OVG-Spectrum to bring class to cuisine

Article posted by Coliseum, August 19^th, 2022

Image: OVG

The Oak View Group (OVG) (US) has acquired Spectrum Catering, Concessions and Event Services – the leading food service and hospitality company that specializes in major sporting events, music festivals and artiste and tour catering – to grow its OVG Hospitality division.

‘businesswire’ stated that the announcement comes eight months after OVG’s acquisition of Spectra, which was one of the industry’s leading food and beverage providers, in November 2021 to create a leading full-service live events company. The acquisition of Spectrum, which is headquartered in Houston, Texas (US), will continue OVG Hospitality’s trajectory toward becoming the top food service and hospitality provider in the industry by broadening the company’s portfolio and expertise.

Los Angeles (US)-based the Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports, live entertainment and hospitality industries and currently has eight divisions across four global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London, and Philadelphia).

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Spectrum Catering, Concessions and Event Services are an event-based food service company founded in 1992 by Dave Smalley. Headquartered near The Woodlands, Texas (US), Spectrum operates throughout the United States and Canada with a multitude of specialized, yet integrated, departments: Cirque du Soleil (Canadian entertainment company), Golf, Music and Festival Concessions, Major Sporting Events, Artiste and Tour Catering, Buildings and Retail, and Corporate Catering.

A combination of cutting-edge operations, owning their own equipment and trucking, and touting a hardworking experienced management team and staff, Spectrum creates worry-free, valued guest experiences for clients and continues to transform the food services and hospitality industry.

Spectrum has overseen the hospitality experience at major sporting events, such as the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four March Madness Festivals, US Davis Cup Tennis, and the United States National Diving Championships.

‘businesswire’ quoted Ken Gaber, President of OVG Hospitality, as stating, “The fact that Spectrum’s growth has been driven by referrals, word-of-mouth, reputation, and top talent speaks to the stellar organization Dave Smalley has built over the last 30 years. After meeting Dave five years ago, I became a fast fan of his work. Whether his team is designing precise event layouts or working closely with Cities, municipalities, promoters, producers, artistes, and nonprofits, they know the ins and outs of planning and executing food and hospitality at some of the world’s largest live events.”

Added Gaber, “Bringing on the Spectrum team will allow OVG Hospitality to grow our business in non-traditional avenues. Dave and his team understand that food should be fun, familiar and fast, and I couldn’t be happier to bring a friend into 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 the communities where they operate, all ideals that align with the core values of OVG Hospitality.”

Stated Dave Smalley, Spectrum’s Founder and head honcho, “Hard work and integrity are hallmarks of Spectrum’s successful operations – across the kitchen, dressing room and dining room – and it became clear very quickly in our initial discussions with the Oak View Group (OVG) that our teams would work seamlessly together. We have consistently delivered some of the highest per caps and the highest revenues of any concert concessions company, and we look forward to continuing those achievements with OVG Hospitality.”

Added Tim Leiweke, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Oak View Group, “Dave and his team have been positively disrupting the food and hospitality space for three decades now, which is a concept Oak View Group can relate to. Just as Dave looked outside the four walls of a restaurant life to create Spectrum, his company continued to transform the food and hospitality industry with cutting-edge ideas and set the standard for live event experiences. We look forward to watching OVG Hospitality continue to grow with this exciting new partnership.”

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