Freeman Acquires Australia-based Registration Company Info Salons Group
April 17, 2018
Dallas-based Freeman bought Sydney, Australia-based Info Salon Group led by CEO Jo-Anne Kelleway, an event technology solutions company that focuses on online and onsite registration, as well as data tracking and capture.
“We’re always looking for ways to simplify the event and show planning processes for our clients; and investing in leading digital technologies enables us to provide the robust capabilities show organizers need to thrive in the ever-evolving events industry. This was the case with our recent Blueprint floor plan management solution launch, and it is the driving factor behind our acquisition of Info Salons,” said Richard Maranville, chief digital officer at Freeman.
He added, “With the integration of Info Salons’ digital tools into our event management offerings, we’ll be better equipped to help our clients get the most out of their attendee data.”
Info Salons Group originally launched in Sydney 28 years ago and now does business in Asia and the Middle East as well.
“At Info Salons, we have always prided ourselves on delivering cutting-edge, personalized services to our organizer, exhibitor and attendee clients. In joining the Freeman family, we’ll be able to better serve our customers and enter a new phase of growth,” said Jo-Anne Kelleway, CEO, Info Salons Group.
She added, “Our core values of putting our customers and staff first directly align with Freeman’s and makes this acquisition an ideal fit.”
With Info Salons now a part of Freeman, customers around the globe will have access to the companies’ full range of solutions. In particular, customers in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions that have worked closely with Info Salons in the past will now have access to even more Freeman digital event management tools.
They also will be able to call on the company’s more than 90-year history in the event and brand experience space to help them develop and deliver engaging experiences for their exhibitors and attendees.
Going forward, Info Salons applications and tools will be fully integrated into the digital solutions offered by Freeman.
“When we talk about providing unparalleled brand experiences, we’re focused on helping meeting planners, event organizers and attendees. The less an organizer has to think about logistics, the more they can focus on creating exciting and engaging events for attendees,” said Bob Priest-Heck, CEO of Freeman.
He added, “We continue to work with long-standing event technology and service providers around the globe to provide unparalleled services to and experiences for our clients. In welcoming Info Salons to the Freeman family, we are further bolstering our capabilities to best meet our clients’ challenges.”
Freeman has been busy with acquisitions in the past year, acquiring companies such as Helios Interactive in November 2017, which specializes in augmented and virtual reality technology.
In July last year, the company also bought BaAM - a creative production company focused on the sports, culture, and entertainment markets.
A month earlier, Freeman also scooped up Fusion Brand Experiences - a boutique agency known for its strategic communications and marketing expertise.
Freeman is a 90-year-old, family-owned company with 90-plus locations worldwide and more than 7,000 employees, 2,000 of whom are located outside the U.S.
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