GES Acquisition of UK-Based Melville
Provides Additional Opportunities to Serve You and Your Clients
In February, GES announced the strategic acquisition of Melville Exhibition and Event Services - the United Kingdom's leading exhibition contractor, and exhibition registration and database services company CTS. The acquisition of Melville and CTS allows GES to expand internationally and provides additional opportunities to serve clients of GES and Melville. Melville is the right company to strengthen GES' worldwide presence and GES will continue to explore other strategic acquisitions.
As the market leaders in the United Kingdom, Melville and CTS have a strong and experienced management team, and a reputation for providing superior client service. In considering the acquisition of Melville, GES found that the companies shared similar core values and discernable differences which provide a solid platform to strengthen and build upon GES’ international presence.
"GES' acquisition of Melville and CTS is a key step in our growth strategy," said GES President and CEO Kevin Rabbitt. "It positions GES as the only official services contractor to offer show organizers and exhibitors one company to seamlessly handle all of their exhibition needs in the United States, Canada and Europe."
Melville is based on site at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre – The NEC, ExCeL in London, GMEX in Manchester, and near the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre in Glasgow. Melville's key clients include Haymarket, VNU, Reed Exhibitions, CMPi, dmg world media, Emap as well as others. Annually, Melville serves 30,000 exhibitors, provides shell scheme (similar to a show organizer package) for 300 events, and is the contractor for Spring Fair Birmingham, the United Kingdom's largest retail exhibition with 4,000 exhibitors from over 50 countries.
GES created a strong integration team that is spending much of their time in the United Kingdom so both companies may share best practices and become fully integrated. By creating a dedicated integration team, GES' key executives are able to remain focused on the business across North America. |
