What's new?

We've got a new owner, a new name, a new partnership with Ty Pennington, and we're launching a new business-to-business division

Now that's news!

I am very happy to be writing you to announce that Marketplace Events, formerly dmg world media’s North American home show division, has signed a three-year deal with Ty Pennington, host of TV’s hit series "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", to serve as the spokesperson for our portfolio of 38 home shows in North America.

I am also pleased to announce the launch of a new business-to-business division, Marketplace Event Consultants which will provide custom consulting to exhibitors, sponsors and other consumer show producers who operate in markets where we do not.

These two important announcements come on the heels of dmg world media’s announcement earlier today that the sale of the home show division is complete. The entire portfolio of North American home shows was purchased by Marketplace Events LLC, which has been formed by Stephens Capital Partners LLC, an affiliate of Stephens Inc., a privately held investment bank in Little Rock, Arkansas. The company has retained the management team and our almost 100-person home show staff. Additional dmg world media staff in HR, IT and finance have also joined the newly named Marketplace Events which we will now operate as a stand-alone company.

I am extraordinarily pleased with the selection of Stephens Capital Partners as our new owner. Stephens have a history of extended business holdings resulting in significant growth. In other words, our new owners are long-term partners keenly interested in the sustained growth of the business. The partnership with Ty Pennington is just one example of how we intend to grow our business by aggressively and strategically differentiating ourselves from other show producers.

As the new spokesperson for Marketplace Events, Ty will consult and provide content for our shows and our websites and will appear in our advertising campaigns.

Our partnership with Ty, who is regarded by millions of consumers as the most trusted name in the home improvement industry today, is extremely exciting and the result of a long-standing relationship we’ve had with him since Lisa Kropf, our senior vice president booked him for his first public appearance ever in 2001, at a home show I owned in Akron, Ohio. We’ve kept in touch with Ty over the years and with the sale of the business, the timing was ideal and the opportunity for him to be our spokesperson, a perfect fit. Ty’s passion for home improvement is infectious and we look forward to injecting some of his high energy ideas and personality into all of our shows.

With the launch of Marketplace Event Consultants we hope to also do our part in some small way to elevate the entire consumer show industry by making our executive management team – all veterans of the home show industry -- available on a selective basis to exhibitors and sponsors as well as other home show producers in non-competitive markets.

As producers of 38 home shows annually in 27 different markets, we are in a unique position to learn what works and what doesn’t more quickly than typical show producers. If selectively sharing what we’ve learned can help companies become better exhibitors or increase their return on investment, or we can help other show producers create more successful events, we all win in the end. We want companies to have good experiences at shows – even if they’re not our shows – so that they will be receptive to our events as a viable marketing opportunity and a powerful way to reach our qualified audience of thousands of homeowners ready to purchase.

Marketplace Event Consultants will be led by industry veteran Paul Schweitzer who has been with our company for 29 years and originally started with Southex Exhibitions in 1979 before dmg purchased that company in 1996. I defy anyone to find someone who has been to more home shows than Paul. He knows shows. He knows our industry. He knows the dynamics of being an exhibitor, a sponsor, and a show organizer. He also knows our audience and he’s the perfect person to lead this new business.

Other than our new owner, our new name, our partnership with Ty and the launch of a new division – all very good things – your relationship with our expert show teams will remain exactly the same. It will be business as usual as our entire staff will remain intact and in touch, with offices and shows in the same locations that they’ve always been.

As you can imagine, a sale of this magnitude takes some time and there will be a transitional period when you may still see the dmg world media name alongside that of Marketplace Events. We appreciate your patience during the transition and will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Please feel free to contact your local show manager or sales representative for more information or send any inquiries to inquiry@marketplaceevents.com.

We look forward to a long and successful relationship as we continue to build first rate, vibrant marketplaces where buyers and sellers within the home improvement industry come together to do business.

As always, thanks for your business and we look forward to serving you at our shows!

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Tom Baugh
CEO, Marketplace Events