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AEG Ogden Chairman and Chief Executive, Harvey Lister has expressed his excitement at the Australian venue managers becoming part of the new ASM Global international venue management business.

Announced overnight in the USA, ASM Global has been formed by a merger of AEG Facilities and SMG, two of the world’s largest managers of sport and entertainment venues, creating a new, standalone global facility management and venue services company covering more than 310 facilities.

Locally AEG Ogden, a joint venture between AEG Facilities and Australian investors, will become part of the ASM stable, with convention and exhibition centres that it manages - including Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and adjacent Sports Centre, the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, RAC Arena in Perth, and Dubai Arena (opening April 2019) as well as Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium - becoming part of the group.

Lister is highly positive about the merger, saying it will be a true “game changer” for the venue industry in Australia, New Zealand and Asia, delivering significant positive outcomes to operations at AEG Ogden venues.

As Lister advises, the Brisbane-based business has a long association with ASM Global’s constituents, having been in a joint venture with AEG since 2007. Prior to that, as Ogden IFC, its joint venture was with venues and services company, the Ogden Corporation, which was later acquired by SMG.

In addition, AEG Ogden has had close dealings Bob Newman, President of AEG Facilities, who will become President and Chief Executive of ASM Global, and Wes Westley, SMG’s Chief Executive, who will join the new company's board of directors.

Having briefed AEG Ogden staff earlier today, Lister is particularly enthusiastic about the opportunities it will offer team members across the group’s “family of venues in this part of the world.”

Lister advised “I’m very positive about how staff will be able to develop across the group’s venues globally and what that will mean for their careers.

“This will provide terrific opportunities for managers.”

With no overlap between AEG Facilities and SMG’s activities in the areas in which AEG Ogden operates - Australia and New Zealand as well as the Middle East/North Africa, Asia and the western Pacific - Lister adds “we will be having a look to see what makes sense for us to operate within our family venues in this part of the world.”

As for the AEG Ogden brand, Lister concedes that is likely to change.

He explains “the process of creating the SMG Global brand included ensuring that the name hadn’t already been registered in the territories in which it will operate and now we will look at a change of name for the business locally.”

First published on Friday 8th February 2019, but updated with quotes from Harvey Lister as of Monday 11th February 2019.

Images: Harvey Lister is named an 'industry legend' at the 2017 Australian Tourism Awards (top) and AEG Facilities' Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California, USA (below).

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