coming hip-hop talents, sold 70,000 tickets in its first year.
District Live’s artist roster includes Tream, who has already sold over 100,000 tickets for his second tour in 2024; Bausa, who will be performing 17 shows in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in February 2025; and Avaion, who embarked on a sold-out European tour in May.
“With District Live, we are deliberately creating a brand that gives urban/hip-hop acts a strong representation and optimal staging”
“With District Live, we are deliberately creating a brand that gives urban/hip-hop acts a strong representation and optimal staging,” says Alex Handwerker, managing director of District Live.
“As a booking agency, we focus on up-and-coming artists at an early stage so that we can accompany them on their way from the very beginning. We also work together with established artists to further develop their performances and give them a new, unique standing in the scene.”
Detlef Kornett, CEO DEAG Deutsche Entertainment AG, adds: “With District Live, the DEAG Group has gained a strong, internationally operating brand for the entire urban culture and hip-hop sector. We are particularly proud that this foundation with Alex Handwerker comes from our own ranks, and we wish Alex and District Live, together with DEAG, every success in the future and look forward to further cooperation within the entire group.”
The upcoming July/August edition of IQ will spotlight the German hip-hop market.
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Goodlive rejoins operations for Lollapalooza Berlin
Berlin-headquartered festival, booking and services agency Goodlive is re-joining the organisation and production of Lollapalooza Berlin.
C3 Presents, Festival Republic and Goodlive launched Lolla Berlin in 2015 with seasoned festival pro Fruzsina Szép part of the leadership team for the festival until 2020 when Goodlive launched Superbloom in Munich.
For the last three years, Lolla Berlin has been produced by C3 Presents and Live Nation GSA (Germany Switzerland Austria). With the latter now a majority shareholder of Goodlive, all three parties will work on the festival with Szép as festival director.
“I loved Lolla Berlin,” says Szép. “Two weeks ago I went for a site visit in Berlin and it felt so great to be back on site and to feel the energy of the space again.”
With Superbloom and Lolla Berlin taking place on the same weekend (7-8 September) more than 300 miles apart, joint festival teams are set to be busier than ever.
“Two weeks ago I went for a site visit in Berlin and it felt so great to be back on site and to feel the energy of the space again”
Whether the festivals will act as twin events is yet to be seen, depending on football calendars, but there are advantages when it comes to synergies on production and booking, according to Szép.
The festival’s 2024 lineups share more than a dozen acts, including Sam Smith, Burna Boy, The Chainsmokers, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Loyle Carner, Nothing But Thieves, The Sacred Souls, Chappell Roan and Apashe with Brass Orchestra.
Another similarity between Superbloom and Lolla Berlin is their sites – both taking place in the Olympic Stadiums of their respective cities – but Szép stresses that both venues are “pretty different”.
“They both have their strong character and history to tell,” she says. “With Superbloom, even in year three, we are still learning how to adjust some of our stages and experience areas to have even more comfort, happiness and beauty for our guests.
“With Lolla Berlin, it is nice to be ‘back home’ in an area that I know well. We will make some changes and adjustments that are important for the customer journey to feel good on site.
“I’m a very visual person and also pretty emotional so in my heart I am already thinking about further developments for the future. In 2025 it will be the 10th anniversary of Lolla Berlin so we have some innovative ideas in our pocket that we’d love to realize.”
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DreamHaus hires three to festival team
Berlin-based promoter DreamHaus is strengthening its festival team with three new hires: Jana Posth, Marlene Ryba and Johanna Neuber.
All three executives will work on the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals, which DreamHaus has been responsible for since 2022 after it was acquired by CTS Eventim.
Jana Posth takes over the position as head of festival operations/festival director Rock am Ring. She has held roles in the events sector for 10 years, including managing the Lollapalooza Festival in Berlin.
“With fresh ideas and their great know-how in the field of festivals, Jana, Marlene and Johanna enrich our team enormously”
Marlene Ryba assumes the role of senior communications & PR manager of festivals, having previously worked in the PR department at Lollapalooza.
And Johanna Neuber, who has been active in the music industry for five years, joins the team as a junior project and event manager.
“With fresh ideas and their great know-how in the field of festivals, Jana, Marlene and Johanna enrich our team enormously and contribute to the future-oriented development of Rock am Ring/Rock im Park,” says Marc Seemann, director of strategy & business development.
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Why are major tours bypassing Berlin?
Concerns have been raised over a lack of venue availability in Berlin after AC/DC became the latest major act to skip the German capital on their upcoming tour.
The rock band’s Power Up Tour – their first trek in eight years – will stop in Gelsenkirchen, Munich, Dresden, Hockenheim, Stuttgart and Hannover this summer.
Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour visited Cologne, Hamburg and Frankfurt in 2023, while Adele is set to perform 10 nights in Munich this year and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour will play multiple nights in Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg and Munich.
According to Berliner-Zeitung, the only venue in Berlin capable of hosting events of such scale is the 75,000-cap Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium), which is home to football club Hertha Berlin and is booked for the UEFA Euro 2024 international tournament in June/July.
“For 2024, we had already informed all of our concert organisers in advance that due to the hosting of the UEFA Euro 2024 with six games including the final on July 14th, no concerts could take place in the Olympiastadion Berlin this summer due to scheduling reasons,” says a spokesman for the Olympiastadion.
“A new stadium will simply have to be built so that Berlin can be included in the tour dates again in the future”
AC/DC’s German tour organiser United Promoters also explains why Berlin was not included in the plan for the 2024 tour.
“It is due to the scheduling availability of the Berlin Olympic Stadium,” says a spokesperson.
Berliner-Zeitung concludes that the city requires more stadium-sized venues.
“A new stadium will simply have to be built so that Berlin can be included in the tour dates again in the future – but then please be as big as BER airport,” it says. “Only the construction should go a little faster, because who knows whether AC/DC will come to Germany again in 14 years and whether Adele and Co. will have been completely convinced by the Munich white sausage.”
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Uber and AEG Europe seal Berlin venue partnership
Uber and AEG Europe have inked the largest naming rights partnership in Germany.
The companies have agreed a long-term deal for AEG’s two venues in Berlin-Friedrichshain, as well as the surrounding entertainment district.
From 22 March, Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena and Verti Music Hall will be renamed Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall, respectively – alongside the adjacent restaurants, cinema and bowling alley that make up Uber Platz (currently Mercedes Platz) – in a first-of-its-kind deal in the market.
“In Uber we have gained an innovative, globally renowned brand, who like AEG Europe, are passionate about creating a best-in-class customer journey and guest experience,” says Paul Samuels, EVP for AEG Global Partnerships. “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Uber and look forward to opening the doors of the Uber Arena and Uber Eats Music Hall for the first time in an official capacity on 22 March, yet also extend our appreciation to Mercedes-Benz and Verti, whom Uber succeeds as naming rights partner, for their collaboration over the past eight and six years respectively.”
“This one-of-a-kind investment is a big testament to our commitment to German cities and in particular to Berlin’s art, culture and sports scene”
Attracting 1.5 million visitors a year, the Uber Arena (cap. 17,000) opened in 2008 and was recently ranked the second highest-grossing arena in the world. The neighbouring Arthur Award-nominated 4,350-capacity Verti Music Hall, meanwhile, launched in 2018.
“We couldn’t hope for a better way to celebrate Uber’s 10th anniversary in Germany,” adds Uber Germany head Christoph Weigler. “This one-of-a-kind investment is a big testament to our commitment to German cities and in particular to Berlin’s art, culture and sports scene.”
The Mercedes-Benz brand will be staying on board as a partner of the Uber Arena in a more general capacity. While specific plans will be announced in the coming months, Uber – in close partnership with AEG Europe – is aiming to elevate guest experience at all levels, from transport arrival and departure, as well as bringing innovative new food and beverage ordering options to events.
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AEG Germany recruits Dennis Krause to booking team
AEG has added Dennis Krause to its booking team in Berlin, Germany, effective immediately.
The new senior booking manager will be mainly responsible for booking Verti Music Hall, the 4,350-capacity venue that opened in 2018 at AEG’s Mercedes Platz.
Krause brings over 15 years of experience in the concert and event industry to AEG. Most recently, he worked as an agent for the Hamburg-based a.s.s. concerts & promotion, where he was responsible for concert and tour booking for international artists.
“We are sure that Dennis, with his large network and his background as an agent, is the right person to take the venue forward”
Prior to that, he worked as head of A&R for Prime Tours & Promotion, a Berlin-based company specialising in promoting and artist development.
“Verti Music Hall can look back on a record year and we are sure that Dennis, with his large network and his background as an agent, is the right person to take the venue forward,” says Dirk Dreyer, general manager of the Verti Music Hall.
Dreyer recently spoke to IQ about the Verti Music Hall’s best year yet and how the mid-sized venue has established its place in the competitive German market.
Aissata Hartmann-Sylla, senior director booking AEG Berlin, adds: “I know Dennis as an excellently networked and respected agent and am delighted that we have been able to secure him for us.”
AEG Germany also comprises Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena (cap. 17,000) and Hamburg’s Barclays Arena (15,000).
