SINGAPORE - Sports and entertainment giant AEG announced on Wednesday (Sept 18) that it is establishing its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore.
The company has also appointed industry veteran Matthew Lazarus-Hall as senior vice-president for Asia-Pacific at its live music arm, AEG Presents.
AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, and K-pop group BTS. Its festivals and music events include the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and British Summer Time at Hyde Park.
Mr Lazarus-Hall will oversee all touring, festivals and sports for AEG Presents across the Pan-Asian region. He will report to Adam Wilkes, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of AEG Asia, who will now be based out of the group's new regional headquarters in Singapore.
Said Mr Wilkes: "The move to Singapore is precipitated by our continued growth across Asia and Australia. It is the epicentre of business in the region, and establishing AEG's roots in the city solidifies our commitment to our partners and our growing business."
Mr Lazarus-Hall has more than 25 years' experience in the live entertainment business, having promoted hundreds of concert tours. His consulting firm, Uncommon Cord, runs major events in Australia. He was previously CEO of promoter Chugg Entertainment for 12 years and CEO of long-running Australian country festival CMC Rocks.
Prior to Chugg Entertainment, he held senior leadership roles at Australian ticketing agency Ticketek, overseeing marquee events including the Sydney Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup.
In addition to Mr Lazarus-Hall, AEG has also brought on board two seasoned executives: Taylor Agisim as vice-president of business development, and Ryan Sandilands as vice-president of global partnerships.
Mr Agisim, who has returned to AEG having worked for the company in Shanghai in 2011-2012, will concentrate on further expanding AEG's platform in Asia-Pacific. He was most recently with Flash Entertainment in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, Mr Sandilands brings more than two decades of partnership experience in promoting entertainment, through his previous executive positions at Cirque du Soleil, Octagon, and the Women's Tennis Association across Europe and Asia.
Key milestones in AEG's expansion in the Asia-Pacific region over the past two years include its partnership with The Mall Group to develop two entertainment and sports venues in Bangkok, Thailand; a partnership with CJ LiveCity to develop a state-of-the-art arena as part of an entertainment district in Seoul, South Korea; and a joint venture with Frontier Touring, a concert and touring firm in Australia and New Zealand.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, AEG has offices in five continents. The group operates in the following business segments: AEG Presents, which produces and promotes concert tours and music festivals; AEG Facilities, which is affiliated with or owns, manages or consults with arenas, stadiums, theatres, clubs and convention centres including The O2 Arena; AEG Real Estate, which develops venues and major sports and entertainment districts such as STAPLES Center; AEG Sports, which operates sports franchises and high-profile sporting events; and AEG Global Partnerships, which oversees worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships.
