231,000 Companies Shut Down Every Year — Our Solution for the Event Industry

Mr. Bertsch, in July 2024 your Mainz-based company B&B Technik + Events acquired the Berlin company PAM/events. Now you are launching a new company, The Cue Group, along with a franchise system. How did that come about?

After acquiring PAM/events, we realized something very quickly: two companies also mean two cultures. That stronger sense of “we” was missing. The logical next step was to turn both companies into one new business and place an entirely new brand above them. And if we were going to make a fresh start, we wanted to do it properly — with a new franchise offering that we believe will reshape the event industry across the DACH region.

70 employees across two locations — why does that require a franchise model?

Because we are not just bringing together technical rental providers. We are building a complete event creator network: agencies, caterers, exhibition stand builders, furniture rental companies, event technology providers — every trade involved in delivering events.

Our vision is 500 franchise partners within ten years, including international expansion. We want to build an ecosystem instead of leaving the industry fragmented into countless individual players, each fighting alone.

500 in ten years — is that realistic?

The market is absolutely large enough. With €81 billion in revenue, the event industry is Germany’s sixth-largest economic sector. Even if we reached €1 billion in revenue, we would still only hold around one percent of market share.

But the real issue is something else: according to current figures, 231,000 companies across all industries in Germany are shut down every year because there is no successor. In this year alone, we received three inquiries related to business succession.

Why would you strengthen potential competitors instead of keeping them at a distance?

Because we want to enable event businesses to become better — through certifications, digitalization, unified software, training, coaching through our own Academy, and bundled marketing.

A new founder usually needs five to seven years to really learn entrepreneurship. We shorten that process dramatically. And an experienced business owner who wants to sell often does not know how to make the company more attractive, or even where to start. We support both sides.

And in the end, we benefit too — through greater visibility and shared event business under one strong umbrella brand.

What sets your model apart from traditional M&A advisors?

An M&A advisor values a business and looks for a buyer. We spend years making the business ready to sell.

We optimize processes, modernize the company, increase its attractiveness, and most importantly, we advise and support the existing shareholders over a longer period of time. That is a major difference.

Many shareholders are shocked when an advisor tells them: with €100,000 in profit, you might get €400,000 to €500,000 for the business — even though there are €5 million worth of goods sitting in storage.

What was the biggest challenge in integrating the two existing companies into the new group?

Breaking down the competitive mindset.

Both companies spent 30 to 40 years developing their own processes, so naturally they believe in them. Creating acceptance that someone else might also have good ideas — that is the hardest part when you merge two businesses.

We focus on collaboration and exchange, for example through shared Christmas parties, project groups, and staff exchange. I am very confident that we can build this new sense of togetherness.

You talk about growth through efficiency rather than through more staff. What do you mean by that?

Margins are under pressure, and the event industry is increasingly facing a shortage of skilled workers. The old model — just putting more people onto a project — no longer works.

That is why we focus on digitalization and AI: quote logic, equipment planning, staff planning. And we focus on networked collaboration: if one location is fully booked, another steps in — or ideally the project is handled directly on site. That is both sustainable and efficient.

Speaking of sustainability: how does international expansion fit with climate goals?

That is exactly why we are building it this way.

It is no longer justifiable to send trucks across Europe for a single event. Our vision is that every city has partners within The Cue Group who meet the same quality standards. The customer books with us, but local companies and their crews deliver the event. That is real sustainability — for the entire event industry.

How did the pandemic affect your industry?

In the short term, there was a huge push toward online events. In the long term, the key realization was this: human interaction cannot be fully replaced digitally.

Live, in-person events are making a strong comeback.

What is your personal motivation for founding The Cue Group?

I would be annoyed if someone else did this in ten years and I had to say to myself: that was my idea.

We spoke to 120 to 150 companies about their pain points. Solving those problems is what drives me.

And maybe one day, we will build a brand comparable to Jung von Matt in advertising: if you want to deliver a truly outstanding event from A to Z, you go to The Cue Group.