Features
Pros Down Under: Guy Ngata, Brendon Bainbridge
Guy Ngata To Head Dubai Arena
– Guy Ngata
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Guy Ngata, one-time GM of Sydney’s 21,000-capacity Allphones Arena (now
Set to open late 2018, the 20,000-seater is operated by AEG Ogden for local holding company Meraas.
It is set on a 47,000-square-metre site in the City Walk hospitality, F&B, entertainment and shopping precinct. Ngata headed AEG Ogden’s Allphones Arena 2012 to 2015 after earlier GM roles overseeing the openings of Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai for AEG, and Vector Arena in Auckland (now Spark Arena and co-owned by Live Nation).
Eden Park, the largest stadium in New Zealand, in 2016 recorded its most profitable year outside of a World Cup year and is on target to significantly exceed that result in 2017.
Harvey Lister, Brisbane-based chairman and CEO of AEG Ogden, welcomed Ngata back to the fold, saying, “Guy is an outstanding venue manager and well respected throughout the industry globally. We are very fortunate to have him return to AEG Ogden to manage what we believe will be the ‘go-to’ venue in the Middle East region for large scale international music concerts, sporting and other entertainment events.”
Ticketek NZ’s Brendon Bainbridge To Head TEG Asia
Australian-Asia Pacific ticketing, live entertainment and data analytics company TEG is moving its Ticketek New Zealand’s Auckland-based managing director of 11 years, Brendon Bainbridge, to Singapore as managing director of its new TEG Asia division.
Bainbridge, who worked in the U.S. as director of sales & marketing at Marriott International 1992-2004, will manage all TEG operations in the region, including Malaysia’s No. 1 ticketing company, TicketCharge, which TEG bought in July with the intention of providing ticketing services and live content throughout Asia.
“Brendon has done a fabulous job running Ticketek New Zealand, he knows the sports and entertainment industry inside out and he gets what TEG’s strategy is all about,” said Geoff Jones, TEG CEO. “He has the leadership and vision to make TEG Asia a big growth story for the company. I am delighted to make this appointment of a trusted and long-standing colleague.”
Bainbridge added, “This is a great export story about taking the know-how developed in Australia and New Zealand and competing on a global stage. I am thrilled to have this opportunity and I thank Geoff for his confidence in me.”
Ticketek NZ’s new managing director is Trina Tamati. She’s worked in NZ, the UK, Europe and Australia in marketing, commercial and event director roles, most recently GM of the NRL Auckland Nines rugby league tournament.