Global Experience Specialists Acquires Housing Services Companies - onPeak and Travel Planners

October 8, 2014

Global Experience Specialists has acquired two housing services companies – onPeak, with headquarters in Chicago, and Travel Planners, which is headquartered in New York City.

The combined business will serve clients under the name onPeak, a GES Global Company (onPeak | GES).

“Our clients told us that they want GES to create unique, integrated experiences delivered by just one trusted partner for their most critical event needs,” said Steve Moster, GES’ president.  

He added, “We are honored to have earned our clients’ trust and are really excited to offer a complete event experience to all of our clients - from exhibition organizers to corporate marketers, event agencies and now hotel partners.”

Adding housing services into GES’ current offerings gives its clients the ability to have one company as the go-to source for their event services, according to GES officials.

The three companies have 60 years of combined experience, and the new onPeak | GES will provide premium housing services to approximately 60 percent of the top 250 trade shows in the United States.  

Leading the new onPeak team as executive vice president of onPeak | GES is Michael Howe, formerly president of onPeak. Howe will report to Moster.

Lisa Baez, formerly executive director of Travel Planners, will report to Howe as vice president of housing account services.

“Like GES, Travel Planners and onPeak were built on technical innovation and great service,” Howe said.

He added, “We’re thrilled to combine our expertise and advanced technology with the global resources of GES. This opens the doors to really exciting opportunities for our clients and employees.”

As the exclusive distributor of housing services for an event, onPeak | GES will utilize “its scale and industry-leading technology to offer convenient and affordable hotel accommodations to event attendees and exhibitors”, according to GES officials.

onPeak | GES will manage hotel booking administration before, during and after the  event, including securing room blocks with local hotels, marketing those reserved blocks to event attendees and exhibitors, managing attendee and exhibitor reservations and addressing any housing concerns during the event.

This is the second big acquisition announcement for GES in the past month: Blitz Communications, an audio-visual service company for the live events industry in the U.K. and continental Europe, was acquired Sept. 12.

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. 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Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.