Oak View Group Acquires Houston-Based Spectrum Catering, Concessions & Event Services
PHILADELPHIA & HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE).
The announcement comes eight months after OVG acquired Spectra. which was one of the leading food and beverage suppliers in the industry, in November 2021 to create a leading full-service live events company. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the acquisition of Spectrum will continue OVG Hospitality’s journey to become the industry’s leading food service and hospitality provider by expanding the company’s portfolio and expertise.
Spectrum has overseen the hospitality experience at major sporting events such as the PGA TOUR, NCAA Final Four March Madness Festivals, US Davis Cup Tennis and the United States National Diving Championships. The company has also been a franchisee to the country’s largest and most prestigious outdoor music events, including Bonnaroo, Burning Man and Governor’s Ball, and has produced some of the highest pro caps in the industry. Spectrum also services all aspects of touring and backstage entertainment, providing celebrity service to the music industry’s finest names as the exclusive tour caterer for Cirque du Soleil’s North American touring shows, touring with The Eagles and having conducted tour rehearsals for world-class artists such as Madonna, Jimmy Buffett and Aerosmith.
“The fact that Spectrum’s growth has been fueled by referrals, word of mouth, reputation and top talent speaks to the excellent organization that Dave Smalley has built over the past thirty years.” Ken Gaber, President of OVG Hospitality, said. “After meeting Dave five years ago, I quickly became a fan of his work. Whether designing precise event layouts or working closely with cities, municipalities, event organizers, producers, artists and non-profit organizations, his team understands the intricacies of planning and executing food and hospitality at some of the world’s largest live events. Onboarding the Spectrum team will allow OVG Hospitality to grow our business in non-traditional ways. Dave and his team understand that food should be fun, familiar and fast and I couldn’t be happier to add a friend to the OVG Hospitality family.”
Spectrum has long been focused on developing innovative culinary experiences, recruiting and training dedicated and talented team members, and meaningfully engaging with the communities in which they operate, all ideals consistent with OVG Hospitality’s core values.
“Hard work and integrity are hallmarks of Spectrum’s successful operations – in the kitchen, dressing room and dining room – and from our initial discussions with Oak View Group it was very clear that our teams would work seamlessly together.” Dave Smalley, Founder and CEO of Spectrum, said. “We have consistently achieved some of the highest pro caps and highest revenues of any concert franchise and we look forward to continuing those achievements with OVG Hospitality.”
Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group, said, “Dave and his team have been transforming the food and hospitality space for three decades, which is a concept Oak View Group can relate to. Just as Dave looked beyond the four walls of restaurant life when he founded Spectrum, his company continued to transform the food and hospitality industry with innovative ideas and setting the standard for live event experiences. We look forward to seeing OVG Hospitality continue to grow with this exciting new partnership.”
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About Oak View Group (OVG)
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded in 2015 by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff. Focused on positively disrupting normal business operations in the sports, live entertainment and hospitality industries, OVG currently has eight businesses in four global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London and Philadelphia). OVG oversees operations of the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle Center, the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, and the Moody Center in Austin, TX, as well as arena development projects for Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA; Koop Live in Manchester, UK; and projects for Arena São Paulo in São Paulo, BZ; Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD; First Ontario Center Arena in Hamilton, ON; a new arena and entertainment district in Las Vegas, NV; and a new arena in Cardiff, Wales. For more information, visit OakViewGroup.com and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Spectrum Catering, Concessions and Event Services
Spectrum Catering, Concessions & Event Services is an events based food service company Founded in 1992 by Dave Smalley. Headquartered near The Woodlands, Texas, Spectrum operates throughout the United States and Canada with a variety of specialized but integrated divisions: Cirque du Soleil, Golf, Music and Festival Concessions, Major Sporting Events, Artist and Tour catering, building and retail, and corporate catering. Spectrum is a combination of state-of-the-art operations, owning our own equipment and trucks, and a hard-working, experienced management team and staff that creates carefree, valued guest experiences for customers and continues to transform the hospitality industry.