Diversified Purchases Canadian Conference

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 6/5/2006

The Canadian Management Centre has agreed to sell its Administrative Professionals Conference Canada to Diversified Business Communications, adding another title to the Portland, Maine-based media company's growing list of professional management events.

The companies did not release the price of the acquisition.

Last fall, Diversified bought the U.S. Administrative Professionals Conference from Gainshare Media. Although Diversified is better known for its seafood and natural products events, Diversified President and CEO Nancy Hasselback said the acquisition fit the company's plans to expand its project management and business analysis division, which produces about a dozen events in North America.

APC Canada takes place in Toronto each April, drawing about 400 paid delegates from both public- and private-sector companies with more than 500 employees. The event includes a small sponsorship component, which Diversified intends to grow.

The next APC Canada is scheduled April 23–25 at the Westin Harbor Castle in Toronto, six months after the U.S. event, which is set for October 15–18 in Orlando.

Diversified reported that staff from its U.S.-based project management division would oversee the Canadian conference.