Reed Exhibitions Buys Into Agenda

by The Editors on January 2, 2013

Reed LogoToday the Agenda Show has announced that Seth Haber has sold his shares of Agenda to Reed Exhibitions and has left the company to “pursue other interests.” Who is Reed? Well, they’re the trade show big boys.

“In the ten years since we launched AGENDA, we have really seen it grow dramatically from a business standpoint, but more importantly we’ve seen the AGENDA Show evolve in terms of the positive experience and unique environment that our customers expect when they enter one of our shows,” said Aaron Levant founder of the AGENDA Show. “We are really excited to work with a world class exhibition company like Reed. Reed is the global leader in exhibitions with over four hundred fifty events and offices in thirty-six countries. We know Reed is the best because of their truly global view of the tradeshow landscape.”

Congrats to Seth Haber on a smooth (and hopefully lucrative) exit. Follow the jump for the official word.

Agenda Joins Reed Exhibitions’ Portfolio of Events

LONG BEACH, CALIF (January 2012) – AGENDA, the leading event for the street wear and action sports industries, has joined with Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading trade show organizer.

AGENDA, with four shows a year in Long Beach and New York City, specializes in uniting the full spectrum of the action sports, street wear, lifestyle and sneaker culture, while creating a unique environment with an emphasis on style, art, music and culture.

AGENDA and Reed will collaborate on the development of unique content and drive the continued enhancement of customer value and unique experience for this growing retail segment.

“In the ten years since we launched AGENDA, we have really seen it grow dramatically from a business standpoint, but more importantly we’ve seen the AGENDA Show evolve in terms of the positive experience and unique environment that our customers expect when they enter one of our shows,” said Aaron Levant founder of the AGENDA Show. “We are really excited to work with a world class exhibition company like Reed. Reed is the global leader in exhibitions with over four hundred fifty events and offices in thirty-six countries. We know Reed is the best because of their truly global view of the tradeshow landscape.”

Levant said Reed also was attractive because of the ability to explore new opportunities and new markets.

Greg Topalian, Senior Vice President at Reed Exhibitions and originator of the ReedPop portfolio agreed with Levant. “AGENDA is a B to B business but it’s a great cultural fit with what we have developed at our pop culture events. The feel, authenticity and respecting the markets we serve have been, and will continue to be, the keys to Agenda’s success.”

Topalian first launched New York Comic Con and since then the ReedPop group has added the PAX events and C2E2. In fact Levant’s interest in Reed was first piqued after he visited New York Comic Con.

Mr. Levant also said that Seth Haber, his former partner, having sold his share of AGENDA to Reed Exhibitions, will be leaving to pursue other interests. “I have loved working with the Agenda Shows’ exhibitors, buyers and visitors and I am excited to watch Aaron and Reed Exhibitions take AGENDA into the future,” said Haber.

Levant said, “Seth was a great partner and played an instrumental role in the growth and success of AGENDA. For some time, he and I had been talking about his desire to focus on some other initiatives and this gives him that opportunity. I’m happy he has the chance now and thankful for all he has contributed to AGENDA in his time here. We all wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

AGENDA was first launched in 2003 in Long Beach with 33 brands represented. Today that event occurs twice a year in Long Beach and will be supported by 550 brands this January. The NYC show was first launched in 2010.

The transaction was completed in late December. Terms were not disclosed.

The Agenda Events take place:

AGENDA – Long Beach – January 4-5, 2013 – Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA.
AGENDA – NYC – January 23-24, 2013 – 82 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012

About ReedPOP:
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions which is exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture and lifestyle arena. ReedPOP is dedicated to producing events that transcend the ordinary by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences for consumers.

The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Prime & East, and Star Wars Celebration.

About Reed Exhibitions:
HYPERLINK “http://www.reedexpo.com/” Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 460 events in 36 countries. In 2011 Reed brought together over six million active event participants from around the world, generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and are organized by 34 fully staffed offices. Reed organizes a wide range of events, including trade and consumer exhibitions, conferences and meetings. Its portfolio of over 460 events serves 44 industry sectors.

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