Maritz Travel, a global leader in providing full-service meeting, event and incentive travel programs to corporate clients, has announced that it has acquired Experient, another top provider of meeting and event services to associations, tradeshows, corporations and the U.S. government. As two of the largest companies in the meetings and events industry, Maritz and Experient now will expand their collective ability to deliver a full range of exceptional event experiences.
“As a result of this deal, Maritz Travel will lead the industry in four key areas – corporate, association, tradeshow and strategic meetings management,” said David Peckinpaugh, president of Maritz Travel. “Coming together this way will fuel our shared objective to grow in the markets we serve. By combining, we will expand the capabilities we bring to clients beyond what either of us might offer independently.”
Maritz’ end-to-end service delivery model will be enhanced by Experient’s ability to provide additional full and select services, including registration, housing, site sourcing/contract negotiation and lead retrieval. As a result, the combined companies will be able to tailor services that better align with clients’ specific needs. Clients also will benefit from 12 regional locations, deepened industry influence and the ability to serve clients across corporate, association, tradeshow and government markets.
While both Maritz Travel and Experient individually represent significant business event market share, together, they are even stronger. In 2011, their combined impact represented more than $2 billion in industry volume spend and nearly 3 million travelers served.
“Both Maritz Travel and Experient have been stable and innovative forces on behalf of our clients over the challenges of the last few years,” said Peckinpaugh. “The event industry has had to evolve as a result of a volatile business environment. Spend is returning to pre-recession levels, and together, Maritz Travel and Experient are leading the market in delivering the flexibility and range of services organizations need to achieve growing and increasingly aggressive business results.”
As a result of the acquisition, Jeff Price, CEO of Experient, will be stepping down, and Experient will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Maritz Travel.
“Jeff Price has done a great job of leading Experient to its current market position,” said Peckinpaugh. “As a result, this deal with Maritz Travel represents great promise for both companies, our clients and the industry. Clients at both Experient and Maritz Travel will continue to experience the stability, breadth of expertise and resources of both companies while tapping into enhanced service offerings.”
