After playing in the TV show friends for many years, Jay Weintraub set his sights on starting the leading, umm… lead generation conference, LeadsCon. We are happy to announce that he’s entered the big leagues now, selling his company for a large sum of cash. A personal congrats to my friend and colleague, Jay. Access Intelligence, a leading marketing company providing business intelligence and integrated marketing solutions in several global market sectors, announced today that they have acquired LeadsCon, the online lead generation conference series. The deal was backed by Veronis Suhler Stevenson, a private investment firm based in New York and London.
Jay Weintraub, the president and founder of LeadsCon, will stay on in his current role but will also serve alongside LeadsCon co-founder and executive vice president of operations Michelle Troop as members of Access Intelligence’s new Customer Acquisition Board, whose goal is to “oversee the execution of a multi-platform strategic plan to provide the marketing community with top-drawer content, intelligence and business opportunities in the multibillion-dollar customer acquisition market.”
The full press release outlining the acquisition is below:
Integrated media company Access Intelligence announced today the acquisition of LeadsCon, which serves the online lead generation industry through two preeminent conferences and other best-in-class content offerings for lead-generation marketers. With Access Intelligence’s existing stronghold in media, public relations and event marketing, this transaction extends the company’s position with service offerings focusing on customer acquisition through advanced marketing technologies and strategies.
LeadsCon is the industry’s preeminent educational and networking conference dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of those operating in the online lead generation industry. LeadsCon (www.leadscon.com) is held twice a year, having just completed a record event this past February in Las Vegas, and will hold its East coast event in New York this July. Other products in the LeadsCon portfolio include the membership-based LeadsCouncil, the Daily Deal Summit conference series taking place this April 17-18 in New York (www.dailydealsummit.com), an e- newsletter, and other soon-to-be announced marketing conferences and product offerings.
Jay Weintraub, president and founder of New York-based LeadsCon, will continue in his role as President of LeadsCon, Daily Deal and the other products serving the customer-acquisition sector. Michelle Troop, LeadsCon co-founder and executive vice president of operations, and Weintraub will be part of the newly created Access Intelligence Customer Acquisition Board which will also include Don Pazour, AI’s President & CEO; Diane Schwartz, senior vice president of the Media/Communications Group; and Jenn Heinold, vice president of healthcare and aerospace events. The Board will oversee the execution of a multi-platform strategic plan to provide the marketing community with top-drawer content, intelligence and business opportunities in the multibillion-dollar customer acquisition market.
“I am particularly pleased to be working with a visionary like Jay Weintraub, who will lead our efforts in serving the customer acquisition professional community,” said Don Pazour, president and CEO of Access Intelligence. “The ability to round out our position in the marketing and technology sectors with highly engaged brands like LeadsCon and Daily Deal Summit is an exciting prospect for Access Intelligence, our employees and customers.”
Jay Weintraub said, “Access Intelligence shares our passion and commitment to those we serve. With their backing, and support, we will continue to improve our operations and create new products and services faster than we could do on our own. I look forward to many more years of creating definitive summits for the online lead generation industry and broader customer acquisition ecosystem.”
The acquisition marks Access Intelligence’s continued investment in high-performing properties with engaged audiences and best-in-class products and services. In 2011, Access Intelligence completed acquisitions in the media/marketing and healthcare sectors, including that of Red7 Media (which includes Event Marketer and Folio); OR Manager, which presents one of the largest trade shows serving operating room executives; and Cynopsis Media, with advertising- driven e-letters serving the TV and digital communities.
About Access Intelligence
Access Intelligence (www.accessintel.com), a portfolio company of Veronis Suhler Stevenson, is a b-to-b media and information company headquartered in Rockville, Md., serving four core verticals in Communications, Healthcare, Aerospace and Energy & Engineering. Market-leading shows include Satellite 2012, LDC Forums, Electric Power, Energy Ocean, OilComm and OR Manager tradeshows. Access Intelligence also produces executive conferences for the healthcare, PR, media, cable, energy and defense markets. Leading brands include CableFAX, Folio, Event Marketer, PR News, Defense Daily, Via Satellite, Rotor & Wing, AviationToday, Contexo Media, Dorland Health, Power and Chemical Engineering.
About Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS)
VSS (www.vss.com) is a private equity and mezzanine capital fund management company dedicated to investing in the information, education, media, communications and business services industries in North America and Europe. VSS provides capital for buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings and strategic acquisitions to companies and management teams with a goal to build companies both organically and through a focused add-on acquisition program. To date, VSS equity and mezzanine funds have invested in 67 platform companies, which have in turn completed over 300 add-on acquisitions resulting in a portfolio with realized and unrealized enterprise values totaling over $14 billion.
