Event Management Solutions

What Event Management Solutions does

Event Management Solutions Inc. (d/b/a EMS Vending) is a private US corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 2003. The company provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering, and mobile food services to stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, and concert venues, operating as a vendor management and staffing intermediary rather than a software product vendor. EMS recruits individual vendors through a self-service registration portal (app.emsvending.com) and deploys them to specific events at partner venues, earning commission-based revenue on vendor sales. Commission rates vary by vendor type and product category, ranging from 5% to 18% on net sales for walking beer vendors, 6% or less for stationary alcohol portables, and 10% to 18% for non-alcohol walking sales; vendors retain 100% of tips.

The company holds operational relationships with 20+ major venues including SoFi Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Barclays Center, Chase Field, Lumen Field, Truist Park, State Farm Arena, American Airlines Arena, Amway Center, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and several MLB Spring Training facilities. Its geographic footprint spans the Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, West, and Midwest United States. Technology infrastructure is minimal and operationally focused: a vendor login portal, a merchandise e-commerce shop (shop.emsvending.com), and outsourced payroll via Paychex.

Revenue is generated exclusively through commission on vendor sales (transaction-fee model). Vendor economics average $500 to $4,000 in sales per event day, with vendors earning tips of $90 to $200 per $1,000 in net sales on credit card transactions. The company employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people, consistent with a large labor-intensive services operation. Leadership includes Thomas Braxtan as Chief Executive Officer and Shawn Walker as President. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or public financial disclosures are recorded.

Name

Event Management Solutions

Legal name

Event Management Solutions Inc.

Website

https://emsvending.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Event Management Solutions (EMS Vending) provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering, and mobile food services at US stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, and concert venues, recruiting individual vendors through a portal and earning commission on their sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stadium Concessions Staffing

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (72231), Mobile Food Services (72233)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Food, Beverage & Hospitality Operations (Concessions, Catering, Premium Seating) (MPAGALAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Concession & Stadium / Arena Catering (THAFAIAG), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• In-seat vending services
• Concessions staffing
• Event food services
• Venue vendor management
• Mobile food catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Vendor Commission Revenue: EMS earns commission revenue from vendor sales at events. Walking beer vendors earn 5-18% commission on net sales, with average sales of $500-$4,000 per event day. Stationary beer/alcohol portable vendors earn 6% or less commission. Non-alcohol walking vendor sales earn 10-18% commission. Vendors retain 100% of tips earned.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Event Management Solutions (EMS) partners with venues and leading foodservice providers at live concert venues, arenas, and stadiums to provide in-seat vending, concessions, catering, and mobile food services. The company recruits, manages, and deploys a workforce of walking vendors and stationary portable operators to deliver food and beverage service to attendees during live events, charging commission-based fees on vendor sales.

Product overview

Event Management Solutions (EMS) operates as an in-seat vending management and concessions staffing service rather than a traditional software product. The company offers a vendor login portal (app.emsvending.com) for vendors to access and sign up for events, and an online shop (shop.emsvending.com) for merchandise sales. Their core service is providing in-seat vending, concessions, catering, and mobile food services at stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, and concert venues, partnering with venues and leading foodservice providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Seat Vending Services Deployment of walking vendors to deliver food and beverages directly to attendees at their seats inside stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, and concert venues.
• Concessions Staffing Services Provision of vendor staffing and management for fixed concessions stands inside stadiums, arenas, and event venues.
• Catering Services Full-service catering for live concert venues, arenas, and stadiums, delivered in coordination with venue partners and foodservice providers.
• Mobile Food Services Mobile food and beverage delivery operations at large-scale live events including stadiums, arenas, NASCAR tracks, and concert venues.

Named customers18 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Allegiant StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
• Barclays CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
• Mercedes-Benz StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home of the NFL Falcons and MLS Atlanta United.
• SoFi StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
• GEHA Field at Arrowhead StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, home of the NFL Chiefs.
• Rose BowlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.
• Chase FieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Chase Field in Phoenix, home of MLB Diamondbacks.
• Camping World StadiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL.
• Indianapolis Motor SpeedwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
• Lumen FieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Lumen Field in Seattle, WA.
• Truist ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Truist Park in Atlanta, home of MLB Braves.
• State Farm ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of NBA Hawks.
• American Airlines ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at American Airlines Arena in Miami.
• Amway CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMS provides in-seat vending, concessions, catering and mobile food services at Amway Center in Orlando, home of NBA Magic.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Delaware North: Delaware North's Sportservice division is a top-tier concessionaire and hospitality partner at major U.S. stadiums, arenas, and racetracks, including several venues on EMS' roster. Directly comparable in venue F&B management, in-seat vending, and premium hospitality, with a similarly large venue footprint.
• Aramark: Aramark is a Fortune 500 foodservice and facilities provider that holds master concessions contracts at many of the same NFL, MLB, NBA, and collegiate venues where EMS operates. Directly comparable as a competitor for in-venue food and beverage operations, though at significantly larger scale and broader service scope.
• Oak View Group (OVG): OVG is a venue development and hospitality platform serving arenas, stadiums, and convention centers with food, beverage, and venue services. Comparable as a competitor and potential partner for in-venue F&B operations, particularly in newly developed or renovated sports and entertainment facilities.

Emerging players

• Roam Hawk Logistics: Roam Hawk provides in-seat delivery and mobile ordering technology for sports and entertainment venues. Comparable to EMS as an enabling vendor for in-seat beverage and food service, though focused on software rather than staffing/management.
• Velocity Event Staffing: Velocity provides event staffing and concessions support for stadiums, arenas, and live entertainment venues across the U.S. Comparable to EMS as an event-driven vending and staffing operator, though at smaller scale and narrower geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• Levy Restaurants: Levy (a Compass Group company) is a leading premium hospitality and concessionaire serving many of the same NFL, MLB, and NBA venues as EMS, including partnerships at venues like SoFi and Chase Field. Highly comparable as a competitor for in-seat vending, concessions, and premium dining in major sports venues.
• Legends Hospitality: Legends Hospitality provides concessions, premium dining, merchandise, and planning services for professional sports venues including Yankee Stadium, AT&T Stadium, and others. Directly comparable as a venue hospitality and concessions specialist competing for the same in-venue F&B contracts.
• Sodexo Live!: Sodexo Live! (formerly Centerplate/Legends at times) operates food and beverage concessions and hospitality at stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and entertainment venues. Directly comparable in concessions, catering, and in-seat service delivery to the same enterprise venue customer base.
• Ovations Food Services: Ovations operates as a venue-specific concessionaire focused on sports and entertainment facilities, providing in-seat vending, concessions, and catering. Directly comparable as a niche operator targeting the same enterprise venue customers as EMS.
• Best Vendors Management: Best Vendors Management specializes in in-seat vending and concession staffing at professional sporting events, concerts, and entertainment venues. Closely comparable to EMS in service model, vendor management approach, and target event-based venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eventmgmtsolutions
• Xx.com/emsvending

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Event Management Solutions