SGE, Promoter of Major Festivals like Back to the Beach, will Shut Down  

After the success of a massive two-day event at Honda, Anaheim, one of its festival promoters, Synergy Global Entertainment (SGE) prepares to shut down, Billboard reported on Wednesday, August 14.

The Laguna Hills-based production company is responsible for many big festivals in the area. Back to the Beach, Surf City Blitz, and the Sabroso Craft Beer are some of its notable events. SGE also put up Taco and Music Festival,  the Musink Tattoo Convention & Music Festival and Ozzfest Meet Knotfest at Glen Helen Amphitheater in San Bernardino.

Other events spearheaded by SGE include the inaugural Big Adventure Comic-Con, comedy show and music festival all rolled into one at Costa Mesa in 2018. This event has always been a Live Nation event, and this LA-based production giant tapped SGE as its production partner for the yearly Ohana Festival. Its fourth installment is scheduled on Sept. 27-29 at Doheny State Beach.

A spokesperson from Live Nation, after the news of SGE’s closure, said that the Ohanna would proceed as planned.

After many shows in Southern California, Reese & Co. takes certain shows on the road as it expanded across the nation. One of its biggest events was a collaboration with EDM artist Diplo, also known as the Super Mega Ultra Giant Mad Decent Block Party Festival.

It was set on July 20-21 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Almost two weeks before the show, it was canceled. Promoters told fans that it was impossible to put the event in the way it was intended.

SGE later sent a statement to Pollstar announcing the company would be “reorganizing its operations and assessing strategic options.”

SGE was formed in 2005 with Reese with the controls. As it started with a lean crew back then, his vision to produce various niche festival experiences within different music genres later turned into reality. He later ventured into other types of events like beer and stand-up comedy shows.

Billboard also reported that the company endured significant losses in 2019. The situation made the company “no longer financially viable.” An L.A.-based event producer, Danny Wimmer Presents, picked up most of SGE’s crew. His company puts together annual fests namely Aftershock in Sacramento, Louder Than Life in Kentucky and Epicenter in North Carolina.

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