Access Intelligence acquires Red 7 Media

Integrated media company Access Intelligence recently announced the acquisition of Red 7 Media, establishing a division serving professionals in the media and event management industries. This division will serve those industries through conferences, consulting, magazines, newsletters and robust online communities under the market-leading brands Event Marketer, Best Events, EXPO, Folio and Media Industry Newsletter (min).


Together with the company’s positions in cable television programming, public relations and digital graphics, this transaction, representing about a third of the company’s revenue, makes Access Intelligence a major voice in media communications.

The acquisition marks Access Intelligence’s continued investment in high-performing properties with engaged audiences and best-in-class products and services, and positions one of its flagship brands, Media Industry Newsletter (min), to expand its reach through Red7’s Folio offerings.

Red 7 Media is the world’s largest producer of content and community for the event industry via Event Marketer, EXPO, Best Events and Event Design magazines; as well as the Event Marketing Institute, several industry conferences, and numerous websites. It also publishes FOLIO and Audience Development magazines, hosts the Folio Show and recently launched a research and consulting practice to provide business intelligence to its customers.

Access Intelligence’s new Media and Event Marketing Group will be led by Kerry Smith and his senior management team. Kerry founded Red 7 Media in 2002 and grew the Norwalk, CT-based company into a market leader attracting more than 7,000 executives and 500 sponsors to its events and more than 800,000 unique visitors to its web sites. Kerry will continue in his role as president of the expanded Red 7 Media Group and become a senior vice president of Access Intelligence.

“The ability to round out our leading position in the consumer magazine market with Red 7’s events, online communities and a leading magazine while expanding into the dynamic Events business is a truly exciting prospect for Access Intelligence, our employees and customers,” said Don Pazour, president and CEO of Access Intelligence. “I am particularly pleased to have a media executive of Kerry’s stature join our management team.”

“Don’s team and ours share a vision for creating high-value business resources around market-leading brands,” said Smith. “Integrating Red 7 Media into Access Intelligence will provide Red 7 with deep resources and capabilities that will enable us to accelerate our growth strategies and better serve our customers and employees. Having known Don for several years through our work together on the board of SISO, I couldn’t think of a leader or company that would be a better fit for our brands, our vision, and our employees.”

Red7 joins Access Intelligence’s growing Media Communications group, under the leadership of Heather Farley, executive vice president.

“The expanded Red7 Division will also work in close cooperation with our PR News, Studio and CableFax Daily brands, led by Senior Vice President Diane Schwartz, to cross-market and to develop new product,” said Farley.

She also noted that the company will likely be closing other acquisitions in this sector in the coming months.

“Our collective excitement is leveraging the deep market knowledge and industry relationships from our combined media and communications assets to become the dominant information and services provider in these markets,” noted Farley.