Press Release Emerald Expositions, LLC (“Emerald”), a leading business-to-business trade show and conference producer, today announced its acquisition of the Digital Dealer Conference & Expo from Dealer Communications.
Digital Dealer Conference & Expo is the retail automotive industry’s leading digital strategy conference and trade show focused on introducing, exploring and implementing the various digital components required to engage today’s modern automotive customer. Twice a year, this 3-day conference and exposition attracts more than 1,000 dealers and managers and over 100 exhibiting companies. The company also produces regional workshops that augment the national Expos. These events are known for providing the most progressive educational content focusing on digital business building tools.
Emerald is also acquiring Dealer Magazine, the complementary leading magazine for franchised automotive dealership owners and managers from small single point stores to the largest multi-dealership groups and public companies.
“While I’m so proud of where we’ve taken the Digital Dealer Conference & Expo and Dealer Magazine over the years, I know that the Emerald team has the capability to take the businesses to the next level,” said Michael Roscoe, owner and CEO of Dealer Communications. “There is substantial opportunity for the show to grow and prosper under a leading group like Emerald, and I’m confident our attendees and exhibitors will start to see the benefits very quickly.”
“This acquisition is truly a great fit for our business,” said Darrell Denny, Executive Vice President of Emerald Expositions. “Just as our IRCE events serve the broader retail community with best-in-class e-commerce education and a strong expo platform, the Digital Dealer events provide the same formula for the thousands of owners, managers and employees at car dealerships in North America. With Internet auto sales being one of the fastest growing segments within the automotive industry, we’re pleased to expand the Emerald portfolio of markets into the world of e-commerce solutions for retail dealerships.”
Denny noted that the team at Dealer Communications will join the Emerald organization, and Roscoe will remain as a consultant to the Emerald team.