Venue Management Firm SMG Europe Acquires U.K. Catering Specialist CGC Events

Manchester Arena owner SMG Europe has acquired event catering and hospitality specialist CGC Events, according to Lucy Roue of the MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS. The Manchester-headquartered "leader in venue management" has a turnover of £45M ($69M) and the combined European group has total revenues of £175M ($268M) under management. With projects worldwide SMG also has a "strong foothold" in both the domestic and int'l venue markets with ownership of the First Direct Arena in Leeds and York Barbican Theatre, as well as venues in Poland and Germany. Leeds-based CGC is an event catering company with an annual turnover of £20M ($31M) and 200 full time staff, "rising to more than 1,000 staff on peak days." The catering company works "exclusively at eight racecourses across the north of England, including York." Alongside this, it also "provides matchday and non-matchday catering for five northern football and rugby stadiums" as well as public and event catering at 10 heritage locations (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 2/5).