Parcom Capital Gets Majority Interest in Stage Entertainment

Joop van den Ende’s theatrical production company Stage Entertainment and Parcom Capital, a subsidiary of the ING Group, concluded a transaction today that gives Parcom Capital a majority interest in the international ticketing company of Stage Entertainment. The company will henceforth operate under the name See Tickets International and will be the largest independent ticketing company in Europe. Both companies announced this news today.
 
With a staff of over 900 working all mayor European countries, See Tickets International handles ticket sales and marketing services for theatrical productions, rock and pop concerts, sports, dance and other events and exhibitions, offering a full set of services including retail, wholesale, venue software and access control systems
 
Earlier this year, the ticketing organization acquired the UK ticketing company See Tickets, which has clients such as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group, all the major rock and pop promoters and exhibition organizers in the UK. See Tickets International incorporates the brands TopTicketLine in the Netherlands, Spain and France, See Tickets in England, Ticket Online in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Austria and sherpa.be in Belgium.
 
The annual sales of the company are over 40 million admission tickets, ensuring that it is one of the top 3 ticketing companies in the world.
 
The worldwide ticketing sector is increasingly dominated by a small number of large players. Due to its newly attained independent status and the support of Parcom Capital, See Tickets International can further build its position on an international scale by means of acquisitions, mergers and organic growth. The company predicts further growth in ticket sales for major international events like the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.
 
Bart van Schriek, the new CEO of See Tickets International: “The entire management team has committed itself to the company for the long term. We look forward to offering our thousands of clients maximum support to enable them to sell tickets and promote their events to the public. 
 
Henk Kivits, CEO of Stage Entertainment: “Stage Entertainment will keep a minority interest in See Tickets International and will consequently stay involved as a shareholder. In addition, the existing client relationships in the various European countries in which See Tickets International and Stage Entertainment are active have been secured in long-term agreements. The new situation brings the ticketing company in the position where it can further exploit its growth opportunities.”
 
Erik Westerink, CEO of Parcom: “The ticketing business is going through a phase of rapid change. We see excellent opportunities for further building out See Tickets International as an independent ticketing organization, both within and in due course beyond Europe.”
 
Established in Parcom Capital is a pan-European investment firm that invests in midmarket private and public equity. With over 2 billion of capital Parcom has a longer term investment horizon focused on helping management teams realize their growth ambitions. With offices in Amsterdam, Paris and Munich and through our partners Duke Street Capital and Ergon Capital Partners, we have been able to invest in over 250 companies across The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. Together with our partners funds we cover all stages of investment cycle, ranging from early stage venture capital to expansion capital, buy outs and quoted small/mid cap companies. Parcom has been a 100% subsidiary of ING Group since 1993.