Vitesse Media PLC Strategy Update: Live Events (0214T)

TIDMVIS

RNS Number : 0214T

Vitesse Media PLC

29 June 2018

Vitesse Media plc

("Vitesse" or the "Group")

STRATEGIC UPDATE: LIVE EVENTS

Launch of DiversityQ Brand

Vitesse Media plc (AIM: VIS), the AIM-quoted digital media and events business, announces the launch of its DiversityQ brand and an update on its live events business.

Vitesse has recently implemented a new strategy to focus its core business propositions of Business Information, Live Events and Data & Insight around three communities: Technology, Financial Services and Diversity. The Live Events sector has already contributed significant value in the last financial year, being a major contributor of revenue, attracting over 2,000 attendees and reaching 10.6 million people on social media.

The Company's move into the Diversity community has been particularly successful, with the Women in Finance Awards held on 27 June 2018, attracting over 800 guests, making it one of the Group's most successful events ever. The flagship Women in IT event had 1100 attendees in January 2018 and now the Women in Finance event is in its second year and growing faster than the Women in IT event.

The Women in Finance Awards is Europe's largest diversity initiative, recognising the high-achievers, advocates and role models for women in financial services. The event was organised by Vitesse owned brands Growthbusiness.co.uk and Whatinvestment, with diversity partner, Virgin Money. The London Stock Exchange was the premium sponsor and the other sponsors were EY, FinTech Advisory, GP Bullhound, HSBC, LV=, M&G Investments, Prudential, RBS, Rolls-Royce and Schroders. HM Treasury, Innovate Finance, PIMFA, savvywoman, UK Business Angels Association, Voice at the Table and Women's Enterprise Scotland were partners of the event.

The Women in Finance Awards was hosted and presented by Louise Minchin, respected journalist, broadcaster and TV presenter, and keynote speeches were given by Jayne-Anne Gadhia CBE, Chief Executive of Virgin Money, who was instrumental in compiling and realising the hugely significant HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter and John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to HM Treasury, who delivered an insightful speech and commented on the significant year it has been for women when considering the centenary of women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.

This Women in Finance Awards followed the Future Stars of Tech Awards, held earlier this month, which identifies and promotes the tech industry's top female career achievers. The event provides a platform for encouraging young women in technology, boosting the visibility of female talent.

Vitesse has been expanding its geographical footprint, and in March 2018, launched its Women in IT event in the USA at New York's prestigious Gotham Hall. Over 550 guests attended the event, significantly exceeding management expectations for an inaugural event.

The Diversity movement has gathered resounding support from trade associations, politicians and companies of all sizes and sectors with sponsors such as Google Cloud, Deloitte and Rolls Royce joining London Stock Exchange, EY, Virgin Money, AXA, Prudential and many more. In recognition of this, Vitesse has today launched its DiversityQ (diversityq.com) brand to enhance, develop and promote workforce diversity and inclusion.

Simon Stilwell, Chief Executive Officer of Vitesse, said:

"Our Live Events business is a great example of our new strategy in action and the success of the recent Women in Finance Awards gives me great confidence that our strategy is working. The event was well attended, very well supported by major international companies who recognise that the conversation and the debate it creates is meaningful and impactful.

There has been much debate in the media and elsewhere on gender diversity in particular in the financial services sector and diversity in the workplace is a key boardroom issue across industry. We will seek to develop activities to help companies address these critical issue. This is why we have just launched our DiversityQ brand and we are confident that diversityq.com will become a forum for professionals and business leaders to access content and analysis to enhance, develop and promote workforce diversity and inclusion.

The successful recent launch in the USA of the Women in IT awards shows that there is a need for our audiences to be connected internationally. In the future, we hope to expand other events around the world and harness the power of Vitesse Media's communities to create value for our shareholders."

-ends-

For further enquiries please contact:

 
 Vitesse Media               [phone] 
  plc                         7035 
 Simon Stilwell, 
  Chief Executive 
 Stockdale Securities        [phone] 
  Limited                     6100 
 Tom Griffiths 
  Ed Thomas 
                             [phone] 
 Belvedere Communications     0510 
 John West 
  Kim van Beeck 
 

About Vitesse Media plc

Vitesse Media plc is an AIM-quoted leading B2B media business specialising in three key areas: Business Information, Live Events and Data and Insight in three key sectors: Technology, Financial Services and Diversity. Vitesse's ambition is to create content that informs, communities that engage and brands that inspire in order to enable a better business environment for our sponsors and clients.

Vitesse's flagship titles include SmallBusiness.co.uk, Growth Company Investor, Information Age, GrowthBusiness.co.uk and What Investment. Vitesse Media is also responsible for a growing portfolio of high-profile events, including The Quoted Company Awards, Women in IT Awards, British Small Business Awards and Data 50 Awards, amongst others.

For more information visit www.vitessemedia.com

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June 29, 2018 02:01 ET (06:01 GMT)