CHICAGO — Emerald Holding, Inc., acquired Hotel Interactive (HI), a premier conference and leading multi-channel hosted-buyer business. Hotel Interactive will join Emerald’s Connecting Point Marketing Group, expanding the portfolio of hosted-buyer events.
The Connecting Point Marketing Group (CPMG) at Emerald produces business-intensive events that prioritize connections and strategic interactions. Hotel Interactive, known for producing events in the senior living and hospitality sectors, including 15 in-person annual events and digital newsletters and resources, is a natural fit for the group that already serves the healthcare, retail, restaurant and hotel industries.
“Emerald’s CPMG hosted-buyer events focus on optimizing attendee experience with executive boardroom presentations, one-on-one appointments, content sessions and networking opportunities,” said Issa Jouaneh, President, Connections at Emerald. “In addition, matchmaking enables suppliers/sellers to reach a targeted audience, increasing ROI and lead generation, while providing a valuable channel for customer feedback, which is crucial to refining marketing strategies and making informed choices. The strategic and thoughtful curation of these events positions them as a pivotal format within the industry, driving measurable business outcomes.”
Hosted-buyer events are an important platform for Emerald, because they are designed to maximize the value of time for attendees and sellers/suppliers alike and foster one-on-one executive engagements which ensures that interactions at the events are impactful and tailored to the business needs of the audience.
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“As the leading organizer of trade shows in the United States, we are uniquely positioned to leverage our unparalleled resources and scale,” Jouaneh said. “This strategic advantage allows us to seamlessly integrate HI’s premier hosted-buyer events into Emerald’s established channels. Through this integration, we can harness industry-leading best practices and cutting-edge technology to deliver maximum value to our customers. This synergistic approach will enhance the attendee experience and accelerate the growth opportunities available to the communities and industries we serve. This acquisition marks a pivotal moment for HI and CPMG as we integrate our collective capabilities to elevate these events to new heights of success.”
All of Hotel Interactive’s employees have joined the Emerald team, and President Rich Viola will continue to lead its portfolio of events and media offerings.
“HI’s portfolio of 15 premier hosted-buyer events in key hospitality and healthcare sectors complements Emerald’s target market of executives and expands our reach into high-growth markets. This partnership also strengthens our position as a leader in facilitating business connections within the hospitality industry and supports our customer-centric initiatives,” Jouaneh said. “The most significant positive aspect is the addition of HI’s talented team to Emerald, creating a combined portfolio of 29 annual wholesale buying events that are unmatched in serving their target markets within selected segments of the hospitality, restaurant, healthcare, retail and grocery industries. We are excited about the new levels of success we can achieve together, driven by our combined skills and leveraging synergies that will create a rewarding experience for every member of our now-expanded team.”
