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FKP Scorpio

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FKP Scorpio Concert Productions GmbH
Native name
FKP Scorpio Konzertproduktionen GmbH
Company typePrivate (GmbH)
IndustryEvent promotion
Founded4 October 1990; 34 years ago (4 October 1990)[1]
FounderFolkert Koopmans
Headquarters,
Germany
Key people
Folkert Koopmans & Stephan Thanscheidt (CEOs)
Freddie de Wall (COO)[2]
Jörg Jeschke (CFO)
OwnerCTS Eventim (50.2%)[3]
Number of employees
~100[4]
SubsidiariesArcadia Live
FKP Area One
FKP Scorpio Belgium
FKP Scorpio Norway
FKP Scorpio Poland
FKP Scorpio Sweden
FKP Scorpio UK
Friendly Fire
Fullsteam
Smash!Bang!Pow!
FKP Show Creations
FKP Eventservice
PALAZZO Produktionen[4]
WebsiteOfficial website

FKP Scorpio is an international concert promoter, based in Hamburg, Germany. Founded by Folkert Koopmans in 1990, the group is widely recognised as one of Europe's largest festival and concert promoters.[5][6][7]

History

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Early years

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In January 1981, aged 17, Folkert Koopmans promoted his first concert for a local band named Amuthon in Marienhafe, where he grew up.[8][6] After dropping out of Hochschule Emden/Leer, Koopmans moved to Hamburg, where he worked as a booking agent for Große Freiheit 36 and Docks.[9] He founded "SCORPIO" Konzertproduktionen GmbH in October of 1990, named after the Scorpio zodiac sign.

Name change

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In 2000, a band named SCORPIONS sued Scorpio, claiming that the similarity of the name could cause confusion. Folkert and the band eventually settled, renaming his company FKP SCORPIO Konzertproduktionen GmbH (FKP standing for Folkert Koopmans Presents).[10]

2013-present

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In 2013, Koopmans promoted Stephan Thanscheidt to co-CEO and partner of the business.[11]

In 2014, FKP acquired Finnish booking agency Fullsteam.[12]

In 2017, CTS Eventim bought a 50.2% stake in FKP Scorpio, effectively acquiring the business.[2][3]

In November 2017, FKP's Hamburg offices were raided by the Hamburg Dienststelle Interne Ermittlungen (internal investigations department) after an anonymous tip-off that the company offered 100 free tickets for a Rolling Stones concert to the Hamburg-Nord district office that approved said concert.[13] The so-called "Freikarten-Affäre" (Free Ticket Affair) ended in the district chief being fined and no bribery charges being found on FKP's behalf.[14]

In 2020 and 2021, FKP expanded its operations in the booking agency space. FKP Scorpio acquired Nordic Live in January 2020. At the time they represented over 60 artists including Alan Walker, Ina Wroldsen and Kurt Nilsen.[15] In the same month, Koopmans launched the All Artists Agency "full-service agency", after CTS were blocked from acquiring the Four Artists Agency.[16] It also formed a partnership with Berlin-based agency Area One in April 2021, named FKP Area One, which specialises in rock/metal acts.[17]

Festivals

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FKP operates a number of festivals, namely:

FKP Scorpio also formerly operated Danish festivals Tinderbox and Northside with Down The Drain Holdings, from 2015 up until it sold its stake to DTD in 2018.[22]

Notable artists

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FKP Scorpio have promoted concerts for a number of notable artists, including The Rolling Stones,[9] Roger Waters,[23] and the Foo Fighters.[2]

FKP has a close relationship in particular with Ed Sheeran, having promoted him in Germany since 2011, early on in his career.[24]

Other ventures

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FKP have previously organised musicals like "Mein Freund Wickie" and wrestling shows.[10] Since 2008, it has also run the "Palazzo" Dinner theaters across Germany.[25][26]

In 2008, FKP created the subsidiary FKP Ausstellungs und Betriebs ("Exhibitions and Operations", now FKP Eventservice), primarily to operate the Beatlemania Hamburg museum, which operated 2009-2012.[27]

In 2013, FKP Scorpio launched its "Grün Rockt" (English: Green Rocks) suistainability initiative with the aim of reducing waste and emissions at its festivals. Since 2013, it has published a report for each festival detailing how much waste was produced and an evaluation of its sustainability measures.[28] One of these measures, Trasholution, aims to gamifies recycling. FKP donate 1€ for each bag of waste collected by festivalgoers to local social projects; the live results are displayed on site.[29]

In 2022, FKP launched a new subsidiary named FKP Show Creations, a production business focused on "musicals, shows, family entertainment and opera."[30]

