The strategic deal is expected to bolster Hubilo's resources and expertise with in-person event tools such as badge-printing, check-in, tracking and on-site data integration. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/engel.ac
Hybrid-event engagement platform Hubilo, which raised more than
US$150 million in venture capital over the past few years, has acquired
Fielddrive, a Belgium-based provider of on-site event technology. The
strategic deal bolsters Hubilo's resources and expertise with in-person
event tools such as badge-printing, check-in, tracking and on-site data
integration.
"The two companies combined pools our products, expertise and talent,
ensuring that we can deliver digital, hybrid and in-person events
anywhere in the world," said Hubilo founder and CEO Vaibhav Jain.
Just last month Hubilo laid off 35% of its workforce, and many of its
competitors — Zoom, Hopin and Bizzabo among them — have made similar
moves to right-size following the drop in demand for online events. This
acquisition sees Hubilo redirecting its investment toward servicing
customer demand for in-person meetings.
Fielddrive has established a reputation over the years for
cutting-edge event technology, and won the 2018 IBTM World Tech Watch
for its innovative implementation of Zenus' facial-recognition platform
for event check-in.
Fielddrive will continue to run independently and be
platform-agnostic, Jain added, while at the same serving as the basis
for the new Hubilo Onsite division. "Fielddrive’s dedication to
customers aligns with our customer-first approach," Jain noted, "and our
aim is to continue to meet and exceed our customers' needs by providing
technology that enables exceptional event experiences regardless of
location, budget or format.”
Fielddrive, which has provided services for events around the globe,
specialises in data integration, badge services, on-site tracking and
tracing, and AI-driven analytics dashboards. "With additional resources
we will be able to grow our solution set across more geographies with
new market-leading features," said Fielddrive founder and CEO Danny
Stevens about the deal. “The acquisition means that we can continue to
innovate further in this space to provide our customers with unbeatable
visitor experiences."
Hubilo's Sophie Ahmed, a seasoned events thought leader who joined
the company last year, has been promoted to general manager of the new
Hubilo Onsite, leading Fielddrive for Hubilo. “Having led large
in-person events for over two decades, I can see why Fielddrive is so
attractive to event organisers: for managing visitor queues, facial
recognition for on-site check-in, sustainable badging, lead retrieval
and analytics, new monetisation opportunities and an expert customer
experience team,” she said. "We have lots of exciting things planned on
our roadmap as we push the boundaries in creating incredible event
journeys for organisers and their attendees, exhibitors and sponsors."
Source: Northstar Meetings Group