MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has acquired a majority stake in eventive Holding, which is a leading event group in Austria and a key player in Germany and Switzerland.

eventive, with offices in Vienna, Hamburg, Munich, New York and Beijing, will be part of the Publicis Events Worldwide network and will soon be rebranded as Publicis eventive.

The move will allow Publicis Events Worldwide to grow even faster in the core of Europe and in Switzerland, where the network is already active through its association with the World Economic Forum and the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos.

In view of the increasing importance of events marketing within the Publicis Groupe's Specialised Agencies and Marketing Services (SAMS) operations, an events executive board has also been created, under the chairmanship of Publicis Events Worldwide CEO Richard Attias.

“Event marketing is one of the fastest growing and most exciting areas of our business, and we now have an increasingly rich global offering giving our clients direct contact with their audiences anywhere in the world. With eventive, I am delighted that one of the most successful and respected event marketing agencies has now become part of the Publicis family. And, finally, under Richard’s inspired leadership, I am incredibly excited about the opportunities to grow in this space,” said Publicis Groupe chairman and CEO Maurice Lévy.

 
 
In another move designed to further strengthen the Groupe's operations in the fast-growing events marketing field, Chicago-based Relay, which was until now part of the Groupe's Starcom MediaVest network, will be realigned with Publicis Events Worldwide. The agency recently launched Relay China in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
 
Other members, at this stage, include SAMS CEO John Farrell and Relay CEO Wally Hayward. The aim of the board is to guide the Groupe's strategic direction in the events area and identify opportunities where the Groupe may be able to expand even more quickly and profitably.