Emerald Expositions Launches on Latisys' Cloud-Enabled Systems Infrastructure Platform

August 17, 2014

Latisys, a leading international provider of hybrid cloud hosting and data center solutions, has made an IT infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) agreement with Emerald Expositions.

Previously owned by the Nielsen Company, Emerald had served as Nielsen's trade show division until it was acquired by Onex Partners in 2013 to form Emerald Expositions.

The acquisition included certain requirements and deadlines for establishing Emerald as an independent business -- including the complete separation of its IT infrastructure from Nielsen.

Focused on rapid business growth, both organically and via acquisitions, the new Emerald Expositions needed a highly flexible and scalable infrastructure that can easily synthesize and accommodate new and disparate IT environments.

Following a thorough evaluation of leading IaaS providers, Emerald chose Latisys for its ability to rapidly move and re-establish Emerald's systems as part of a comprehensive IT infrastructure solution built upon Latisys' enterprise-grade and compliant Cloud-enabled Systems Infrastructure (CESI) and delivered from Latisys' ultra-secure data center in Irvine, Ca.

In a matter of weeks, Latisys was supporting all of Emerald's backend systems and powering Emerald's trade show and exposition services for large corporate clients.

Latisys also serves as the backbone for Emerald's enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. The company will add resiliency by deploying Latisys' Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solution from Latisys' data center in Ashburn, Va.

"Emerald Expositions was created literally overnight with an immediate need to establish a highly secure, high performance IT infrastructure to power our critical backend systems," said Bill Charles, Chief Information Officer, Emerald Expositions. "Latisys was instrumental in getting our systems up and into production -- enabling us to rapidly move our applications from the previous environment onto the Latisys platform in a way that was completely seamless and transparent to our customers."

With security as a priority, Latisys engages external audit firms to perform assessments in support of customers' diverse compliance requirements.

These accredited examinations span SOC 2, SOC 3, PCI DSS and HIPAA, affirming Latisys' commitment to meet the highest standards for availability and security.

"Emerald Expositions is a high-growth enterprise that requires a combination of performance, flexibility and speed to market," said Pete Stevenson, CEO, Latisys. "Latisys is committed to serving as an extension of Emerald's IT team, and they can count on both our infrastructure and our team of experts to deliver."

With high-density data centers located in every U.S. time zone, Latisys' national reach enables multi-site redundancy, managed backup and secure disaster recovery including cloud-based DR solutions.

Latisys' Tier III facilities are designed for the business continuity of mission-critical operations, offering the power densities, cooling, backbone network and managed services with an eye toward reducing capital expenditures for storage and ongoing maintenance.

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Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact