GENCOM-LED PARTNERSHIP EXECUTES SALE OF ETC.VENUES TO NEW YORK-BASED CONVENE
The firm led the sale of U.K.’s leading conference space provider to Convene, a hospitality company that now becomes the largest single supplier of premium meeting venues in the U.S. and UK
MIAMI, FL – February 1, 2023 – Gencom, an international owner and developer of hospitality and residential properties, today announced the sale of etc.venues, an established leader in urban day conferencing with more than 500,000 square feet of space over 13 venues across London, Birmingham and Manchester and three in New York City. The buyer, Convene, is a hospitality company that designs, builds, and manages premium meeting, event, and flexible office spaces, offering solutions for innovative organizations.
Four years ago, a Gencom-led partnership acquired an ownership stake in etc.venues, contributing capital to position the company for continued growth, serving as a catalyst for its expansion into the U.S. and navigating challenges presented by the global pandemic that has led to its successful exit from this investment. The completion of this transaction positions Convene as the largest single provider of premium meeting and event venues in the U.S. and UK.
“Gencom’s investment in etc.venues represented a unique opportunity to execute an investment strategy that aligned with our focus on hospitality holdings and operations, while allowing us to gain a stake in the growing meetings and events space sector,” said Gencom Founder and Principal Karim Alibhai. “Despite setbacks created by the pandemic, this was a business sector that rebounded stronger as more companies sought flexible meeting and work spaces in a post-pandemic world. We felt this was the right time to execute this successful transaction given the buyer Convene’s position as an industry leader in meeting, event and flex office spaces, and future growth prospects.”
The Gencom partnership will maintain a significant ownership stake in Convene and Mr. Alibhai will serve on its board of directors.
Founded more than 35 years ago, Gencom has grown to become one of the nation’s leading firms specializing in the development and management of luxury resort and residential properties, alongside full-service hospitality operating platforms. Today, the Gencom portfolio is comprised of nearly $7 billion in assets under management and includes 23 assets in operation or under development with over 8,500 hotel rooms around the world. Gencom’s portfolio also includes a distinct affiliated operating platform: Pyramid Global Hospitality, which oversees hotel property management and operations throughout the U.S. and Europe.
About Gencom
Gencom is a U.S.-based investment firm that owns, operates and develops prized real estate around the world, with an emphasis on luxury hotels, resorts and branded residential properties; and which is also an active owner and investor in hospitality operating platforms. Gencom’s current real estate portfolio is comprised of some of the world’s most iconic hotels, resorts, and destinations which are amongst the leading properties in the industry with key operating partners such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood, Auberge, Fairmont, Hyatt, Marriott and St. Regis. www.gencomgrp.com
About etc.venues
etc.venues operates nearly 500,000 square feet of space with over 15 venues across London, Birmingham, Manchester and New York. In our 30 years, we have hosted 300,000 events attended by more than 15 million delegates. Those numbers make etc.venues a leader in urban day conferencing. In fact, in Central London, we’re bigger than both Marriott and Hilton with 278 rooms. www.etcvenues.com
About Convene
Convene is a premium hospitality company that designs and operates meeting, event, flexible office, and membership spaces. With a network of 38 locations across nine cities in the U.S. and UK, Convene thoughtfully combines beautiful yet intuitive design, fully-integrated technology services, and a warm and welcoming environment to create a turnkey solution for extraordinary meeting and work experiences. Founded in 2009 with the goal of bringing hospitality and lifestyle into traditional commercial real estate assets, Convene partners with the industry’s top landlords to deliver increased value to their assets and premium experiences to their tenants. The company counts Hudson’s Bay Company, Ares, and RXR Realty among its investors and has been named one of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies by Forbes and a Best Workplace by Inc.magazine, Fortune magazine, and Built In. Learn more at https://convene.com/
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