Emerald Unveils Xcelerator Division to Drive Growth Via Innovative New Brand Experiences

June 3, 2022

Leading event and media company Emerald formed a new division designed to accelerate its market diversification strategy by launching dynamic brands that curate year-round communities through face-to-face and digital experiences.

Emerald Xcelerator will build upon the company's broader capabilities across a diverse portfolio of brands and services, including more than 150 events, media, content, market intelligence, lead generation and digital transactional solutions, according to Hervé Sedky, president and CEO of Emerald.

“[With Emerald Xcelerator], we will harness the power of discovery, innovation and actionable insights to help us pioneer into new and emerging markets while driving transformational growth within our industries,” Sedky said. "The formation of Xcelerator not only serves as our opportunity to uncover new ways to create value and advancement for our customers but underscores Emerald's commitment to supporting the industries we serve and the communities in which we operate." 

In March 2022, Emerald launched SIAL America, the first-of-its-kind cross-category food and beverage show in the U.S., as part of the Xcelerator division. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the event hosted domestic and international exhibitors and more than 4,600 industry professionals from the U.S. and 60 international countries.

Additionally, Xcelerator plans to bring to market new brands in the mental health, Web3 and breakthrough medicine industries in 2022 and is actively developing additional launches for 2023 and beyond.

The new division aims to build both B2B and B2C brands in emerging industries, focusing on developing deep connections, delivering meaningful content and driving commerce 365 days a year, according to Issa Jouaneh, executive vice president of Emerald Xcelerator and 15-plus-year industry leader who previously led American Express Meeting & Events as senior vice president and general manager.

"Ultimately, our goal is to drive growth by creating dynamic brands that represent the emerging communities and industries around us," Jouaneh said. "We're very proud of the pipeline of opportunities our team has curated and look forward to announcing details about [new] brand launches in the coming months." 

Xcelerator will also serve the wider business and events communities by contributing research and analysis resources to develop industry insights, such as Emerald's recent B2B Events Industry Outlook 2022 Report

Photo: Issa Jouaneh, executive vice president of Emerald Xcelerator

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