Empresas y finanzas

Access Intelligence Acquires daratechPLANT Conference



    Information and media company Access Intelligence, LLC, announced
    this week the acquisition of the world-leading daratechPLANT
    Conference from Daratech, Inc., strengthening its presence in the
    energy and IT markets.

    daratechPLANT, held every January in Houston, Texas, is the
    world's leading event aimed at suppliers and users of IT solutions for
    designing, engineering, building and maintaining industrial plants.
    Each year, it attracts a unique audience of more than 900
    executive-level delegates and 30 exhibitors, drawn from owner-operator
    companies, engineering and procurement firms, and IT solutions
    providers. Previous owner, Daratech, Inc., headed by well-known
    industry figure, Charles Foundyller, is selling the event to
    concentrate on its consulting business in this sector, but will remain
    involved in the event as a consultant. No other assets of Cambridge,
    MA-based, Daratech, Inc., are being transferred and Daratech, Inc.,
    will continue to serve its clients with its full range of services.

    "We are delighted to have the opportunity to acquire the leading
    event for this crucial interface between engineering and information
    technology," said Donald Pazour, CEO of Access Intelligence. "This
    event fits perfectly into our stable of products aimed at executives
    in the chemical and energy industries, including Chemical Engineering
    and Chemical Week websites, magazines and conferences, and The Energy
    Daily news and information service."

    Access Intelligence is a portfolio company of Veronis Suhler
    Stevenson's private equity Fund III. Terms of the acquisition were not
    disclosed.

    John Pearson, divisional president of Access Intelligence's
    Chemical Division, added: "The industry that daratechPLANT serves is a
    vital one. Our plans for daratechPLANT include focusing the conference
    on the key issues of system interoperability, standards for data
    interchange and integration of engineering systems with operations and
    maintenance. Another focus will be the use of smart IT solutions to
    overcome the current skills shortage."

    Daratech, Inc., CEO, Charles Foundyller, said: "We feel very
    confident that Access Intelligence will guarantee that the reputation
    of the event as an educational forum is maintained and beginning in
    2008 will deliver more breadth, value and exceptional content to all
    its constituents as the industry moves to integrate business,
    engineering, and operational information from all segments of the
    plant lifecycle."

    For more information on the next daratechPLANT Conference, visit
    www.daratechplant.com.

    About Access Intelligence

    Access Intelligence (www.accessintel.com), a portfolio company of
    Veronis Suhler Stevenson, is a b-to-b media and information company
    headquartered in Rockville, Md., serving the chemical, defense,
    satellite, aviation, cable, telecommunications, media and public
    relations markets. Leading brands include Chemical Week, Energy Daily,
    Via Satellite, Rotor & Wing, CableWORLD; Defense Daily, PR News, Media
    Industry Newsletter, CableFAX Daily newsletters ; TelecomWeb and
    Defense Daily Network, subscription-based Web sites and the Chemical
    Economics Handbook and Process Economics Program research databases.
    Access Intelligence also produces the leading tradeshow for satellite
    executives and executive conferences for the chemicals market.

    To schedule a media interview with John Pearson, contact Tina
    Costilla at 650-384-4348.

    About Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS)

    VSS is a private equity and mezzanine capital fund management
    company dedicated to investing in the media, communications and
    information industries in North America and Europe. Since 1987, VSS
    has managed over $2.5 billion in committed capital across four private
    equity funds and a mezzanine debt fund, all focused exclusively on the
    media, communications and information industries. VSS provides capital
    for buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings and strategic
    acquisitions to companies and management teams with a goal to build
    companies both organically and through a focused add-on acquisition
    program. To date, VSS equity funds have invested in 40 platform
    companies, which have in turn completed over 200 add-on acquisitions
    resulting in a portfolio with realized and unrealized enterprise
    values totaling approximately $7.5 billion. For additional
    information: www.vss.com.