Acquisition Stories: Jonas Event Technology

Company overview

Jonas Event Technology (JET) is an award-winning provider of event registration services for trade shows, consumer events and conferences. Supporting clients with lead capture, data storage, badging, ticketing and marketing, they are the perfect event tech partner.

What was the motivation for joining the Vesta (Jonas) family?

Jonas Event Technology began life as Show Data Systems, which was set up back in 1993 by Tom Woodard. After building up the company over many years, and acquiring a second, Interchange Communications, he felt that the time was right for change and began the process of looking for a buyer.

Though price was a factor, the implementation of effective HR, IT and management structures by a potential acquirer were crucial to his decision. Tom would not be staying on within the businesses following the sale, but he still wanted to ensure it had a stable home where it could grow long into the future.

How was the acquisition process?

We were able to make the acquisition process fast and efficient for the teams at Show Data Systems and Interchange Communications. Through thorough due diligence, we immersed ourselves in the companies to get us ready for when the process was complete. This included gaining a complete understanding of their products and offering, as well as the current and projected numbers, to allow us to start planning next steps.

We wanted to enable a smooth transition for staff and assure them of their importance to us for the future, so our ‘buy and hold forever’ ethos was made clear from the outset, along with the guarantee of their job security, to help settle any worries that they might be passed onto another buyer in years to come.

Were there any challenges the company was looking to overcome?

The companies were operating in a fairly competitive market; they knew the industry and their competition. However, a lot of focus was being spent on the behind-the-scenes operations, which meant less time was dedicated to developing their products and services.

To capitalise on their knowledge, expertise and offering, it was clear that a new strategy needed to be put in place.

How has life at JET changed since the acquisition?

In the years following their acquisition, we consulted with the management team and staff and concluded a merger between Show Data Systems and Interchange Communications would be beneficial for all, retaining the strengths of each, and rebranding as Jonas Event Technology.

We have also:

• Implemented new working practices
• Expanded the team
• Taken over the management of HR, IT, legal and finance, to empower staff to focus on their core operations
• Introduced opportunities for personal development through continuous training
• Implemented a coherent strategy to keep the team lean whilst still growing

What are the benefits of being part of the group?

Being part of the Vesta family has made the team at Jonas Event Technology feel like they are part of something bigger – a like-minded community all operating similarly and sharing the same values. Covid was a particularly challenging time for the events industry in general, so we were glad to be able to provide the company with a network of support to help them come out the other side.

As with all members of the Vesta family, Jonas Event Technology now benefits from our shared knowledge resources. The JET team can access industry best practices, fresh ideas and common experiences from those across the group. They have also been given a platform to share their own. Staff have been offered new opportunities to progress within the business too, without any limits on what they can achieve.

Graham Parkins, Technical Director, said: “Jonas made good on their promises from when they first outlined what they had in mind for the business. We have gone from strength to strength since that day. It’s the best of both worlds – we benefit hugely from being part of a bigger group and look forward to seeing what the future holds.”