2010 Press
WebMediaBrands Announces the Acquisition of the Semantic Technology Conference (SemTech) and Semantic Universe Blog
(New York, NY - September 20, 2010) WebMediaBrands (Nasdaq: WEBM) today announced that it has acquired all of the assets of the Semantic Technology Conference (SemTech) and the SemanticUniverse.com blog from Wilshire Conferences. SemTech is the largest conference in the world dedicated to the rapidly growing topic of the Semantic Web and Linked Data. Tony Shaw and Dave McComb, founders and operators of SemTech, will continue as consultants and will take an active role in expanding and operating SemTech for WebMediaBrands in coming years. SemTech 2011 is scheduled to take place in June 2011 in San Francisco, CA. SemanticUniverse is a blog and e-mail newsletter providing news and articles about the application of semantic technologies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The Semantic Web is a rapidly growing technology that is affecting search marketing, retail marketing, and publishing and media markets,” stated Alan M. Meckler, Chairman and CEO of WebMediaBrands. “SemTech was founded in 2005 and has become the main trade show for those interested in the future of Semantic Web developments in technology as well as commercial applications. WebMediaBrands already has one of the leading blogs covering the field, SemanticWeb.com, and has operated the Semantic Web Summit conference. By combining forces with Semantic Universe and SemTech, WebMediaBrands has become the definitive source of information for what appears to be one of the next great revolutions in Web search and marketing. We expect that this acquisition will be accretive to our earnings and cash flows,” added Meckler.
”Semantic technologies are clearly going mainstream, both on the W eb and in the enterprise,” stated Tony Shaw. “We felt we needed the resources and expertise of a larger, robust media organization to keep pace with these rapid developments. Dave and I are thrilled to continue the job we started – building a world-class educational organization focused on semantics – and now with the enthusiastic support of Alan Meckler and WebMediaBrands” added Shaw.
About WebMediaBrands Inc.
WebMediaBrands Inc. (Nasdaq: WEBM, www.webmediabrands.com) is an Internet media company that provides content, education, trade shows, and online job board services to media and business professionals. The Company’s online business includes: (i) mediabistro.com, a leading blog network providing content, career, and educational resources about major media markets and industry verticals including new media, TV news, advertising, public relations, publishing, design, mobile, and the semantic web; (ii) SocialTimes.com and AllFacebook.com, providing industry-leading content about the latest developments in social media, social networks, and social gaming; (iii) other leading content websites including AgencySpy, PRNewser, eBookNewser, BrandsoftheWorld, GalleyCat, and TVNewser; and (iv) e-commerce websites including FreelanceConnect.com and StockLogos.com. The Company’s educational offerings include online and in-person courses, panels, certificate programs, and video subscription libraries for media and business professionals on topics including social media, journalism, advertising, design, publishing, Web content, video, and more. WebMediaBrands’s trade shows include Think Mobile, Smartphone Games Summit, Social Gaming Summit, Virtual Goods Summit, eBook Summit, Semantic Web Summit, Freemium Summit, Social Developer Summit, Mediabistro Circus and Mediabistro Career Circus. The Company’s mediabistro.com business also includes an industry-leading job board for media and business professionals focusing on job categories such as social media, online/new media, publishing, public relations/marketing, advertising, sales, design, television and more.
All current WebMediaBrands press releases can be found online at www.webmediabrands.com/corporate/press.html
For information on WebMediaBrands contact:
Amanda Barrett
Director of Marketing
212-547-7879
[email protected]
