(Image of the Hisense booth designed by Impact XM)
By Ray Smith, Exhibit City News
Impact XM, a full-service event and experiential marketing agency with headquarters in Dayton, N.J., has been acquired by The Riverside Company, continuing a trend of mergers and acquisitions within the tradeshow industry.
Financial terms of the December transaction were not revealed. Robert W. Baird investment and financial services firm served as exclusive advisor for Impact XM.
Previously a portfolio company of Peninsula Capital Partners and Acharya Capital Partners, Impact XM produces about 3,000 events a year for more than 350 clients, including Fortune 500 companies, in the United States and worldwide. Offices are located in New Jersey, Ontario, North Las Vegas, and Denver.
Riverside’s investment will provide the capital necessary for growth in domestic and international platforms, says Jared Pollacco, chief executive officer of Impact XM.
“Impact XM plans to use this investment to expand its scope of services to enhance the customer’s experience, in addition to expanding its capabilities internationally,” Pollacco explains to Exhibit City News. “Riverside is a fantastic long-term partner for Impact XM, and I look forward to this next phase of our growth.”
The CEO claims his people are the primary assets of Impact XM, having developed deep relationships with blue-chip clients in healthcare, technology, aerospace and industrial sectors. Services range from design and production of corporate events and tradeshows to medical and technology conferences, brand activations, and digital engagements.
The creative team at Impact XM designed an award-winning hybrid exhibit for Hisense at CES in Las Vegas. Products were displayed along the main aisle, and a unique waterfall feature was incorporated into the exhibit to draw attention to Hisense’s new laser TVs, establishing a focal point at the front of the booth without obstructing screen displays.
FOCUS ON SERVICE
Pollacco believes much of the current consolidation taking place within the tradeshow industry is predicated on providing a broad service offering. He sees an increased focus on making sure clients receive the best practices across the board.
“The experiential marketing industry is highly fragmented, with thousands of small businesses in North America alone,” Pollacco notes. “As large corporations increase their marketing budgets for live events to gain more in-person interaction with clients and colleagues, they often demand a more seamless experience with a full suite of services and a single point of contact to manage the design, build, and coordination of their events, as well as manage logistics and services.”
Riverside managing partner Sean Ozbolt and principal Shawn Alt were assisted in the acquisition by operating partner Pradeep Saha, senior associate James Danziger and associate Nate Hochberg.
“Impact XM is a leader in the live event market with the ability to offer clients a full end-to-end solution, from creative, strategy, and event design and production services to fabrication, project management, logistics, on-site assembly, and disassembly and material storage,” Ozbolt comments in a news release.
Alt adds, “We have been greatly impressed with the entire team at Impact XM and the company’s leadership position and strong customer relationships in the pharma and tech industries. We look forward to supporting the company in expanding its presence in other live event categories such as corporate events and consumer brand activations.”
The Riverside Company, with headquarters in Cleveland and New York, is a global investment firm focused on companies in the smaller end of the middle market. The company claims more than 150 companies in its portfolio and has completed more than 1,000 investments since it was founded in 1988. Riverside raised $235 million in capital commitments with the closing of its Riverside Acceleration Capital Opportunity Fund II in February.