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DEAG reaches ‘new level’ of earnings in 2023
Deutsche Entertainment (DEAG) has announced a “new level of revenue and earnings” in 2023, thanks to a consolidation break and the industry’s full recovery after Covid-19.
The German live entertainment company today reported earnings for the first nine months of the 2023 financial year, driven by its “own formats, the successful buy and build strategy, and the outperformance in the ticketing business”.
Compared to the pre-Covid year 2019, revenue increased by 73.3% from €123.1 million to €213.3m. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) also rose significantly from €8m in the first nine months of 2019 to €13.8m (+72.5%) in the first nine months of the current financial year.
Adjusted EBITDA (EBITDA excluding the bonus programme for 25 executives – which expires at the end of this year) amounts to €15m.
DEAG says it now generates around half of its consolidated revenue from its own event formats, the tickets for which are sold mainly and, in many areas, exclusively via its own ticketing platforms, myticket.de, myticket.at, myticket.co.uk, gigantic.com and tickets.ie.
The fourth quarter is already shaping up to be the strongest in terms of sales in the history of the Group’s own platforms, according to the results, with more than three million tickets sold so far for upcoming events.
In the third quarter of 2023, DEAG generated revenue of €90.7m, compared to €101.7m in the same period of the previous year, and EBITDA of €8.7m (previous year: €10.2m).
For the full year 2023, DEAG is aiming for revenue of more than €300m
For the full year 2023, DEAG is aiming for revenue of more than €300m and “remains committed to its goal of high operating profitability”. In 2022, the company reported the highest revenue and EBITDA in the company’s 45-year history at €325m and said it expected 2023 to surpass that.
The Berlin-based promoter and ticket agency says it will continue to play an active role in the consolidation of the live entertainment industry in Europe and drive its growth both organically and through M&As. To further accelerate its growth, is also continuing to examine all equity financing options, including a possible stock market listing.
The company has only been private for the last two years, having accepted a takeover offer from its largest single shareholder, Apeiron Investment Group, and its Malta-based subsidiary Musai Capital in 2021. Prior to that, the company was public for 23 years.
“DEAG’s growth in 2023 exceeds our expectations,” says Prof. Peter Schwenkow, CEO of DEAG.”Without acquisitions in the current year and without significant catch-up effects as in 2022, the company has reached a new level of revenue and earnings compared to the pre-pandemic period. We are particularly pleased with the development in the ticketing and Services businesses.
“DEAG is succeeding in selling an increasing share of tickets for concerts and events via its own ticketing platforms. The share of sales by third parties is also increasing. We will continue on our successful growth path, as M&A will remain a building block of our strategy. We are in advanced discussions with potential companies and will continue to establish new companies abroad.”
DEAG has interests in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Ireland and Denmark. Its group includes Kilimanjaro Group (UK), Wizard Promotions (DE), UK Live, My Ticket (DE, AT, UK) and Belladrum Tartan Heart festival (UK).
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Berlin’s Future of Festivals conference reveals agenda
Germany’s Future of Festivals conference will return to ARENA Berlin for a third time, uniting organisers, service providers, associations, decision-makers and trainees from the festival sector.
Taking place on 24 and 25 November, participants can expect panel discussions, keynotes, masterclasses and over 200 exhibitors showcasing their latest innovations and sustainable products for the next festival season.
The 2023 edition will feature over 100 speakers including Steven Raspa (co-founder of the Burning Man Festival), Sarah Mackenzie (creative director of the MUTEK Festival in Montreal), Kristine Barenholdt (head of the circular Lab at the Roskilde Festival) and Holger Hübner (founder of Wacken Open Air).
Panels will address topics such as the impact of weather on festivals, the role of AI in organising events and the ramifications of the surge in touring
Panels will address topics such as the impact of weather on festivals (Forest Fire Level 5), the role of AI in organising events (Rave, Rock, Robots: AI and the Future of Festivals), and the ramifications of the surge in touring (Is the touring boom hurting festivals?).
This year’s instalment will also premiere a new stage at the Festival Campus, funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, which will feature sessions on self-employment, the creation of new training professions, solutions to the prevailing shortage of skilled workers and challenges with young talent.
Other speakers include Yvonne Heckl (VMS/Oktoberfest), Oliver Vordemvenne (I Motion), Jonas Niersmann (Parookaville), Inga Jacobsen (Zurück zu Den Wurzeln Festival), Tobias Zwiebel (Full Force Festival), Hanna Mauksch (Lollapalooza) and Jonas Rhode (M’era Luna Festival/ FKP Scorpio).
For more information and tickets, visit: www.futureoffestivals.com
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