Dmg, Media Firms Keep the Acquisitions Coming

Dmg world media kept the industry abuzz in May and June with its merger and acquisition activity. Meanwhile, several other firms — including Information Today, WingateWeb and Incisive Media — made some purchases and adjustments of their own.

Dmg's most recent acquisition was Evanta, producer of the CIO Executive Summits, a series of conferences that together attract more than 2,000 technology executives each year. Only chief information officers, vice presidents of information technology or other pre-qualified executives are invited to the summits.

Dmg estimated the total cost of the deal at $30 million, with an initial payment of $17.5 million and the remainder dependent on the profitability of the conferences over the next three years. The Jordan, Edmiston Group Inc. brokered the deal on behalf of dmg.

Mark Carr, executive vice president of technology for dmg, called Evanta "an excellent business, with a very well constructed, by-invitation-only model that generates incredible quality and customer loyalty."

The entire Evanta staff will join dmg and continue to produce the conferences from its Portland, Ore., office.

Carr added, "The (Evanta) founders have built a first-class team of people who will fit into our culture perfectly."

This year's CIO Executive Summits take place in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and Washington, D.C.

In May, dmg announced it would reduce its North American consumer home show portfolio from 53 to 38 shows. Nine shows would be divided into two parcels and made available for sale; six shows would be canceled, including one scheduled for launch. The company said it would close four satellite offices and cut its home show staff from approximately 120 to 90 people.

In June dmg acquired the Abu Dhabi Intl. Petroleum Exhibition and Conference for approximately $9.8 million.

Also in June, WingateWeb said its founders (Tom Karren, Ty Allen and Doug Baird) had purchased a majority interest in the company from Media-Live Intl., which bought the event management software firm in 2004.

With this transaction and the January sale of MediaLive's Technology Media Group to CMP Media, MediaLive President and CEO Bob Priest-Heck announced he would leave the company July 7. MLI Holdings will retain a minority interest in WingateWeb, headquartered in Lindon, Utah.

"As an independent software company, WingateWeb is well positioned to work with corporate and certified channel partners around the world," Priest-Heck said.

Karren, formerly general manager of the WingateWeb division of MediaLive, has assumed the WingateWeb CEO role.

A day after WingateWeb's announcement, on June 20, Information Today revealed it had purchased AmComm Holdings' two Speechtek Conferences and Expositions and Speech Technology Magazine for an undisclosed sum.

Information Today, a 28-year-old media firm based in Medford, N.J., produces multiple tradeshows and conferences (including Streaming Media East, West, and Europe) in U.S. cities and London.

The Speechtek shows annually take place in San Francisco in the spring and New York in the fall. The next Speechtek event is scheduled Aug. 7–10 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

"Our experience in publishing and tradeshow management can do nothing but enhance the communications strategies and marketing opportunities already in place ...," said Thomas H. Hogan, president, CEO and co-founder of Information Today.

AmComm CEO John Kelly said Information Today would "bring a tremendous depth of experience and new energy that will be of great benefit to the industry and the people in it."

Westport, Conn.-based Corporate Solutions represented AmComm; Information Today brokered the deal itself.

Another June acquisition was Incisive Media's purchase of AVCJ Group for an initial payment of $6 million, and a deferred $9 million, payable over three years and subject to performance targets.

AVCJ, a Hong Kong-based provider of information to operators in the Asian venture capital, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions markets, organizes about a dozen conferences each year and produces magazines, directories and industry research.

Tim Weller, CEO of the London-based Incisive, called AVCJ "a well-established, robust business with an excellent footprint in Asia."

He added, "I am delighted with this acquisition which complements Incisive Media's European position in the private equity publishing, data and conference business."

Dan Schwartz will retain his role as AVCJ chairman and CEO.

AVCJ's conferences take place in the Silicon Valley, Chicago, London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing in China, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Mumbai, India.

JEGI represented AVCJ in the deal.