(Pictured L-R: Bob Priest-Heck, CEO of Freeman, and John Kimball, president and CEO of Convention Data Services)
Freeman Company, the world’s leading provider of live events and brand experiences, announced Oct. 2 that it has acquired Convention Data Services (CDS), a trusted event registration, business intelligence, and lead management company servicing top show organizers worldwide.
The acquisition is meant to address increased demand for seamless and scalable global products and services for live events and experiences. Combined with its acquisition of Info Salons in 2018, Freeman now has the industry’s most comprehensive global event registration and digital services offerings.
“Show organizers are asking for simple, unified, and effective ways to create a better experience for their teams and attendees around the world,” says Bob Priest-Heck, CEO of Freeman. “The addition of CDS to Freeman’s suite of digital tools and services creates a global platform focused on increasing attendee engagement and driving business results.”
This acquisition further enables Freeman to deliver on its intention to lead and grow the category of live experiences and innovate the medium of live by extending its reach across the event life cycle. According to Priest-Heck, this starts with the registration process, and leverages data for insights to create a better, more personalized experience.
“The registration process is highly connected to an event’s customer experience,” says Priest-Heck. “We view the combination of CDS with Info Salons as essential to delivering on our joint intention to offer a valued suite of digital products across the event life cycle.”
CDS has been serving the needs of leading show organizers for more than 30 years, providing world-class event registration and digital services.
“As the industry evolves, we must continue to grow and offer solutions for the ever-changing needs of our clients. We are now positioned to do that and be part of a broader, global, world-class company,” adds John Kimball, president and CEO of CDS. “Together we will design the future of live events – creating scale, delivering exceptional customer service, and bringing even greater value to the market.”
Kimball will report to Richard Maranville, Freeman’s chief product and platforms officer, and will lead the combined unit of CDS and Info Salons. CDS will continue to operate under its existing organizational structure to serve their customers.
Freeman is the world’s leading brand experience company, helping clients design and deliver immersive live experiences for their most important audiences. Through comprehensive offerings including strategy, creative, logistics, digital, and event technology, Freeman helps increase audience engagement and drive business results. For more info, visit Freeman.com/.
