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read moreExpressing confidence in the market for live events and entertainment in the post pandemic environment and backing the Federal and Queensland Government’s recently announced funding plans for venues for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics, ASM Global Asia Pacific Chairman and Managing Director, Harvey Lister has expressed confidence in the sector’s prospects.
Speaking to Australasian Leisure Management Publisher Nigel Benton, Lister commended the Queensland and Australian Government’s tenacity in agreeing funding for Brisbane 2023 venues, noting “I need to give Anastasia (Palaszczuk, Queensland Premier) a pat on the back for having hung in there for that period of time in getting the package agreed.
“We are delighted that the Federal Government have come on board with the funding for the Games and we look forward to working with both of them and delivering it.”
Lister is encouraged that the Federal Government will be funding the 17,000-seat arena project while the Queensland Government assumes responsibility for the other major Games venue, the Gabba.
First proposed by ASM Global (as AEG Ogden) in 2016, Lister advised “we hope to be the operator of the arena, notwithstanding any ‘Johnny come lately’ who might jump on board at the last minute and try and steal the project after the many years of investment that we've made working alongside government in improving up project.
Dismissive of “people who haven't now put in an ounce of effort or idea into a project that we've worked through in minute detail to assist government”, Lister is confident that ASM Global will be the operator of Brisbane Live, which he sees as being transformative for the future of live entertainment in the city.
Looking beyond Brisbane, Lister is excited by ASM Global’s projects across Asia and in the Arabian Gulf, noting “we have a number of projects in Asia and up into the Gulf region where we've expanded quite strongly.
“Some of those contracts have been signed but are not yet ready for an announcement while other are in the final stage of documentation.
“It's a very buoyant market and a very strong area for ASM Global as we've been bringing together a future touring circuit for entertainment, indoor sport and family events across Asia - some of that in partnership with AEG.
“We are also working towards a touring circuit for entertainment and indoor sport in the Gulf region.
“Overall we think that those two regions, the Gulf region and the Asian region will work beautifully together with the Australian market where we have so many venues and we think that it is going to provide terrific opportunities for promoters, particularly in the music space, but in family and other events as well to be able to extend the number of dates that they're buying and join the three regions together.”
Lister adds “that's our vision for the future, to provide a more economic opportunity for artists and their management and promoters across the broader region.”
Lister, who has provided comment for a feature in the latest issue of Australasian Leisure Management looking at consumer spending in 2023, is very optimistic about the future, commenting “while there have been suggestion that we might be going into some form of recession in this region of the world, we're actually a bit optimistic that the Australian Government's efforts might save us our economy.
“We've always found that when there are troubled times in the economy and people are doing it tough, they want to reward themselves … so entertainment generally has been recession proof.
“But at the moment we are showing that conventions and exhibitions are proving on the basis of strong forward bookings are that people still want to meet face-to-face, they still need to do business and they need to be on top of what's happening in their industry sectors and so they are still investing time for their senior executives and staff and money in confirming their attendance at conventions.
“We are seeing terrific materialisation at the moment for most events. It's not every single event that we see, but that's the nature of a commercial marketplace.
“But it's very encouraging and our business partners in the USA have reported exactly the same type of optimism there with materialisation of conference attendees and exhibitors at their major trade shows.”
Equally confident about major venues, and particularly the touring product for stadia, Lister explains “coming out of COVID, globally we have a traffic jam of events in stadiums the like of which we've never seen in this industry.
“I think that's particularly positive because it's showing that the ticket purchasers, the punters, do want to go out, that they trust the large venue environments and are treating themselves and having fun.
“And at the same time they're seeing an extraordinary number of acts touring in stadiums, many of which are coming to Australia for the first time.
“Remember, they've all got out of their three year touring cycles, are out of kilter with their recorded product and they need to tour to support that recorded product.
“And all during COVID they were, like many of us in the venue industry, keeping as many of our staff as possible employed, investing in training and funding, so that they could bounce back.
“Rather like we invested, if you were a band, you've probably been supporting a whole raft of people who work for you - sometimes in recording studios, sometimes the drum technician, sometimes the favourite guy for the mixing desk.
“So a lot of the big acts tried to keep all those people employed. Now they need to go out and make a living and the quickest way to do that has been to go into stadiums or large venues because the arenas are having blockbuster runs as well.
“And some of those acts will stay as stadium acts some and next time around will be back in arenas.”
Images: Harvey Lister (top), the current concept for the Brisbane Live arena (middle) and Ed Sheeran at the ASM Global Asia Pacific-managed Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane last month (below).
17th February 2023 - Queensland and Federal Governments agree $7 billion funding for 2032 Brisbane Games venues
11th February 2023 - ASM Global Asia Pacific appoints new Director of Marketing
3rd February 2023 - Ed Sheeran concert attracts biggest ever crowd to Wellington’s Sky Stadium
1st February 2023 - Golf resolves to continue its push for inclusion in the Paralympic Games for 2032
24th January 2023 - Elton John’s farewell concerts on track to set all-time global touring record
16th January 2023 - Asahi agrees partnership to supply non-alcoholic drinks to ASM Global’s Australian venues
5th January 2023 - Brisbane City Council Chief Executive expects 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will help Olympic preparations
16th December 2022 - Swimming Australia committed to ‘Win Well’ strategy as it looks to post Brisbane 2032 legacy
15th December 2022 - Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games peak sporting organisations launch landmark ‘Win Well’ national strategy
29th November 2022 - Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium gets approval to stage more concerts
23rd November 2022 - ASM Global unveils Exhibition World Bahrain
17th November 2022 - ASM Global promotes Alex Merchán to drive expansion of the world’s largest live-event marketing platform
26th October 2022 - Venues and entertainment ‘disruptor’ looks to build and operate planned Brisbane Live arena
29th September 2022 - ASM Global reappointed as manager of Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium
20th September 2022 - NRL expansion’s Dolphins confirm seven games at Brisbane Suncorp Stadium during 2023 season
13th September 2022 - ASM Global appoints Australian sports turf expert for Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park
26th August 2022 - Nitro World Games come to Australia for first time and hosted at Suncorp Stadium
9th August 2022 - Rising 2032 Olympics costs could see Gabba redevelopment exceed $1 billion
22nd July 2021 - Rebuilt Gabba and new Brisbane Live arena the key developments for 2032 Olympic Games hosting
14th June 2021 - Harvey Lister recognised for a lifetime dedication to tourism and events in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list
24th May 2021 - Harvey Lister to join panel at EEAA Global Exhibitions Day Summit
3rd March 2021 - Planned Brisbane Live development could be a 2032 Olympics venue
14th February 2021 - ASM Global’s Harvey Lister looks to ‘full revival’ of live events in 2022
22nd October 2020 - Harvey Lister thanks industry following Australian Event Awards lifetime achievement award
20th October 2020 - Harvey Lister to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Australian Event Awards
15th December 2019 - Queensland Government gives go ahead for Brisbane Live entertainment precinct
23rd September 2019 - AEG Ogden’s Harvey Lister expresses frustrations at delays with Brisbane Live precinct
5th September 2018 - Live Nation backs new Brisbane live music venue
8th May 2016 - Plans revealed for new $2 billion ‘Brisbane Live’ entertainment arena Precinct
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As of February 2023, Ungerboeck Software has rebranded as Momentus Technologies.
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