July 23, 2024

The Business of Meetings – Episode 228 – Investment Trends and M&A in the Events Industry with Jay Weintraub and Greg Topalian

We are thrilled to have two super successful entrepreneurs joining us on the show today.

Jay Weintraub is the CEO of Connectiv Holdings, and Greg Topalian is the Chairman of Clarion Events North America. Jay and Greg are two of the most sought-after self-starters within the events industry. They are with us today to share their incredible stories and achievements and tell us about the new organization they have co-founded with several others, called the Events Venture Group.

Stay tuned for more!

Jay and Greg’s Long-Standing Professional Relationship

Jay and Greg have been business partners for the last 15 years. They have acquired several businesses and collaborated as entrepreneurs, working together in various capacities, with Greg even having served as Jay’s boss. Their mutual respect and shared entrepreneurial spirit define their relationship, and they are always open to serendipitous opportunities and doing impactful and meaningful work.

Jay’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Jay began his entrepreneurial journey when he saw a gap in the events industry. Despite not wanting to be an entrepreneur, his frustration with the lack of certain events led him to quit his job and start an event of his own in 2008. Since then, his experience within the events world has been positive and rewarding.

Greg’s Varied Career Path

Greg started his career at Reed Exhibitions at 22, selling booth space and eventually managing New York Comic Con. While at Reed, he realized the value of entrepreneurship and started a company called Leftfield Media. He later sold Leftfield Media to Clarion Events and took on a leadership role with them.

Transition from Leftfield Media to Clarion Events

After joining Carion Events, Greg enjoyed the financial backing and infrastructure a larger company provided. He gained operational experience and learned about the value of a customer-focused approach, which he leveraged during his entrepreneurial phase.

Becoming an Angel Investor

Jay became an angel investor after years of observing the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the events industry. His experience gave him insight and helped him identify promising opportunities, and he began investing in niche markets, focusing on solving significant problems within the industry.

The Birth of Events Venture Group (EVG)

Jay and Greg, along with several other industry veterans, founded the Events Venture Group to support early-stage companies in the events industry. Recognizing the lack of support for new businesses, they founded EVG to nurture the next generation of event entrepreneurs by providing them with funding and guidance.

Technology in Events

Greg and Jay feel that while there are many niche tech solutions, building a large and successful business remains challenging. They focus on solving significant problems for attendees, rather than just organizers, to tap into larger markets.

Personal and Professional Aspirations: Jay

Jay would love to experience the thrill of high-speed adventures by driving a car at 200 miles per hour. Professionally, he is eager to connect with those who have innovative ideas for events, particularly in niche industries where many significant needs often remain unmet.

Personal and Professional Aspirations: Greg

Personally, Greg would love to meet his musical idol, the rock legend Bruce Springsteen. Professionally, he is committed to leveraging his extensive experience to help others. He enjoys conversations about new event ideas and using his expertise to assist others in their development.

Bio: Jay Weintraub 

Jay Weintraub is the CEO of Connectiv Holdings, the events studio, and holding company behind Blueprint, Manifest, and Medicarians. To date, Jay and his team have created and sold four events – LeadsCon, Mobile Apps Unlocked, HR Transform, and InsureTech Connect. Before becoming an event entrepreneur, Jay spent eight years in the internet advertising space. Jay is an investor in more than 50 startups and has been an advisor to more than a dozen companies. He is equally passionate about technology’s role in the future of events, which is why Connectiv Holdings also includes Connects.at, their proprietary event technology business. Jay is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He is based in NYC with his wife, two children, and their fur child, Loopy.

Bio: GREG TOPALIAN

Chairman

Clarion Events North America

Greg Topalian is Chairman of Clarion Events North America. With over 25 years of experience in exhibition and enthusiast events, Greg brings an entrepreneurial approach to building the North American business across a wide variety of sectors.

Greg was with Reed Exhibitions for 17 years, creating the ReedPop division, which launched NY Comic Con in 2006 followed by a series of fan-based consumer events. After leaving Reed, he founded LeftField Media, a boutique events company focused on developing experiential events rooted in contemporary culture and shared passion.

In 2016 Clarion acquired LeftField, and in 2017 Greg was named CEO of Clarion Events North America.

As CEO of Clarion for the past 5 years, he has accelerated the North American portfolio by focusing on strategic acquisitions for both B2B/B2C Events, New Launches, Media, Digital Products, and Learning Management. Some of the market-leading events Clarion acquired during Greg’s leadership include FDIC, DISTRIBUTECH, InsureTech Connect, and Mobile Apps Unlocked. In addition, the LeftField Media portfolio includes Anime NYC, AwesomeCon, Anime Frontier, and Rose City Comicon.

Greg is an active participant in the event industry as a whole and is a former Chairman of the SISO (Society of Independent Show Organizers) Executive Board. Greg is active in youth baseball and still plays in a 40+ league. He also has four dogs and is an active foster for rescue dogs.

Connect with Eric Rozenberg

On LinkedIn

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Connect with Jay Weintraub

Connectiv Holdings

Jay Weintraub on LinkedIn

Connect with Greg Topalian

Clarion Events North America

On LinkedIn

The Events Venture Group

About the author 

Eric Rozenberg

For two decades, Eric Rozenberg has consulted with Fortune 500 companies and produced conferences in more than 50 countries across diverse industries. His focus is creating meetings that are not only breathtakingly memorable but which bring corporate strategies to life and amplify team motivation/performance.

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