January 4, 2016
CHICAGO - SmithBucklin announced today that it has acquired SDI, an incentive travel, strategic meetings and special events company based in Chicago. The announcement was made by Matt Sanderson, President & CEO of SmithBucklin, and Scott Dillion, founder and President of SDI.
Building upon SmithBucklin’s already strong capabilities to deliver seamless event management services worldwide, the transaction enhances the company’s increasing corporate event-planning portfolio, and brings to the company new, specialized talent in incentive travel. SDI will benefit by accessing SmithBucklin’s significant partnerships in the hospitality industry, as well SmithBucklin’s extensive talent base.
Retaining its highly respected brand name, SDI will operate from SmithBucklin’s Chicago office as a wholly owned subsidiary of SmithBucklin. Dillion will continue as SDI’s President, complementing SmithBucklin’s Event and Education Services directed by Carol McGury, Executive Vice President.
“I have been a longtime fan of SmithBucklin’s work, so I was thrilled that this opportunity presented itself,” Dillion said. “Our companies’ missions and cultures are very similar. Just as SmithBucklin always strives to do the right thing for each of its client organizations, SDI’s commitment is to put our customers’ needs first, last and always. And just as SmithBucklin values and takes care of its own people, I know this is the right move for our SDI team.”
Founded in 1992, SDI delivers industry-leading performance and planning solutions that illuminate, inspire and engage its clients. With a reputation for highly personalized service, SDI’s team leverages its long-standing client and supplier relationships to provide customized incentive travel and meeting opportunities with once-in-a-lifetime event experiences. Its approach to strategic meeting management offers strategically designed incentive travel meetings tailored to meet and surpass clients’ goals and objectives. SDI has consistently been recognized as one of Corporate Meetings & Incentives Magazine’s “CMI 25,” a ranking of the top companies in the incentive travel and meetings industry.
“Scott and his team have built a tremendous reputation for themselves and their company due to the successes they have driven for their clients, and we’re excited to have SDI become part of the SmithBucklin story,” Sanderson said.
“SDI’s offerings are natural extensions of our event management services,” McGury said. “Their energy, talent and client service commitment meshes perfectly with our SmithBucklin team.”
About SDI:
SDI is a leader in incentive travel, strategic meetings and special events. Founded in 1992 by Scott Dillion and based in Chicago, SDI delivers industry-leading performance and planning solutions that illuminate, inspire and engage. With a reputation for highly personalized service, SDI’s team leverages deep experience and its long-standing client and supplier relationships to provide customized incentive travel and meeting opportunities and once-in-a-lifetime event experiences. For more information, please visit www.sditravel.com.
About SmithBucklin:
SmithBucklin is the association management and services company more organizations turn to than any other. Our mission is to achieve the missions of the client organizations we serve and provide uncompromised stewardship for their long-term prosperity. SmithBucklin offers full-service management and outsourced services to trade associations, professional societies, technology user communities, industry consortia, charitable organizations, corporations and government institutes. Founded in 1949, SmithBucklin has offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., Old Lyme, Conn., St. Louis, Bethesda, Md., and San Ramon, Calif., and delivers seamless association and event management services worldwide. The company is 100 percent employee-owned. For more information, please visit www.smithbucklin.com.
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