AEG Presents Acquires PromoWest Productions

Bunbury 2013
Daniel Bozarski / Getty Images – Bunbury 2013
July 12, 2013, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The consolidation continues, as Columbus, Ohio-based PromoWest Productions has been acquired by AEG Presents, further bolstering the promotion giant’s presence in the Midwest. 
PromoWest’s portfolio includes venues Express Live! in Columbus; Stage AE in Pittsburgh; the Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati; and booking and operation of Newport Music Hall in Columbus; A&R Music Bar in Columbus; and the Basement in Columbus. PromoWest Productions will exist as a division of AEG Presents, and founder/CEO Scott Stienecker will oversee its growth. PromoWest Productions will retain ownership of Bunbury Music Festival. A Bunbury representative told Pollstar the acquisition will not affect the event.
 
“After getting to know AEG Presents and their senior management, it became more and more clear to me that both of our organizations were built from a common entrepreneurial spirit and culture. I am certain this partnership is right for PromoWest and AEG Presents is truly the right fit for us,” Stienecker said in a statement. “I believe our partnership with AEG Presents will provide us an additional collection of resources and assets that will allow us to continue to build on our achievements and take our company to an even higher level.”
The three-day Bunbury festival was purchased by PromoWest in 2014 and, this year, reported a $4.2 million gross on 60,000 tickets sold, with artists including Post Malone, Jack White, Chainsmokers and Incubus over three days. That was substantial growth over last year’s event, also at Sawyer Point, that reported $2.95 million on 46,000 also over three days. 
The founder of Bunbury sued the city of Cincinnati for inconsistently taxing his festivals last year, but PromoWest was not party to the suit. 
PromoWest was hoping to open an indoor/outdoor concert pavilion in Cincinnati, but both it and Live Nation lost out to The Cincinnati Symphony, who was selected as the developer for “The Banks”, a 4,000 indoor-cap riverfront venue, in June.
In terms of venues, Express Live! came in at No. 40 on Pollstar’s 2017 Year End Top 200 Theatres chart, with 170,535 tickets reported. Stage AE came in right behind it on the chart, with 170,222 tickets reported. 
AEG Presents produced a number of Midwestern festivals through a partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents for the World’s Loudest Month festival series, which was recently wound down.
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