SPAR Point Group Acquires ILMF and ELMF

SPAR Point Group, conference organiser and provider of news and market information for professionals involved in 3D data capture and imaging technologies, has acquired International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF) and European Lidar Mapping Forum (ELMF) from UK-based Intelligent Exhibitions.

The acquisition is part of a larger acquisition by Diversified Business Communications, owner of SPAR Point Group, in which Diversified acquired Intelligent Exhibitions, producer of international exhibitions and conferences.

Lisa Murray, director of SPAR Point Group commented that everyone is thrilled to have ILMF and ELMF in their portfolio. These well-established, highly-regarded events further expand the company's reach into airborne Lidar, bathymetry and mobile mapping technologies. Users are increasingly integrating data from multiple sources and it makes sense that as these technologies converge, the events that serve the market work together to support the industry.

She added that the ELMF will take place alongside the SPAR Europe Conference on End-to-End 3D in Amsterdam from 11 to 13 November 2013. ILMF will take place as a stand-alone event in Denver, USA, in 2014 and SPAR Point Group’s flagship event, SPAR International, will take place again in Colorado Springs, USA, 14-17 April 2014.

By holding the European events together, SPAR Point Group is able to provide its customers the full spectrum of data capture, processing and delivery education at one time, Murray explained. Both ELMF and SPAR Europe are nascent, smaller events, so holding them alongside each other in the organisation's new venue in Amsterdam makes sense. The US events will remain apart in 2014.  Because ILMF and SPAR International are larger and more established, these events will be run separately in 2014, with the company working closely with customers and market leaders to determine what will serve the market best in North America in future years, she continued.

It has become apparent in recent years that the next natural step is for these conferences to merge, said Versha Carter, managing director of Intelligent Exhibitions. She thinks this will benefit not only the exhibitors but also the industry as a whole.

Both ELMF and ILMF will be operated out of Diversified Business Communications’ Portland, Maine, USA headquarters. Nancy Hasselback, president and CEO of Diversified, said she welcomes Versha Carter and the Intelligent Exhibitions team to Diversified’s global team. They have built a world-class business, she said, and will be focusing on launching additional events within Diversified, operating Ocean Business, and assisting on the integration of ILMF, ELMF and SPAR.