Australia’s Playbill Group Inks Partnership with AEG Presents, Frontier Touring

Photo Credit: whales_are_assholes

Australia’s Playbill Group has inked a new partnership with AEG Presents and Frontier Touring. The venue management specialist operates Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.The new partnership with Playbill Group will see Michael Nebenzahl continuing as the Managing Director of Playbill. No financial terms for the deal were disclosed, and both Playbill and Frontier Touring say it’s business as usual for the partnership. Playbill was founded in 1958 by Brian and Jocelyn Nebenzahl. The company’s interests include management of the Hordern Pavilion—which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Playbill also merchandises for theatrical productions including musicals, national theater and music companies in 12 countries worldwide. It also partners with major sporting teams and operates venue concessions across the country and in Asia. This partnership has the potential to unite Playbill with Frontier Touring sister company Love Police ATM, an Australian merchandising company.

“Playbill and Frontier have a lot in common,” says Dion Brant, CEO of Frontier Touring. “Australian-founded family companies proving competitive on the global stage. When we met Michael and his team it became obvious that the similarities didn’t stop there. We think very similarly, we have similar values and a similar culture.”“With [Love Police ATM] and Playbill it is less about synergies and more that they complement each other,” Brant continues. “Playbill has built its global reputation in theater, LAPTM in music. Neither is really active in the same space as the other. There may be synergies at some point down the track but at the moment the best part of having a relationship with both is that they bring different expertise and specialties to the market.”

“I am delighted to be partnering with AEG Presents and Frontier Touring in this next phase of the Playbill journey,” says Nebenzahl about the partnership. “We have always prided ourselves on serving our customers, whether in musical theater, sport or as a venue through the Hordern Pavilion. In AEG, we have found a like-minded partner to continue to honor the legacy my parents created when they founded the business.”

Frontier Touring and AEG Presents formed a strategic joint venture in 2019, cementing their relationship in the AUS & NZ touring space.