References

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  1. ^ Unternehmensregister - UT Document - Amtsgericht Hamburg HRB 45482 - FKP SCORPIO Konzertproduktionen GmbH (Report). Business Register System. 2023-09-09.
  2. ^ a b c Jones, Rhian (2017-05-09). "German promoter FKP Scorpio hires Freddie de Wall as COO". Music Business Worldwide. ISSN 2632-5357. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  3. ^ a b Eventim - Annual Report 2016 (PDF) (Report). CTS Eventim. 2023-09-09. p. 184. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  4. ^ a b Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2021 bis zum 31.12.2021 (Report). Business Register System. 2023-03-01.
  5. ^ Neumeister, Steffen (2022-01-21). "Festivalisten trifft Festivalmacher – Folkert Koopmans von FKP Scorpio" [Festivalisten Meets Festival Makers - Folkert Koopmans of FKP Scorpio]. Festivalisten (in German). Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  6. ^ a b Irler, Klaus (2010-09-19). "Konzertveranstalter Folkert Koopmans über Festivals: "Die Superstars werden weniger"". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  7. ^ Magna Charta 2022 (Report). Pollstar. 2022-02-28. ISSN 1067-6945. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  8. ^ Gottfried, Gideon (2022-11-22). "Folkert Koopmans - Pollstar News". Pollstar. ISSN 1067-6945. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  9. ^ a b True, Holger (2017-09-02). "Der Mann, der die Stones nach Hamburg bringt" [The Man Who Brought The Stones To Hamburg]. Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). Funke-Mediengruppe. ISSN 0949-4618. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  10. ^ a b Irler, Klaus (2010-09-19). "Konzertveranstalter Folkert Koopmans über Festivals: "Die Superstars werden weniger"" [Concert Organizer Folkert Koopmans On Festivals: “There Are Fewer And Fewer Superstars”]. Die Tageszeitung (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  11. ^ Masson, Gordon (2023-10-03). "Stephan Thanscheidt's journey to FKP Scorpio CEO". IQ. ISSN 2633-0636. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  12. ^ Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2014 bis zum 31.12.2014 (Report). Business Register System. 2017-05-24. Die Tochtergesellschaft hat in 2014 ferner 100 % der Anteile an der finnischen Konzertagentur Fullsteam Agency Oy erworben.
  13. ^ Fengler, Denis (2017-11-16). "Bezirksamt Nord: Razzia wegen Rolling-Stones-Freikarten" [Northern District Office: Raid Over Rolling Stones Free Tickets]. Die Welt (in German). ISSN 0173-8437. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  14. ^ Knödler, Gernot (2022-04-08). "Hamburger Freikarten-Affäre: Nur noch Geldstrafen" [Hamburg's Free Ticket Affair: Only Fines]. Die Tageszeitung (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  15. ^ Bøe, Eivind (2020-01-14). "Tysk konsertgigant tar over store deler av Nordic Live" [German Concert Giant Acquires Majority Of Nordic Live]. E24 Næringsliv (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  16. ^ Chapple, Jon (2017-11-27). "Eventim under investigation as Four Artists buy blocked". IQ. ISSN 2633-0636. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  17. ^ Jahresabschluss zum Geschäftsjahr vom 01.01.2021 bis zum 31.12.2021 (Report). Business Register System. 2022-01-10. Ebenfalls im April 2021 wurde eine Mehrheitsbeteiligung an der deutschen Konzertagentur FKP Area One GmbH erworben.
  18. ^ Linneweber, Katja (2009-08-14). "Chiemsee Reggae: Interview mit Folkert Koopmans" [Chiemsee Reggae: Interview with Folkert Koopmans]. Münchner Merkur (in German). OCLC 724789943. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  19. ^ Unruh, Jan (2011-08-17). ""Deichbrand"-Crew kooperiert mit "FKP Scorpio"" ["Deichbrand" Organizers Partner with "FKP Scorpio"]. de:Niederelbe-Zeitung (in German). OCLC 724155517. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  20. ^ Yorke, Ana (2022-05-18). "Tempelhof Sounds Revives Berlin's Festival Appeal in June". PopMatters. OCLC 1122752384. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  21. ^ Gallop, Joe (2021-09-22). "FKP Scorpio to debut Meadowlands Festival in 2022". Access All Areas. OCLC 1109575570. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  22. ^ Chapple, Jon (2018-04-16). "FKP Scorpio parts ways with Tinderbox and Northside". IQ. ISSN 2633-0636. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  23. ^ Cohen, Ben (2023-02-22). "German Politicians Step Up Demand for Cancelation of 'Antisemitic' Roger Waters Concert Tour". Algemeiner Journal. ISSN 1084-4317. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  24. ^ Gottfried, Gideon (2022-02-09). "'Relieved And More Than Satisfied': Q's With FKP Scorpio CEO Folkert Koopmans". Pollstar. ISSN 1067-6945. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  25. ^ "Stephan Thanscheidt – ILMC 34". International Live Music Conference. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  26. ^ Masson, Gordon (2015-11-06). "Palazzo: In-tents Entertainment". IQ. No. 62. London, UK: ILMC/Suspicious Marketing. p. 32. ISSN 2633-0636. Retrieved 2023-09-12 – via Issuu.
  27. ^ Mentz, Miriam (2012-06-07). "Beatles-Museum in Hamburg muss schließen" [Beatles Museum In Hamburg To Close]. Rolling Stone (in German). ISSN 1612-9563. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  28. ^ Emmers, Kevin R. (2023-02-22). "Müllaufkommen und Nachhaltigkeit: Festivals sind besser als ihr Ruf" [Waste Management & Sustainability: Festivals Beat Expectations]. Frontstage Magazine (in German). Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  29. ^ Conrads, Simon (2023-06-19). "Southside 2023: Mehr als 10.000 Säcke: Wenn die Southside-Fans gehen, hinterlassen sie oft große Mengen Müll" [Southside 2023: More Than 10,000 Sacks of Trash: When Southside Fans Leave, They Often Leave Large Amounts Of Trash Behind]. Südkurier (in German). OCLC 1184800329. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
  30. ^ Malt, Andy (2022-03-22). "FKP Scorpio launches FKP Show Creations". Complete Music Update. OCLC 226089383. Retrieved 2023-09-09.