Hospitality caterer CH&Co Group has merged with the events catering and services company, Concerto Group.
The merger, announced 4 December, creates a one-stop shop designed to meet all event requirements, from venue finding and booking to catering, production and entertainment.
The new merged group will have increased reach in conference centres and large-scale arenas and hopes to open up new opportunities within the hotel sector.
The development increases the group’s turnover to £300m and it will now provide catering at 750 sites across the UK and Ireland, employing 6,200 people.
Concerto Group’s CEO, Adam Elliott, will head the business and its brands, which include event caterer, Create, and brands such as Ultimate Experience, event management; bespoke event full service management agency, Mask; corporate teambuilding business, Eventwise; venue finding specialists, Venueseeker; and Christmas and summer party specialists, JD Parties.
Concerto also operates at a number of UK venues including The Pavilion at The Tower of London, Old Billingsgate, Honourable Artillery Company, Roundhouse, Plaisterers’ Hall and The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool. This month Concerto opened up The Lampery restaurant in a new food and beverage venture with APEX Hotels.
CH&Co Group CEO, Bill Toner described the deal as a positive move for both companies: “CH&Co Group and Concerto Group are both well-known and respected players achieving great things in the events market so our union is a very positive development. Both companies bring a great mix of talent, expertise, creativity, resources and assets to the party, and together we create a really attractive proposition in this highly competitive arena. It also gives us an introduction into the hotel sector. This new territory for CH&Co Group is an area I know well and it’s a very exciting prospect.”
