Addition of established, award-winning firm further enhances meetings management expertise, adds association management services to create industry-leading powerhouse
[BOCA RATON, FL, and ATLANTA, GA – December 7, 2021] — The Etherio Group announces the addition of Meeting Expectations to its brand portfolio, accelerating the breadth and depth of expertise and services available to corporate and association clients. Meeting Expectations joins Etherio Group’s existing meetings and event management brands, MeetingAdvice and Global Meetings and Incentives (GMI), to provide both complementary and additional services, most notably full-service association management. The Etherio Group, formed in January, 2021 when MeetingAdvice, Global Meetings & Incentives, ABC Global Services, CCRA International, and Matchstick Creative united under single ownership, is now poised to provide the most customer-centric meeting planning, incentive, logistics, and sourcing solutions available to the market.
Founded in 1992 by company president Jalene Bermudez, Meeting Expectations has been recognized by MeetingsNet on the CMI 25 for 15 straight years as one of the largest full-service meeting and incentive travel management companies serving the U.S. corporate market. In addition, the company’s association management business currently leads more than a dozen nonprofits, trade associations and technology user groups. Rounding out its services are an in-house marketing and creative services agency, virtual and hybrid event production, leadership consulting, ME Rewards travel incentives, and event technology development and implementation.
“For the past 30 years, Meeting Expectations has consistently delivered impactful events and best-in-class association management solutions, while also continuing to deepen our expertise and expand services to meet our clients’ needs,” said Jalene Bermudez. “Our clients can continue to rely on the same professionalism, talented team members, and unparalleled services in the meeting, events and association management industry.”
“I am thrilled to entrust our next evolution of growth to the Etherio Group and come together with MeetingAdvice and life sciences specialist GMI. By joining forces, we will bring even more resources and enhanced buying power to our clients. Brian and I look forward to integrating the teams here in Atlanta,” continued Bermudez.
With this latest acquisition, the Etherio Group expands its leadership team to include Meeting Expectations’ Bermudez along with Managing Partner Brian Meyer. Led by Eric Altschul, CEO, the meetings and incentives leadership team also includes Steve Goodman, managing director of Meeting Advice; and Eli Sananes, president of GMI.
“What differentiates the Etherio Group’s combination of companies is not just the highly complementary array of services, but also their complementary cultures,” said Eric Altschul, CEO of Etherio Group. “Each has an unyielding focus on client service and on providing employees with a great place to work. Together they are unstoppable, and we are positioned to provide an unmatched level of service and expertise not only in meetings management, but also in association management.”
With its portfolio of brands, Etherio Group is a unique, full-service meetings and events, incentive, and sourcing specialist through its four divisions—Meetings & Events, Life Sciences, Incentive, and Associates—along with agency and supplier services companies ABC Global Services, CCRA International, and Travtion Technologies.
“The addition of Meeting Expectations to the Etherio Group cements our industry leadership, not just in the Southeast but across the country,” said Steve Goodman, managing director of MeetingAdvice. “The opportunity to collaborate and tap into each other’s unique strengths bolsters the growth projectory we are already experiencing as the meetings and events industry rebounds.”
“This further investment is a testament to the Etherio Group’s commitment to our current and future clients,” said Eli Sananes, president of GMI. “Meeting Expectations is a well-respected and dynamic organization, and I look forward to leveraging our respective strengths to deliver industry-leading results.”
