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CENDYN ACQUIRES KNOWLAND AND ANNOUNCES PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNER
Cendyn , a global hospitality cloudbased technology company , has acquired Knowland , a US-based leader in Data-as-a-Service intelligence on meetings and events for hospitality . The strategic acquisition presents an opportunity to enhance sales prospecting by yielding greater bookings in the MICE ( meetings , incentives , conferences and events ) space .
Knowland ’ s platform includes extensive market intelligence data on meetings and events gathered from over 7,500 hotels across the USA and a select handful of international markets . Knowland ’ s products connect hoteliers with market insights to drive more revenue , accelerate the sales cycle and optimise processes to achieve group sales goals .
Alongside Cendyn ’ s current investors , earlier this year Cendyn welcomed Austin-based Haveli Investments to its private equity portfolio . With its focus on high-quality technology companies , the backing by Haveli Investments , along with Accel-KKR , puts Cendyn on a strong path to deliver innovation for the hospitality industry . The pairing of Knowland ’ s meeting and event data with Cendyn ’ s Sales CRM , Proposals and Grouprev platforms highlights the opportunity this acquisition brings to their customers , empowering them to find and drive group bookings with a complete and single solution .
“ To effectively sell group business , hoteliers need immediate access to data , and Knowland ’ s event intelligence platform is undoubtedly the market leader in this area . Its sales intelligence complements our Sales CRM , helping hoteliers find their target audience . Then , using our Proposals and Grouprev platforms , hoteliers can complete the booking process . It ’ s the perfect fit with our commitment to helping hoteliers ‘ Find , Book and Grow ’ their business . With Haveli Investments ’ dedication and expertise in technology joining our expansion , we ’ re poised to deliver a bright future for Cendyn ’ s customers ,” said Jack Blaha , CEO at Cendyn .
“ Salespeople thrive on information , and over the past 20 years , Knowland has provided them with essential data to help target new business efforts and home in on genuine leads ,” said Jeff Bzdawka , CEO at Knowland . “ This exciting new era furthers our commitment to improving
KNOWLAND ’ S PRODUCTS CONNECT HOTELIERS WITH MARKET INSIGHTS TO DRIVE MORE REVENUE , ACCELERATE THE SALES CYCLE AND OPTIMISE PROCESSES TO ACHIEVE GROUP SALES GOALS .
the working lives of hotel sales teams and helps shift the needle towards a proactive sales approach to group business .”
According to the US Travel Association , after a slow recovery , business travel is expected to regain 95 % of its 2019 peak in 2024 . The acquisition provides Cendyn with the opportunity to equip its customers with a combined event intelligence and B2B prospecting solution , simplifying and automating the sales process to ease the management and success of sales outreach .
“ We are excited to partner with Cendyn , its leadership team and all of its shareholders , including Accel-KKR to capitalise on the growth opportunities that lie ahead ,” said Ian Loring , Senior Managing Director and Executive Chair at Haveli Investments . “ We believe Cendyn ’ s broad portfolio of hospitality solutions uniquely positions it to help continue capturing market share , expanding into new markets and driving value for its customers .” x
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