CTS Eventim has further enhanced its position in Italy through the acquisition of concert and musical promoter Vivo Concerti.
Under the agreement, Eventim will hold a controlling stake in the firm through one of its local subsidiaries.
As part of the deal, Vivo Concerti’s chief executive, Clemente Zard (pictured), will join the Eventim team.
Over the past two years, Zard has led Vivo Concerti, before recently purchasing the company from the previous owner, Warner Music Italy, in a management buy-out.
Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CTS Eventim chief excutive, said: “We are absolutely delighted at strengthening our position on the Italian market even further. The multi-faceted portfolio of Vivo Concerti complements our existing activities superbly.
“We also welcome Clemente Zard to the ranks of CTS Eventim – an outstanding promoter who has produced business success stories in recent years, not only as the CEO of Vivo Concerti, but also with his own undertakings.”
Among the artists whose Italian tours Vivo Concerti has organised in recent years are international acts such as Evanescence, David Guetta, Demi Lovato, Tokio Hotel, Sam Smith, Brian Wilson and Hans Zimmer, as well as regional stars like Benji & Fede, Mannarino and Thegiornalisti.
Zard has also been active as an independent promoter, with some of his greatest successes including shows like, ‘Alegria by Cirque du Soleil’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and the musical ‘Notre Dame de Paris’, which he brought back to Italian stages after an absence of four years, to enormous public response.
Zard has also been working with international artists like Ian Anderson, Charles Aznavour, Alan Parsons and Spandau Ballet, and with local acts such as the pop/rap duo J-Ax & Fedez.
Zard, who will continue to hold shares in Vivo Concerti and who will manage the company’s operations from Milan, added: “Ever since I took over Vivo Concerti, I have wanted to work with an international partner. I am all the more delighted that, within a short time, we have found a global player in CTS Eventim, a company that is not only very familiar with our market segment, but which also shares our vision.
“Vivo Concerti will continue to bring a fantastic range of international and Italian artists together with their fans and put shows on the road that are as fresh and innovative as our company itself. At the same time, I would like to thank our former colleagues at Warner Music Italy, personally and on behalf of my team, for two fulfilling and formative years.
“During that period, we gained the self-confidence and experience to take the next step now in the development of Vivo Concerti. CTS Eventim is the perfect partner in that respect.”
Image: CTS Eventim PR
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