Features
Germany: Kai Müller, Reeperbahn Fest, SAP Arena
Kai Müller Leaves Barclaycard Arena Hamburg
Barclaycard Arena Hamburg – Barclaycard Arena
Former
Müller was with Barclaycard Arena for 15 years, being part of nearly 2,000 events and witnessing it change its name from Color Line Arena to O2 World Hamburg. Addressing his partners, promoters, colleagues and friends, Müller said: “I’m very proud of the numerous moments – both behind and in front of the stage – in which we gave athletes, artists and performers the best possible venue and our visitors unforgettable events. This wouldn’t have been possible without your trust and our cooperative collaboration. Thank you very much.”LL
Longtime colleague Ann-Kristin Schmanns will take over Barclaycard Arena’s venue bookings.
– Kai Müller
Müller will launch his own agency in the fall, “offering conceptual and consulting services to explore all the possibilities and challenges of the Live Business,” according to his own words.
He told Pollstar, “Elbe Entertainment is going to tackle a variety of themes in live entertainment. I’m bringing my knowledge and network from more than 22 years of activity in entertainment.” His experience includes booking, artist management, sponsoring, venue management, marketing & promotion.
“On the one hand I’m going to offer consultancy services to artists, promoters and venues to increase revenues, optimize processes and develop strategic and conceptual plans.
“On the other hand I want to discover artists, shows and live formats that I can develop comprehensively on my own. I think that there are still enough niches in between the large players in the live business, where a flexible boutique agency can find its place. My initial feedback from the industry has been promising, which is exactly what I was hoping for.”
According to Müller, the industry’s key topics at the moment are alternative marketing strategies to stand out among the many offerings ticket buyers can choose from as well as the restructuring of tour booking, which has become necessary due to the changes in the German market that were sparked by global touring deals.
“Elbe Entertainment will be a competent partner for both topics,” Müller said.
Live Business At Reeperbahn Festival 2017
The organizers of Germany’s most important talent festival and industry conference, Reeperbahn Festival, have announced the live topics and speakers of this year’s edition Sept. 20-23 in Hamburg.
Recapping the ongoing festival season will be Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn, FKP Scorpio’s Stephan Thanscheidt, Artmania Festival’s Codruta Vulcu and Roskilde Festival’s Signe Lopdrup.
This year’s Agent’s Agenda will unite Wizard Promotion’s Ossy Hoppe, ATC Live’s Isla Angus, SSC’s Baris Basaran and Radical Production’s Christophe Davy on stage to talk about how investors and external finance increasingly influence the structural change in the concert industry between large and small concert companies.
Thorsten Seif, the managing director of Buback, a German industry icon, will be interviewed by journalist Rembert Stiewe about what it takes to keep long-term relationships with artists and business partners in times of increased competition and ever stronger power players in the music industry.
Secondary Ticketing will be part of the agenda as well. Kiki Ressler (KKT), Alex Richter (FOUR Artists), Annabella Coldrick (Music Managers Forum), Claudio Trotta (Barley Arts), Gabriel Rossy (Rossy & Associats) and Nicole Jacobsen (Tickets de) are confirmed speakers.
German SAP Arena Opens Sports Bar
Mannheim-based
Dubbed “Whistle,” the new bar opens Aug. 11. Run by CEO Daniel Hopp, it will offer 4K public viewing, a mix of American and regional food and beverages, located in Mannheim’s new shopping district Q7/Q8.
Stage Entertainment Opens Munich Musical Stage
Hamburg-based musical and show production experts Stage Entertainment is opening a new musical stage in Munich’s warehouse district, aimed at a young audience.
The 600-capacity venue is scheduled to open in January 2018 to premiere a musical based on one of Germany’s recent cinema hits, “Fack ju Göhte.” The production is realized in cooperation with film production company Constantin Film. Munich’s warehouse district already attracts a young audience with its Technikum and Tonhalle venues.
The plan is to add another youth magnet to the mix. Stage Entertainment’s new musical has the feel of a pop-up stage, although the company intends to run the venue for at least 10 years, a few approvals by local authorities are still pending.
According to Munich newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the stage will be facing the audience slightly angular, seating will have an improvised feel, appealing to a young audience.
Close to the venue, Munich’s new philharmonic concert hall is currently being built. The entire warehouse district is expected to develop a rich hospitality economy around those future venues.
After 10 years, Stage Entertainment’s utilization of the new musical is going to be reassessed. It is expected that the company, which runs 12 theaters in Germany, nine of which feature en-suite musicals, will then look for something bigger.