News

Maritz Acquires Convention Data Services

July 9, 2024

Meeting and event management company Maritz has acquired Convention Data Services, a registration and lead services business, from Freeman.

Maritz kicked off the month of July by announcing it had acquired Convention Data Services, a registration, on-site and lead services company, from Freeman. CDS, which specializes in providing services for trade shows and association events, is a good fit for partnership with Maritz, a meetings and events management company that serves many of the top trade shows in the U.S. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed as both Maritz and CDS’ former parent company, Freeman, are both privately held.

By adding this new portfolio of clients from CDS, Maritz significantly increases our share of the market and positions us well for the future,” said David Peckinpaugh, President and CEO of Maritz. “This acquisition exemplifies our commitment to supporting association and trade show events through this era of shifting attendee expectations and behaviors.” Freeman also believes this is the right move for both companies. “We are confident Maritz is the right home for CDS and its talented team,” said Paul Fletcher, Freeman’s Chief Operating Officer, Audio Visual & Event Technology. “Freeman remains focused on delivering unforgettable experiences to ensure we are best positioned to drive meaningful and impactful events for organizers, exhibitors and attendees.”

This latest acquisition of CDS is part of Maritz’s strategy to continue to strengthen its position as a leader in the events industry, which started when it acquired Experient in 2012. Before that acquisition, Maritz had focused primarily on providing full-service meeting, event and incentive travel programs to corporate clients. That acquisition expanded Maritz’ reach into the association, tradeshow and U.S. government markets as well, which had been Experient’s mainstays pre-acquisition.

The addition of CDS further cements Maritz’s position as a leading provider of services to corporate, association, tradeshow and strategic meetings management clients. The integration process will not interrupt service levels, both companies promise.

“The industry will continue to receive the outstanding experience they’ve come to expect from both organizations,” said Darren Phalen, President of CDS. “We’re excited to share more about how our combined expertise will benefit association and trade show organizers. With so much talent in one organization, we will lead industry innovation to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing the events industry.”

To learn more about CDS, visit www.cdsreg.com. To learn more about Maritz, visit www.maritz.com/association-events.