NEC Group drops Amadeus branding after management reshuffle

Live events venue operator NEC Group has partially dropped its Amadeus branding as it refocuses its efforts on in-house catering, The Caterer understands.

 

It comes after Kevin Watson, the former managing director of event caterer Amadeus, left the company after nearly 13 years in February this year.

 

Watson was also named Foodservice Caterer of the Year at the 2020 Cateys in recognition for Amadeus’ role in mobilising the Nightingale Hospital at the NEC (National Exhibition Centre) in Birmingham during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Amadeus has built a reputation for catering to major sporting events such as the Scottish Open and the Road World Championships, as well as over 150 corporate and private events a year.

 

The NEC Group was acquired by Blackstone in 2018 from LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group.

 

Caterer Amadeus and national ticketing agency the Ticket Factory were also part of the deal.

 

In September last year, the venue operator appointed Melanie Smith, the former chief executive of Ocado Retail, as its new chief executive officer.

 

The NEC was founded in 1976 and now also owns the International Convention Centre (ICC), Vox Conference Venue and Birmingham’s two live music arenas.

 

The Caterer understands the NEC Group is replacing its references to Amadeus with venue-specific names to align its internal brands with its existing catering offering.

 

However, Amadeus will still cater for the group’s external, fixed venue clients under its original branding.

 

The NEC Group said: “It is our goal to deliver the highest quality food and beverage service for our clients and venues. To do this we are reimagining our approach to customer excellence - bringing our food and beverage offering back into the heart of the NEC Group as NEC Group Food and Beverage. The innovation and talent of our chefs, hospitality teams and venue leadership will aid us in realising our goal.”

 

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