Questex Acquires Nancy Griffin’s SpaTrade

NEWTON, Mass., Aug 20, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Questex Media Group, Inc., a global, diversified business-to-business media company and owner of American Spa and American Salon magazines, Medical Spa Report, and the International Beauty Shows, the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conferences (IECSC) and the SPATEC appointment events today announced the acquisition of SpaTrade, which produces industry portals SpaTrade ( www.SpaTrade.com ) and SpaExec ( www.SpaExec.net ) and the SpaExec networking events. Nancy Griffin, Founder and President of SpaTrade, and her team will continue to operate the business. 
“Nancy and her team have built great resources for the industry. We are very excited to have an executive of her caliber and stature in the industry become an integral member of our organization,” said Kerry Gumas, President & CEO of Questex.
“We are thrilled to combine resources with Questex and believe our industry-leading websites, networking community and conferences complement their high-quality publications, tradeshows, marketing and information resources. We are looking forward to working together to further build and expand our services to the industry,” said Nancy Griffin.
Founded in 2000, SpaTrade is a new media company serving the unique needs of the global community of spa professionals primarily through its cutting-edge web site — www.SpaTrade.com — which represents the industry’s largest online community with 15,000 registered members representing spa owners, operators, practitioners, and suppliers from 94 countries. SpaTrade provides breaking news, expert moderated discussion forums, a comprehensive product and service guide, and the Knowledge Base, an extensive, searchable database of spa-related information. SpaTrade is complemented by SpaExec.net, the business support network for spa executives successfully operating a destination, hotel, resort, spa or multiple day spa location, and the SpaExec regional series of executive networking and industry education conferences.
“With the combination of SpaTrade and SpaExec into our existing Beauty Industry Group, we believe we have further advanced our mission of building a media and information platform for the industry that fully integrates marketing services, publishing, digital media, events, industry research and industry education for the benefit of global spa industry professionals, their suppliers and business partners,” said Robert Ingraham, Executive Vice President of the Questex Beauty Industry Group.
Griffin will continue to produce content for the websites and events, and report directly to Joyce Jamison, who has been named Vice President/Group Publisher of Questex’s Beauty Industry Group consisting of all print and digital brands serving the spa and beauty industries.
About Questex Media Group, Inc.
Questex Media Group, Inc. is a global, diversified business-to-business integrated media and information provider, headquartered in Newton, MA. Questex serves multiple industries including technology, beauty, spa, travel, hospitality, leisure, home entertainment, industrial specialties and service industries through a range of well-established, market-leading publications, events, interactive media, research, information and integrated marketing services.
The company’s businesses are managed through operating companies including Questex Media Group and five subsidiaries; InfoTrends, Inc., the world’s leading strategic research and advisory services provider to the document management and communications industries; McLean Events International, Ltd, a world-leading producer of appointment-based events; Imaging Network, a leading business-to-business multimedia marketing company serving the office products channel; Five Star Alliance, the leading online luxury hotel booking service for the affluent traveler; and, Oxford Publishing, Inc., publisher and tradeshow producer serving the beverage and food industries; and FierceMarkets, a leading online B2B media company serving the telecommunications, life sciences, healthcare, IT and finance industries. The company’s combined operations include more than 450 employees in offices throughout North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
SOURCE Questex Media Group, Inc.