Jan 12, 2022

Written by: Kelly LindenauEvent software companies MeetingPlay and Aventri merged their complementary offerings to become a full-service event software provider and received a growth equity investment from Sunstone Partners and Camden Partners. The two companies will integrate their proprietary software platforms to help elevate event experiences through a lineup of products for companies in the technology, financial services, travel, hospitality, health services and association markets. Specific capabilities include: Event marketing website and registration to create a seamless attendee journey from beginning to end; A virtual and hybrid event platform, which uses novel technology to create lifelike experiences for virtual attendees and provides virtual and onsite attendees with unified engagement features like chat, Q&A, network matchmaking and video conferencing; and A mobile app and on-site event solutions to enrich the attendee experience from start to finish, boost engagement and deliver ROI metrics while keeping participants safe. In conjunction with the merger, Eric Lochner will serve as the CEO of the combined entity. Lochner has more than 25 years of experience in building technology and technology-enabled services companies. “We are excited to bring these two inventive companies together to create a new cutting-edge experience for the meetings and events industry,” said Lochner, in a statement.“We have a strong opportunity to deepen the process of hosting in-person, hybrid and virtual events and are excited to be able to better support meeting planners and event organizers while offering a wider range of products and experiences.” MeetingPlay’s Co-founder and former CEO Joe Schwinger and Co-founder and former COO Lisa Vann will remain with the new company and undertake executive roles to continue to enhance the event technology industry and work with their valued customers. Former Aventri CEO Jim Sharpe will remain a shareholder and advisor to the new company.