Global Experience Specialists Expands AV Services Overseas with Acquisition of Blitz Communications
Global Experience Specialists has continued to expand its offerings by acquiring Blitz Communications, an audio visual (AV) services provider for the live events industry in the United Kingdom and continental Europe.
Blitz Communications has offices in London and Manchester, U.K. and is the in-house AV service provider at five major U.K. conference and exhibition venues – ExCeL London, Earls Court, Olympia, Manchester Central, and the NEC.
“The addition of Blitz Communications allows us to provide a full suite of AV services across the U.K., Europe and the Middle East,” said Steve Moster, GES president.
He added, “Blitz has built a strong reputation in the live events market by helping to stage exhibitions, product launches, awards dinners, conferences, annual general meetings and road shows for some of the world’s leading organizations. Providing AV services is a key part of our strategy to become the preferred full service partner for the global live events market, and the addition of Blitz complements our AV service in the U.S.”
Blitz Communications has served the live events market for 25 years and delivers a wide range of creative AV services including specialist divisions which provide digital media, lighting, theatre, set and stage, graphics, audio and video.
Paul Hutton, Blitz managing director, and Ashok Makanji, Blitz CFO, will remain in their current positions, reporting in to Nick Marshall, GES’ executive chairman EMEA, and Munir Samji, executive chairman of Blitz, is taking on a consulting role. Blitz has more than 100 employees.
“Blitz has grown and developed since its formation in 1989 and during that time we have had a close working relationship with GES. Both companies share a similar business culture, and we’re thrilled to be part of GES’ dynamic and customer-focused organization,” said Blitz Communications Managing Director Paul Hutton.
He added, “We look forward to growing the overall business through the new opportunities the acquisition presents.”
GES has been busy expanding its U.S. AV operations as well, hiring 10 new people and winning new business, such as the upcoming Solar Power International event in Las Vegas.
GES will provide all AV equipment and production, including general session, breakout rooms, exhibits and show management needs for the show.
“The acquisition of Blitz Communications combines a full offering of audio visual services with our existing range of services, allowing GES to offer an increasingly comprehensive and convenient approach to service delivery for our live events clients across the U.K., Europe and the Middle East. With the addition of Blitz, we have immediately gained a well-established and leading position in the U.K. audio visual market,” said GES Executive Vice President of International Business Jason Popp.
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