Powerful hospitality business alliance links Kofler and Infront Hospitality 03/06/2009 |
|
| |
| |
The international sports marketing group Infront Sports & Media and Kofler & Kompanie, a leading international catering company, have agreed to enter into a strategic hospitality business alliance.
Kofler is headquartered in Germany and has nine offices in Europe – Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Dresden, Zurich, Geneva and St Moritz. Its Swiss subsidiary is acquiring a majority stake in Infront Hospitality Management GmbH – the former Walch’s Event Hospitality - based in Lustenau, Austria. The agreement was signed prior to this year’s DFB Pokal (Cup) Final in Berlin where the Kofler & Kompanie headquarters are also located.
Kofler has 18 years experience in international catering and 170 full-time employees across its nine offices. The alliance with Infront Hospitality Management will create a powerful force in the European hospitality business - one of the leading event hospitality specialists in Europe with the capacity to organise hospitality in any part of the world.
Two brands, two purposes
The two brands - Kofler & Kompanie and Infront Hospitality - will retain their own identity and areas of operation. Infront Hospitality will remain positioned as a premium hospitality provider for sports events, while Kofler & Kompanie will continue to offer first class catering for cultural events, state occasions and restaurants.
The two partners’ objective is to position Infront Hospitality as the leading provider in hospitality and catering for sports events and will therefore centralise its respective activities in this unit. The collaboration will help to unlock the full potential of the two companies’ businesses and will create greater resources in terms of capacity, expertise and know-how. Kofler & Kompanie already has a strong heritage in sports catering, which will fit well with Infront’s expertise as premium hospitality provider in the sports realm.
Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront Sports & Media said: “This is a decisive step in the development of our event hospitality business. The partnership with Kofler & Kompanie gives us greater resources to compete for top international sports event business. The Infront name is a strong brand in sports marketing and we are pleased that it will remain under the new ownership structure. We will continue to build on our excellent credentials.”
Klaus Peter (KP) Kofler, CEO of Kofler & Kompanie said: “At times like these, this consolidation is a sensible and logical move and it will leave us collectively very well placed when recovery comes. The VIP and corporate hospitality business should gather momentum and bring a new, innovative dynamism to the industry.”
Markus Knabe, Managing Director of Infront Hospitality Management GmbH, who will continue in his current role, added: “This development is all good news and will further strengthen our operations in Lustenau, as we receive additional business through Kofler & Kompanie. We are looking forward to our collaboration with our new shareholder, while still having full access to all the many Infront Group properties.”
Roger Wilfinger, the Managing Director of Kofler & Kompanie Switzerland, said: “The alliance with Infront Hospitality will create many synergies regarding the production and delivery of hospitality and catering projects.”
|
| Back |
| |
| |
|
|
 |
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
