Pearson Acquires Money-Media

Acquisition enhances FT's services to the global asset management industry


Pearson (www.pearson.com), the international education and information company, announced the acquisition of Money-Media (www.money-media.com), the US-based leader in online news and commentary for the money management industry, from Michael D. Griffin, Money-Media’s sole voting shareholder and CEO.

Money-Media, through its products Ignites, Fundfire, BoardIQ, Agenda and ODX, offers highly-respected online services, publications and conferences. It provides must-have news and analysis via e-mail and its web sites to mutual fund managers, institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals, company directors and advisers. The company had revenues of $16 million in 2007 – approximately two-thirds of which were generated through subscriptions with high renewal rates.

Money-Media’s specialist services will improve the ability of the Financial Times to reach the asset management community in the US, enhancing its recent launch of a US edition of FTfm (its dedicated fund management newspaper supplement); and globally, building on the FT’s unique global franchise.

“This acquisition supports and extends our strategy of building strong subscriber and digital businesses in core sectors,” said John Ridding, Chief Executive of the FT. “Asset managers need reliable, relevant and timely information about the globalization of investments, diversification of asset classes, mitigation of risk and frequent changes in regulation. Money-Media has built a senior and loyal audience in the US, and we see substantial scope for international growth with the FT’s global presence and expertise behind it.”

About Money-Media

Money-Media offers a group of world class publications and conferences, providing companies with unparalleled sources of information and education. For nearly 10 years, Money-Media has focused on being the premier source of intelligence for investment management and corporate governance officials and now supports the business IQ of thousands of corporations and organizations across the globe. Money-Media has created a number of innovative publications and products and boasts a team of nearly 70 top-notch employees who take pride in helping businesses meet and exceed their goals and objectives.

About Pearson

Pearson is an international media company with market-leading businesses in education, business information and consumer publishing. Pearson leads its markets in quality, innovation and profitability. It draws on common assets, capital, processes and culture. With more than 29,000 employees in 60 countries, Pearson is a large family of businesses that are alike in sharing the same aim: a focus on making the reading and learning experience as enjoyable and as beneficial as it can possibly be.

Viad Acquires Becker Group

Acquisition extends Viad’s experiential marketing services beyond the tradeshow environment

Viad Corp. (NYSE: VVI) (www.viad.com), a leading provider of services for exhibition organizers and exhibitors, completed the acquisition of The Becker Group, Ltd. (www.beckergroup.com), a portfolio company of Sterling Capital Partners (www.sterlingpartners.com). Headquartered in Baltimore, Becker Group is an experiential marketing company specializing in creating immersive, entertaining attractions and brand-based experiences for clients and venues, including retail centers, movie studios, museums, leading consumer brands and casinos. With more than 50 years of experience, Becker Group is the leading provider of large-scale events and experiences for retail real estate developers in North America.

Becker Group has successfully expanded its experiential marketing solutions beyond the retail sector to include year-round branded attractions, sponsored events, mobile marketing tours and other place-based marketing solutions for a broad client base. Recent projects include touring exhibits to promote the animated films “Ratatouille” and “Cars” and a mall-based holiday program promoting the films “Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “Happy Feet”.

Becker’s representative clients and venue/content partners include leading mall developers such as Taubman Centers and Westfield Group; corporate sponsors and brand advertisers, such as Ford Motor Company and Mars, Inc.; U.S. and international museums, including the Chicago Children’s Museum; casinos and lifestyle centers, such as Caesar’s Palace and Mohegan Sun; and major entertainment companies, such as Walt Disney Company, Walden Media, Warner Bros., Pixar, Discovery Communications, and others.

Paul Dykstra, Viad’s President & CEO, said, “Becker Group is a great addition to Viad’s portfolio of leading businesses. The company is an established brand with deep, long-standing customer relationships, cutting edge creative talent, and an exceptional management team and employees. And, like Viad, Becker Group is a values-based organization that operates with honesty and integrity.”

Dykstra added, “This acquisition extends Viad’s experiential marketing services beyond the tradeshow environment and provides excellent opportunities to leverage the capabilities and client relationships of Becker Group, GES and Exhibitgroup/Giltspur to accelerate growth in all three of these businesses. We expect that Becker Group will have a very successful future and play a key role in Viad’s continued growth.”

Glenn Tilley, President & CEO, Becker Group, said, “We are very excited to join forces with Viad. Becker Group is a proven performer and has established a solid foundation for continued growth with a strong pipeline of exciting new business opportunities. By leveraging our strengths with those of our new sister companies, we are confident that we can accelerate our growth with additional service capabilities and continue delivering award-winning experiential marketing services that entertain, educate and generate measurable results for our clients.”

About Viad Corp

Viad Corp is an S&P SmallCap 600 company comprised of businesses that provide high-quality services that address the needs of exhibition organizers and exhibitors, as well as travel and recreation services in the US and Canada. Major operating companies include GES Exposition Services of Las Vegas, a leading provider of turnkey services for exhibitions and place-based marketing events; and Exhibitgroup/Giltspur of Chicago, one of the largest exhibit designers and fabricators in the world.