Sodexo launches Sodexo Live! to Leverage all of the Group Expertise in the World of Sports, Events and Hospitality

Today, the Sodexo Group reaffirmed its ambition in the world of sports, events and hospitality and created a unique global brand Sodexo Live!  to unify and leverage all of the Group expertise across the world in this sector.

With this brand creation, Sodexo reaffirms its confidence in this market and its potential for rebound. There is an appetite in the market for people to foster in-person connections, as confirmed by the September 2021 study conducted by Harris Interactive for Sodexo Live! across the United States, United Kingdom, France and Spain (the details of the study can be found at the Sodexo Live! website**)

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80% of respondents feel comfortable attending sports, cultural or professional events again**

(increase of +20 points compared to September 2020)

Convinced of the strong rebound potential of the live sector, Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, CEO Worldwide of Sodexo Live!, explains the brand’s strategic choices in terms of international  development priority business segments and new services to offer clients.

“Today is a major milestone for us. Sodexo Live! is the affirmation of a new ambition, as we bring together our expertise related to sports, events and hospitality under a unified global brand. More than ever, I am convinced that fans and guests worldwide are looking to find common links and embrace the human bond that comes from being there live. With this launch, we reaffirm to our clients that we are the preferred partner to face the future with, and that we believe steadfastly in our 40,000 employees around the world to offer them world-class, creative, value-generating services.”

Sodexo Live! Creating irreplaceable emotional connections

The excitement of a game, the buzz of in-person networking at an industry conference, or a family outing in a museum are all opportunities to live extraordinary moments and create unforgettable memories. With a unique expertise acquired over 20 years around the world, Sodexo Live! offers clients its know-how in hospitality and culinary excellence to create tailor-made offers and transfix places and events.

Live! itself is a universal word full of positive energy. This word is the link between all the activities of the brand and a tribute to the dynamism and creativity of its teams. The new brand benefits from the strength of the Sodexo Group, its values and its commitments to all stakeholders: clients, consumers, partners and internal teams.

Sodexo Live! Accelerating in a high-potential market

Since the creation of a dedicated business for the sports and entertainment sector, Sodexo has garnered strong growth, reaching revenues of €1.7B in FY2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of face-to-face, in-person events presents an exciting amount of demand in what is a structurally growing market. In order to fully accelerate in this active market, the Sodexo Live! brand will be based on these three foundational pillars:

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1. A region-specific strategy to grow global presence

Sodexo Live! will consolidate its presence in its top three markets – North America, France and the UK – and accelerate its growth in Spain and APAC, two markets in high demand for these services.

2. Acute focus on priority business segments

Sodexo Live! will continue to deploy its expertise in major venues and events in order to reveal their full potential and enrich the live experience of their audiences.

• Stadiums and Arenas: Sodexo Live! will continue to welcome fans to the largest, most recognizable stadiums around the world as in France’s Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais and Stade de France, Everton FC in the United Kingdom, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, or T-Mobile Park in Seattle
• Conference and Convention Centers: Sodexo Live! will offer services for professional and personal events, ranging from catering to the marketing and sales of the sites. The brand is present in more than 30 convention centers in North America, including the Las Vegas Convention Center, Orange County Convention Center and San Diego Convention Center
• Global Events: Sodexo Live! designs and markets tailor-made hospitality packages and catering for major international events such as the Rugby World Cup (five editions), the Tour de France (for 30 years), the Super Bowl (15 times) and the French Open (for 20 years)
• Cultural Destinations: From the Eiffel Tower to the Royal Academy of Arts in London, or the Museo del Prado in Spain and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, these destinations entrust Sodexo Live! to enrich the experience of their visitors by capitalizing on its culinary arts and its excellent service.
• Airport Lounges: Sodexo Live! welcomes travelers to over 170 lounges around the world, including those of Delta Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Cathay Pacific and Airport Dimensions.

3.           A portfolio of tailor-made services, creating value for its clients

The heart of Sodexo Live! expertise is its culinary talent, creative spirit and ability to capture the taste of the local culinary scene. Sodexo Live! has cultivated 15 partnerships with celebrity chefs around the world as Frédéric Anton and Thierry Marx in France, Richard Blais and Ethan Stowell in the US, Raymond Blanc in the UK and more and trains 4,000 gastronomy professionals each year at the renowned Lenôtre school. Embodying this culinary excellence, Sodexo Live! has 2 Michelin-starred restaurants in France: Pré Catelan and Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower, both entrusted to Chef Frédéric Anton.

The newly reimagined Sodexo Live! is best positioned to help clients find new revenue streams, maximize venue budgets and operations, embed further with meeting planners, optimize sales and marketing efforts and connect with fans and guests via smarter merchandising, ticketing and hospitality package designs.

Sodexo Live! A dedicated family of experts

In its portfolio, Sodexo Live! owns valuable businesses dedicated to specific expertise:

• Sodexo acquired Centerplate in 2018 in order to expand its presence in North America. Since then, both entities have combined to drive strong growth in this priority and dynamic market. With the creation of the Sodexo Live! brand, Centerplate will become the name of the catering offer dedicated solely to convention centers in North America, where the reputation is unparalleled for food quality, innovation and service delivery with meeting planners and venue clients.
• The Lenôtre brand for high end catering, retail and the Lenôtre school, both in France and through a franchise model internationally
• The Heritage Portfolio bespoke catering brand for cultural destinations in the UK
• Bateaux London, as the brand synonymous with elegant cruises on the River Thames
• Bateaux Parisiens and Yachts de Paris, as famed cultural activities in France

Sodexo Live! A committed brand

True to the values of the broader Sodexo Group, Sodexo Live! is fully committed to a process of social and environmental progress and imagining new ways of welcoming guests more responsibly. Asserting itself as a local economic driver, leading a committed approach to diversity and inclusion and developing more responsible solutions for environmentally friendly sites and events, Sodexo Live! supports its clients in their efforts to promote the environment and benefit their communities.

Sodexo Live! By the Numbers

• 40,000 employees dispersed throughout 500 sites around the globe
• 80 different types of professional roles
• General and premium services for 15 Super Bowls
• Design and marketing of the hospitality program for the last 5 Rugby World Cups
• Partnership with the Tour de France for 30+ years and Roland Garros (home of the French Open) for 20+ years
• 400,000+ guests served each year at the Royal Ascot
• 3.5 million visitors annually on the Bateaux Parisiens and Yachts de Paris
• Sales and marketing for 50+ exceptional sites in France and the UK
• 30 convention centers, including the 6 largest in the US
• 30 million passengers served each year in 170+ global airport lounges
• 4 Michelin Stars for Chef Frédéric Anton at Le Pré Catelan and Le Jules Verne restaurant at the Eiffel Tower
• Partnerships with more than 15 world-class chefs

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