Phoenix-based marketing and event company Viad Corp (VVI) has announced the buyout of a leading event registration and data intelligence firm, N200 Limited and affiliates (N200). Due to upfront integration costs, this acquisition is expected to be dilutive to the company’s 2015 earnings. However, it will likely be accretive in the long run.
Post the announcement, Viad’s stock price gained 1.3% and closed at $24.48 per share in the last few trading sessions, reflecting positive investor sentiment.
A bellwether in the United Kingdom and Netherlands, with more than 20 years of experience, N200 has been offering registration and data services to the live events market through its software and services used in over 600 events annually around the world. Through the acquisition, Viad will now be able to use the scalable, web-based ticketing and registration app N200 had developed – Visit – that enables event organizers, attendees and exhibitors to interact among themselves. It will also lead to expansion of the company’s Global Experience Specialists services (GES).
Integrated with social media platforms, the app helps attendees to register themselves online with their profiles. The system utilizes the data capture process to deliver campaign-ready data that helps targeted, customized attendee promotions.
The Visit platform comprises Visit Connect, which is a leading management software and Visit Intelligence, a reporting and analytics section. Visit Connect entitles exhibitors to conduct lead-based sales and drive ROI from events, thereby setting targets and capturing and qualifying leads. Additionally, managing the real time process with metric reporting will enable the measurement of success.
Moreover, Visit Intelligence combines the data captured by Visit and Visit Connect in a dashboard that provides event organizers real time intelligence to better understand and improve their events. This, along with positive levels of engagement and interaction stimulation, leads to optimization of attendee dwell time.
The latest deal will enable Viad to provide its customers with the ability to collect and use event data for making better decisions. It will also help clients to prove the events’ value to their customers, resulting in an increase in the return on marketing investment.
This acquisition will lead to expansion of the company’s Marketing & Events Group, which will become the preferred global full service provider to the live events market. With registration and data services being integral parts of events providing higher margins, the addition of N200 will enable organizers and exhibitors to increase revenues and ROI, thanks to its enhanced system and efficient data mining functionality.
Currently, Viad has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Stocks to Consider
Better-ranked stocks in the business service sector that are worth reckoning include Core-Mark Holding Company, Inc. (CORE), Rentrak Corporation (RENT) and WageWorks, Inc. (WAGE). All of these hold a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
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