Event software companies MeetingPlay and Aventri have merged, as well as received a growth equity investment from Sunstone Partners and Camden Partners.
In conjunction with the merger, Eric Lochner has been named CEO of the new company. Lochner has over 25 years of experience in building technology and technology-enabled services companies, with an impressive record of mergers and acquisitions.
This new event software powerhouse will blend visionary technology and best-in-class service to close all gaps in the planning process, offering a complete full-service solution for meetings and events of all sizes, from conferences of 200,000+ to meetings with less than 100 attendees.
Each year, MeetingPlay and Aventri power a combined total of more than 50,000 events, service over 10,000 companies, and elevate the attendee experience for more than seven million attendees.
Founded in 2011, MeetingPlay is an award-winning technology pioneer, centred around creating innovative solutions for premier in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. The company is known for pushing the envelope on technology advancements and has successfully powered many of the largest, most complex global events to date across numerous industries.
Founded in 2008, Aventri is the global leader in data-driven, end-to-end event management solutions for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Today, the award-winning platform provides a suite of solutions for the entire event lifecycle, from venue sourcing to event marketing, registration, onsite technology, strategic meetings management, data security and privacy, and ROI reporting.
The two companies will integrate their proprietary software platforms to elevate event experiences through a lineup of products to leading companies in the technology, financial services, travel, hospitality, health services, and association markets.
Highlighted capabilities include:
- A Virtual and Hybrid Event Platform, which uses novel technology to create lifelike experiences for virtual attendees. The platform provides virtual and onsite attendees with unified engagement features like chat, Q&A, network matchmaking, and video conferencing that enables participants in the same room and across the world to connect instantly.
- A Mobile App and imaginative Onsite Event Solutions, which enrich the attendee experience start to finish, boost engagement, and deliver ROI metrics, while keeping participants safe.
Meanwhile, co-founder and former MeetingPlay CEO Joe Schwinger, and co-founder and former MeetingPlay COO Lisa Vann will remain with the new company and undertake executive roles. Former Aventri CEO Jim Sharpe will remain a shareholder and advisor to the new company.
