Ungerboeck mourns loss of eponymous co-founder Dieter K. Ungerboeck

Event software leader Ungerboeck has today paid tribute its co-founder, Dieter K. Ungerboeck, who died this at the age of 80.

Manish Chandak, Ungerboeck President and Chief Executive, advised “the event software industry has lost a pioneer today, but the trend of using technology to drive events will continue, and for that this industry will be forever grateful to Dieter.

“His legacy lives on in most large event spaces across the world.”

Born in Austria, Dieter (pictured) later moved to the USA in his twenties where, in 1985, he and his late wife Catherine co-founded Ungerboeck Systems, a single software system connecting all event stakeholders.

The company then released its Event Business Management Software in 1989, growing over the next three decades into a global provider of event and venue management software serving customers in over 50 countries and employing almost 500 people in the United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, China and India.

Steve Mackenzie, Ungerboeck Executive Vice President, noted “Dieter built an incredible business.

“He had amazing vision for this industry and could predict where technology needed to go to suit the market. His whole concept of one unified system from booking to balance sheet was fundamental to the way the product evolved.

“He had amazing vision for this industry and could predict where technology needed to go to suit the market. His whole concept of one unified system from booking to balance sheet was fundamental to the way the product evolved. Dieter was a true pioneer in the event management industry and very passionate about building a global business in the city he loved, St. Louis.”

The story of Dieter’s settling in the Missouri city of St. Louis stems from his being caught in a snowstorm in the city while deciding whether to go to San Francisco or New York to pursue a master’s degree.

Instead, he happened upon the steps of St. Louis University and struck up a conversation about the school with a man who turned out to be Dean of the Business School. The Dean offered him a scholarship who accepted on the spot, enrolled, and went on to raise a family and found two companies in his adopted hometown.

Dieter, who retired from the company in 2009, leaves behind four sons, Krister, Justin, Ryan and Daren, all of whom have worked to continue their parents’ legacy by guiding the company into the future.

The thoughts and condolences of Ungerboeck employees all over the world are with them, their families, and Dieter’s second wife, Peggy.