Impressive growth rates in Amadeus's 40th year

Amadeus, part of the NEC Group, which is now in its 40th year, has reported a 7% increase in revenue for 2015/16 and a rise of 26% in profit.

This adds to the firm's success in the last four years, which has resulted in growth of £10m in revenue and improved EBITDA by 109% to £6.2m.

Kevin Watson, managing director of Amadeus, said: "We made a concerted effort in 2015 to change the culture of Amadeus from serving to selling, with the customer experience being at the heart of all decisions.

"We implemented a new training programme to encourage staff to make appropriate recommendations to reduce the effort and time of decision-making for the customer. This results in customers receiving faster service and ensures they get exactly what they want."

Amadeus has also secured almost £20m worth of new business this year with two contract wins. The deals include a five-year catering contract worth £16.3m with Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall (BWUH) in Northern Ireland, which was announced in April.

The second contract win, also for five years, is with Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust near Northampton and is valued at £3m.

Watson added: "We are extremely excited about the new business we have contracted for 2016/17 as the venues fit perfectly within our existing portfolio. We are always on the lookout for new opportunities and aim to create even more new partnerships over the coming years."

Amadeus is also seeing growth in its standalone events business, with the team achieving 109% of its annual target in the first period of 2016/17.

"This area of our business has seen a phenomenal amount of growth and it's exciting to see what our event team are capable of," said Watson.

He added: "In 2016 the team delivered their first event in Europe and won two industry awards for their achievements. It will be exciting to see how this area of the business grows."

The NEC Group operates the NEC, the ICC, the Genting Arena and the Barclaycard Arena. It also owns national ticketing agency, the Ticket Factory; hospitality brand Amplify, and caterer Amadeus.

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