Jan 29, 2013

GMR Marketing and SportsMark Management Group to Merge Engagement Marketing Firms Increase Collective Global Service Offerings, Meet Growing Demand For Event Strategy, Sponsorship & Corporate Hospitality Worldwide MILWAUKEE, Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- GMR Marketing, the global sports, entertainment, and lifestyle marketing agency, has begun a merger with global sports marketing, event management, and corporate hospitality agency SportsMark Management Group. The worldwide merger will harness the agencies' collective B2B and B2C proficiencies, bringing together GMR's strategic digital and consumer engagement capabilities with SportsMark's global event operation and hospitality experience. The companies will continue to operate under their respective names until the merger is complete, resulting in one of the most significant sports and entertainment practices in the industry. With a total of more than 20 offices in 10 countries worldwide, the combined footprint across North America, South America, Europe, and APAC will run deeper than ever. "This is a merger of two of the most significant global sports and entertainment agencies in the industry," said Gary Reynolds, GMR's CEO and Chairman. "As one entity, we will offer our clients an unmatched combination of strategic and operational resources with deep event marketing experience and key relationships with global sports and entertainment properties. " The combined entity will give global clients expanded resources in the areas of strategy, consulting, digital/creative services, events, promotions, field staffing, sponsorship activation and corporate hospitality. The collective creative/design and digital/social departments will deliver world-class strategies and execution for clients across sports, entertainment, music, and lifestyle passions. "With an emphasis on broadening creative, digital, social and mobile expertise and innovations, the GMR-SportsMark merger brings our clients top industry talent, integrated B2C and B2B capabilities, and efficiency gains across the board," commented Jan Katzoff, Head of Global Sports and Entertainment for the combined entity. GMR and SportsMark have successfully collaborated on behalf of numerous top-tier, global brands over the years. The agencies' recent activations include managing over 20 sponsor programs at the London 2012 Olympic Games, in addition to collectively planning events, corporate hospitality, environmental design and production, product showcasing, and digital/social platforms for 9 clients at the upcoming Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. Both GMR and SportsMark are members of Diversified Agency Services within the Omnicom network. "We look forward to delivering our clients an expanded, comprehensive scope of integrated marketing, hospitality, and event management capabilities in key markets around the globe, while providing the same level of strategic customization and best-in-class service that both SportsMark and GMR are known for," said Steve Skubic, SportsMark's CEO. To learn more about GMR Marketing, visit www.gmrmarketing.com . For background on SportsMark, visit www.sportsmark.com . Media Inquiries: