What happens when two event industry powerhouses join forces? Major acquisitions and mergers are nothing new in the event industry, particularly after the pandemic, with recent headline-grabbing news like Blackstone’s acquisition of Cvent and Informa’s acquisition of BizBash's own parent company, Tarsus, in the last six months alone. And the latest noteworthy news comes from global event leader Freeman, which this week announced that it has acquired brand experience agency Sparks.
Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Sparks is globally recognized for providing exhibit and event experiences to a diverse group of Fortune 1000 brands, including Google, Salesforce, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and T-Mobile. Sparks will combine with Freeman’s own agency business, which also caters to major corporate clients like Amazon, Cisco, and Kohler. (Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.)
The new combined agency expertise will focus on the corporate market. “Our combination with Sparks creates a unique opportunity to accelerate Freeman’s vision to become a leader in the corporate space,” explained Freeman CEO Bob Priest-Heck in a press release. “Sparks, like Freeman, is built by great people, has a long history of success, and is one of the most respected names in the industry. We couldn’t be more excited to have Sparks’ talented team join Freeman at this exciting time for the industry.”
On the day the news was announced, BizBash caught up with Freeman President Janet Dell to learn more about the acquisition, how the teams will work together, her big-picture view on what's trending now in events, and more.
Freeman President Janet DellPhoto: Courtesy of Freeman
It’s all about growth and expanding our capabilities to better support brands. Sparks and Impact Point Group were the best fit for our company, our culture, and our long-term strategy. With Impact Point Group, Freeman augmented its current offerings so we can be a resource as clients develop their event strategy. With Sparks, it complements our existing offerings so we can provide corporate customers best-in-class service for events, exhibits, and brand experiences.
For Sparks specifically, how else will the team's experience and skills help augment Freeman’s existing offerings?
Like Freeman, Sparks is well respected and a globally recognized brand in the event industry. Sparks brings a depth of experience in corporate exhibits and events that complements Freeman’s rich history working with show organizers and expanding capabilities working with corporate customers. Both companies have great teams that create great events that deliver results.
It was a unique opportunity to join a company that shared the same values and culture and had complementary services. Together, we are better positioned to serve the needs of all our customers, including brands and show organizers.
Will Sparks continue operating under its own name and as its own company?
Sparks will operate as a stand-alone entity that is a Freeman-owned company. We will integrate Freeman’s agency and Sparks to create Sparks, A Freeman Company.
Can you share any details about upcoming projects that Sparks, A Freeman Company, will be working on?
It’s still early in the integration process and we’ll have more to announce in the future. In the meantime, both companies will continue to develop and execute award-winning work for their clients.
There have been a lot of high-profile acquisitions in the event and exhibition world lately. How do you think these types of acquisitions—which can create something of a one-stop shop for clients—make the industry stronger?
Similar to Freeman, Sparks pride themselves as stewards and advocates for the event industry and, together, represent an even more powerful force to connect people in meaningful ways. Our focus is on providing the best solutions for our customers.
Any predictions for the future of the event industry? Are you noticing any shifting trends in what clients want, for example, and how do you see Freeman and Sparks adjusting to fit those needs?
We’re seeing a shift in generations at events. Both event marketers and attendees are getting younger. And people are hungry for more in-person experiences. As we’ve found in our own research, brand trust is built through face-to-face interactions. With Sparks, A Freeman Agency, we elevate our ability to make meaningful moments for more brands, globally.
Within the B2B space, we’re going to continue to see festival-like experiences at events to reach this new audience. These younger professionals have different expectations for how they experience personal and work life. Entertainment and balanced programming are important to them. This is giving rise to consumerization as a trend.
