Sodexo Group recently launched Sodexo Live!, a new global brand dedicated to the hospitality space. Designed to unify and leverage the company’s extensive expertise in the sports, events and hospitality sector, the fresh identity reaffirms the company’s commitment to being a market leader in a space on the verge of rebounding, according to Sodexo Live! officials.

“We are thrilled to unveil Sodexo Live! for meeting planners, show organizers and the space as a whole,” said Steve Pangburn, CEO of Sodexo Live! North America. “Those in the meetings and events industry can expect a continued commitment to excellence and world-class food and beverage from us. We have global resources but a local focus and a vast range of services outside F&B to offer, [including] the marketing and sales of the venues, design consultancy, energy management, concierge services and more.”

The brand’s reimagining comes as people are showing a strong desire for face-to-face connections, as confirmed by a September 2021 study, conducted by Harris Interactive for Sodexo Live! across the U.S., U.K., France and Spain, which cited 80% of respondents feeling comfortable attending sports, cultural or professional events again.

In order to fully accelerate in this high-potential market as in-person events return, the new Sodexo Live! brand will be based on three foundational pillars, including:

1.     A region-specific strategy to grow its global presence by consolidating its top three markets, North America, France and the U.K., and accelerating its growth in Spain and Asia-Pacific. 

2.     An acute focus on priority business segments by continuing to deploy its expertise in major venues and events, including stadiums and arenas, conference and convention centers, major international events, cultural destinations and more than 170 airport lounges.

3.     A portfolio of customized services, including F&B expertise, helping clients discover new revenue streams, maximizing venue budgets and operations, building loyalty with event planners, optimizing sales and marketing efforts and connecting with attendees via smarter merchandising, ticketing and hospitality package designs. 

Formerly known as Centerplate at the more than 30 North American conference and convention centers it serves, Sodexo Live! will now offer expanded services for events beyond food and beverage, including ticketing, merchandising, touchless technology and venue marketing, sales and cleaning. Meanwhile, the Centerplate name will be preserved as a catering option solely for North American venues, according to Sodexo Live! officials.

“[The new Sodexo Live! brand] is meant to mark a clear investment in providing services outside of just food and beverage and helps us expand our skill sets for clients,” Pangburn said. “With over 400 global venues, we provide a globally local approach that helps client partners think worldwide and attracts more international travel clientele.”

He continued, “Whether in a city like Nashville, Denver, New Orleans or Chicago, we’ll leverage the regions where we already have multiple venues and show how they can connect deeper with the local food scene and with the broader global community. For meeting and event planners, we are the same people behind the scenes and with a fresh brand identity. And we are now more equipped to tap into our global network of expertise to better drive revenue growth.”

Additionally, Sodexo Live’s portfolio comprises businesses dedicated to specific expertise, such as meetings, conferences and conventions. For example, Sodexo acquired Centerplate in 2018 in order to expand its presence in North America, and since then, both entities have combined to drive strong market growth. 

Like its parent company, Sodexo Live! is committed to social and environmental progress, supporting its clients in promoting the environment and benefitting their communities by 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 provides clients with an integrated offering developed over more than 50 years of experience, from food services, reception, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from services and programs fostering employees’ engagement to solutions that simplify and optimize their mobility and expenses management, to in-home assistance, child care centers and concierge services.

Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Paris-based Sodexo operates in 64 countries and serves 100 million consumers daily through its on-site services, benefits and rewards services and personal and home services. Its North American headquarters are located in Gaithersburg, Md.

“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,” explained Nathalie Bellon-Szabo, CEO Worldwide of Sodexo 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.”

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