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Events Management – Confidential

A European privately held global events company acquired two direct competitors in the USA. A collection of issues caused a lack of trust and cooperation between the three businesses, such that after 12 months, little of the USA business operations had been integrated.

Integrate and Improve

A renewed integration initiative invited our team member to join the team. After assessing the situation understanding and planning, it was decided to create a USA-specific model for holding major events that the two acquired businesses would develop and implement. This changed the scope of work from “integrate-only”, to “integrate and improve”.

The acquired businesses became jointly responsible for their own integration into a USA Operation, reducing the role of the acquiring business in the integration. Ownership of integration projects was shared between the two acquired businesses, which had to co-create the operational agreements, structures, and communication protocols for future events that they would manage in the USA.

By reducing the influence of the acquirer and giving co-ownership to the two acquired businesses, it brought the teams together, got buy-in from the key players, and built trust and accountability across the USA operation.

Within 18 months, revenue had grown by 24%; profitability had increased by at least 45%.

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