The deal between The Lindley Group and Centerplate, individually recognised as industry leaders in guest-focused, locally-inspired hospitality and strategic design services for each of their respective markets, creates a global leader in event hospitality.
LONDON – The Lindley Group -which serves many of the country’s premier sporting venues and tourist destinations, including Tottenham Hotspur FC’s White Hart Lane, Leicester Tigers’ Welford Road and Watford FC’s Vicarage Road- announced its acquisition by Centerplate, North America’s leading event hospitality partner to the top sports stadia, entertainment venues and convention centres in the United States and Canada. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal between The Lindley Group and Centerplate, individually recognised as industry leaders in guest-focused, locally-inspired hospitality and strategic design services for each of their respective markets, creates a global leader in event hospitality.
Jointly, the new company will provide food, beverage and merchandise services to more than 115 million guests annually, at many of the world’s most successful and iconic sporting facilities, convention centres, and leading tourist attractions in North America and the U.K., including the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and The Hepworth Wakefield, a leading regional art gallery.
Global expansion tops a period of significant growth for Centerplate, previously named the fastest growing restaurant hospitality group in the United States by Nation’s Restaurant News, America’s leading hospitality publication. Combining the best in hospitality strategy from the US and the UK, the new Centerplate is perfectly positioned to pursue premier client venues in Great Britain and Europe.
Revenues for the combined company are expected to exceed £660 million ($1 billion USD) in 2013, and there are no plans to reduce the company’s combined workforce, which currently stands at over 35,000 people worldwide. Each entity will continue to operate under its current name. The Lindley Group Chief Executive Adam Elliott will assume the title of President, The Lindley Group, and Executive Vice President, Centerplate, reporting to Centerplate President and CEO Des Hague. Hague, who was born and raised in the UK and began his career in hospitality leadership positions throughout Europe, will draw on his extensive personal and professional background in the UK as he leads the global organisation.
“From service innovation and culinary excellence to venue design, Centerplate has always put the guest and fan at the very center of everything we do, so we are thrilled to find a like-minded organisation in The Lindley Group,” said Hague. “With the addition of this vibrant and growing business, the new Centerplate will bring our passion for culinary and service excellence to best-in-class clients around the world, with a continued focus on results, not rhetoric. We are excited to expand globally and look forward to providing our best-in-class clients with unmatched hospitality experiences at prestigious and iconic venues across North America and the UK.”
Elliott added: “Achieving global scale through this merger with Centerplate is a massive boost for The Lindley Group, which will benefit from an infusion of resources and expertise while enjoying the operational freedom to bring our UK clients, fans and guests the food innovation and technology advances that Centerplate is pioneering at venues in America. Clients and fans will continue to see the same quality and service they know from The Lindley Group, and we are energised and excited to move forward with everyone in our current management team in place.”
Moving forward, Centerplate and The Lindley Group will partner with a list of the world’s top sporting venues and tourist attractions including:
- White Hart Lane, home of Tottenham Hotspur FC
- The Stadium of Light, home of Sunderland AFC
- Vicarage Road, home of Watford FC
- Hillsborough Stadium, home of Sheffield Wednesday FC
- Celtic Park, home of Celtic FC
- Welford Road Stadium, home to Leicester Tigers rugby union club
- ACC Liverpool, home to the Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre
- The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints and 2013 Super Bowl host
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter
- The Vancouver Convention Centre, two-time winner of the APEX award for the World’s Best Convention Centre.
Within the last year alone, Centerplate served more than 100 million guests at 250 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues in North America. Centerplate has provided event hospitality services to 30 official US Presidential Inaugural Balls, 13 Super Bowls, 21 World Series, and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, among other high profile events.
2012 also proved a banner year for The Lindley Group, as the company won the prestigious MIDAS award for Menu Innovation in the Sports and Leisure Category, and also secured a series of prestigious new accounts, including event hospitality duties for Rotherham United’s new New York stadium and Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
