Noba and Simpli-Fi merge to bring new joint venture to the market
Two flagship companies in the UK events industry have today announced a merger. Simpli-Fi and Noba, which both provide temporary internet and Wi-Fi installations for venues and live events, have joined to create a new offering – NobaTech.
Effective immediately, NobaTech will act as the umbrella company with both Noba and Simpli-Fi retaining their existing brands and customer base. The joint venture will see Noba maintain its position as the event Wi-Fi and temporary internet provider. Simpli-Fi will focus on three strategic growth markets, specifically education, leisure and construction.
NobaTech has already signed some notable and high-profile clients. These include Venue Lab, the company behind Printworks and the hotly anticipated Magazine London – a striking blank canvas for culture and commerce with a 3,000 capacity. It has also agreed a three and a half year exclusive partnership with The Saatchi Gallery – an event space used by brands such as; Google, Glamour, Rolling Stones Exhibition and Rolls Royce to name a few.
Commenting on the merger, Gary Exall, Director, Simpli-Fi said; “There are a small handful of event Wi-Fi companies in the UK with no clear market leader. We want to be that company within the next three years and see no reason why that can’t be the case. This venture brings two companies together that share the same vision when it comes to delivering premium events and the same values in terms of consistently exceeding client expectations. It’s a perfect fit and win-win scenario. Financially, NobaTech will see considerable savings by combining accountancy, marketing and sales functions. From a customer service perspective our combined methods and company structures will provide an even better service to our clients, which is the main priority.”
Despite NobaTech launching today, Simpli-Fi and Noba have been working in partnership for almost two years. During this time they have been sharing resources and hardware to service the increasing demand and customer base, particularly in the field of live events – an area of considerable growth.
The formation of Nobatech will see employee count double. It will also fuel a recruitment drive in account management and sales. The new company will be based in West London, currently the Simpli-Fi head office. The events, warehouse and logistics team will be based in Hertfordshire, Tring, currently the Noba office. The move will also see a wireless internet networks team created in Cannes, France. This is a new office built to cater for the demand for temporary events in this region.
Commenting on the merger, Nick Taylor, managing director, Noba, said: “This is the right move, for the right companies at the right time. At Noba, we have seen consistent organic growth for over a decade but more than doubled in size in the last two years alone. Merging with Simpli-Fi means that we can realise the synergies of both businesses in terms of people, skills and infrastructure quicker and more efficiently than any other way.”
The merger is the latest in a series of moves from Simpli-Fi to expand its offering to the UK market and follows news last year regarding the appointment to the board of events industry heavyweight, Mike Kershaw.
With over 15 years experience servicing the education sector, the ambition is now to establish a leadership position in this particular market. The other focus industries are leisure and construction, driven by a need for temporary connectivity across larger sites. This follows recent clients wins by Simpli-Fi including; 22 Bishopsgate and Battersea Power Station, Phase III.
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
