Convene charts new chapter with launch of parent company, Convene Hospitality Group (CHG)

A message from Ryan Simonetti

In 2009, I co-founded Convene under the premise: what if you ran an office building like a boutique hotel?  Over the past 16 years, we’ve not only brought hospitality into commercial real estate assets, but have grown into the single largest provider of dedicated meeting and event venues in the U.S. and UK, introduced premium flex offices to the market, and established a global, multi-brand organization. 

Today, we chart a new chapter with the formation of Convene Hospitality Group (CHG), the parent company uniting Convene and etc.venues. This strategic move leverages our combined strengths, expertise, and market reach to better serve our clients and partners in more places and exciting new ways.

Focused on creating the places and experiences that bring people together, CHG designs, develops, and operates hospitality-driven destinations to host gatherings of all kinds — ranging from corporate meetings to immersive brand activations, multiday conferences, private dinners, and social events.  This is the culmination of our brands’ combined experience serving the meetings and events industry with a hospitality-first mindset.  We’ve listened to you — our clients — conducted extensive market research, and have constantly improved our approach to ensure we were meeting you and your clients' needs in a meaningful way.  

CHG’s multi-brand approach revolutionizes the meetings and events model

Research shows demand is growing for “third places” to host specialized in-person gatherings. According to a CVENT Planner sourcing report, around 66% of event planners expect off-site meetings and events to increase, with internal team meetings expected to account for 43% of all meetings.

The formation of CHG comes at a time when in-person experiences are more sought after than ever, and businesses are increasing investment in high-impact events to build culture and engage with their clients. There is something magical about being together in person, especially in a digital-first world. CHG provides a global platform of venues to make hosting events of all types and sizes seamless. Across brands, we employ a human-centric and anticipatory service model that delivers an exceptional experience for clients and guests alike.

Through our diligence, we uncovered multiple unique industry segments, ranging from tentpole experiential events and product launches to internal team offsites, and we are committed to creating brands and product offerings that serve the full spectrum of the meetings and events market.  Our vision for CHG is to design and cultivate environments where connections grow, organizations flourish, and every gathering fosters a sense of purpose.

CHG: a strategic next step years in the making

We’ve been marching towards a “house of brands” model since the 2023 acquisition of etc.venues. The addition not only expanded Convene’s global presence, but also filled an existing demand for venues catering to small and medium-sized offsites, trainings, and conferences. And we were proud to add an established UK brand to our portfolio, one that first revolutionized the meetings and events industry over 30 years ago by focusing on building vibrant venues with an effortless planning experience.

As a next step, we announced a thoughtful segmentation of the two brands in January 2024, with Convene properties focusing on larger, customized events and premium workplace experiences, and etc.venues on simple, turnkey meetings. To better serve our clientele and take advantage of the size and floorplates of individual properties, several venues were converted from etc.venues to the Convene brand. The repositioning allowed for clearly defined brand segmentation and greater clarity for our clients.

Convene placed a stake in the multi-day meetings and experiential events sector, like the Fast Company Innovation Festival, Financial Times Future of the Car, and multiple Adweek annual events. By designing and operating venues exclusively in Class-A buildings, Convene further elevated its flexible office spaces for established companies like goop and individual creatives alike. Its commitment to sophisticated design and state-of-the-art technology has positioned Convene as a preferred choice for clients seeking premium, full-service solutions.

etc.venues specializes in providing contemporary spaces built to host multiple concurrent small to medium programs, allowing clients to benefit from an elevated hospitality experience for value-driven offsites. Its robust network of venues in London, Manchester, and New York City focuses on simple meetings thanks to turnkey amenities, such as plug-and-play technology and communal catering-of-the-day prepared by our in-house culinary team and served in a shared dining area. etc.venues extends the group's reach to a broader spectrum of organizations in the media, technology, and professional services industries.

Evolving the CHG portfolio of brands

CHG allows us to better serve you in more places and more ways thanks to a portfolio of brands intentionally built to serve different market segments and use cases. As a hospitality company first and foremost, we’re proud that today both Convene and etc.venues are recognized for our amazing on-site service, seamless execution, and chef-driven cuisine.  With CHG, we aim to set new standards for excellence in lifestyle hospitality and provide you with an unparalleled experience across our growing house of brands.  

Thank you for your support, trust, and partnership. We look forward to this next chapter together.

Ryan Simonetti

President & CEO

Convene Hospitality Group