change take
Absorbing the complexities of a multi-million dollar incorporated company is the focus of the upcoming Maritz Internal Technology Summit.
Andrea Doyle
Following the acquisition of Convention Data Services from Freeman on Monday, Maritz will host an internal technology summit at its St. Louis headquarters this week.
Once rivals, the leaders of Maritz and CDS are now teaming up to delve deeper into both companies’ technology offerings.
CDS has the technology it has developed over its 38-year history and hopes these will grow with the Maritz acquisition. “We want to modernize the entire platform,” said Darren Phalen, president of CDS. “Registration is what web development is all about, and web development never stops. This part of the business is software, and if you don’t iterate on software, you will die.
“I’m looking to invest in CDS. They [Freeman] They really don’t want to invest that much there when they have to do so much elsewhere,” Phalen told Skift Meetings.
He added that conversations about a sale began last September. “To their credit, they said, let’s find a better environment for CDS where people want to invest in a future where they can grow.”
From competitor to ally
The idea of joining forces with a competitor was “scary” at first. Fallon said the fact that Maritz understands the complexities of the business events industry is reassuring. “I’ve personally been through multiple acquisitions of companies, and the idea of going into a private equity firm or a company outside of the industry was even scarier,” he said.
This week’s Insider Tech Summit will focus on both companies’ tech tools and how they work together. “We will discuss what systems we have that work well. What systems Maritz has that work well. Then we will decide what is best for the customer based on their needs.
The integration of the two companies won’t be immediate. “We’re not going to be tearing the logo off the shirts today. It’s going to be phased in as gently as possible,” Fallon said.
Artificial intelligence will be the focus of the technology summit. “Artificial intelligence is obviously at the forefront of any roadmap,” he said. Phalen said AI will assist with everything from suggesting what activities attendees should consider during the conference to which areas of the expo they should visit.
Conference Materials Services Clients Gather on Cape Cod
Additionally, in two weeks, CDS will host its annual Customer Advisory Group event on Cape Cod, where the company was founded. “Our 17 customers will share with us their needs and what artificial intelligence should do. There may be some ideas that we haven’t even thought of. It’s the combination of customer voice,” he said.
Phalen has been with the family business Freeman for 15 years and is excited to join another family business, Maritz. He joined CDS in August 2021. Then moved to PSAV (now Encore), then back to Freeman, where he joined the digital department.
“The best thing about family ownership is that they own it because they love it, not just because it’s an asset,” Fallon said.
