Founding CEO hands over a successful ABBA The Museum. Ingmarie Halling becomes Museum Director.

Three years ago, Mattias Hansson was commissioned on a consultancy basis to draw up the guidelines for a new concept and lead efforts to build, launch and market what was to become ABBA The Museum at Djurgården in Stockholm. Today, almost two years after opening, success is a fact. And now a new principal owner is taking over operation of the museum. Phase two is underway. POP HOUSE SWEDEN, which already owns the property at Djurgårdsvägen and runs the hotel and restaurant, is now taking over the operations of ABBA The Museum as well. Ingmarie Halling, curator of the museum, will become Museum Director.

ABBA The Museum has welcomed over 600,000 visitors from all over the world and has quickly become one of Scandinavia’s most celebrated and appreciated tourist destinations.

Despite ABBA being one of the world’s most famous pop brands, it takes a lot of hard work to come up with new angles and novel content that attracts visitors to the one and only, hyper interactive, ABBA The Museum.

“Mattias has been a key figure in the creation of the museum. Without his creative ability it would not look like it does today,” said Björn Ulvaeus, who led efforts to establish the museum in close collaboration with Hansson.

Now that the address at Djurgårdsvägen 68 is becoming POP HOUSE SWEDEN, with shareholders Conni Jonsson, Björn Ulvaeus and Pelle Lindberg, the corporate structure will change. POP HOUSE comprises three operations: a hotel, restuarant and museum, with ABBA The Museum being a major crowd-puller.

The CEO of POP HOUSE SWEDEN is Pelle Lindberg, with Ingmarie Halling becoming Museum Director and Mattias Axengard taking on the role as Hotel Manager of POP HOUSE HOTEL. The Sales & Marketing Director for POP HOUSE SWEDEN will be Catarina Falkenhav, with sales responsibility for the building’s entire offering: museum, hotel and restaurant.

“Taking on the position as Museum Director of one of Stockholm’s and perhaps Sweden’s most popular destinations is incredibly exciting,” says Ingmarie Halling. “I have been working with the museum for several years, and have also been on tour with the exhibit, so now the challenge is to maintain our high visitor numbers and get our visitors to come back again and again,” continues Halling, “Mattias has done a fantastic job, both commercially and creatively, and I can only congratulate the next group that manages to get him on board.”

”Now my part is done and the role of consultant CEO is being phased out. Three years of hard work with the world’s best employees has yielded fantastic results – and our visitors are loving it! Nine out of ten would like to come back and are happy to tell others about their visit,” says Mattias Hansson. “I am proud to be able to hand over a success story - it feels great.”

“We will continue to fine-tune our vision of a House of Music, creating a pilgrimage destination for all who want to experience Swedish pop music,” says Björn Ulvaeus. “We will also be developing an educational offering for schools and training programs, an area for which Mattias Hansson will retain responsibility.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
POP HOUSE SWEDEN
Pelle Lindberg
C: +46-70-694 40 20
E: pelle@pophouse.se

ABBA The Museum:
Catarina Falkenhav
C: +46-733-60 31 17
E: catarina@abbathemuseum.com