Global provider of brand experiences, Freeman, is integrating several of its creative services across the Asia Pacific region, including in China and Singapore, under the company’s Freeman XP agency division.
The move follows Freeman’s acquisition of Staging Connections Group in November 2015. The event services company, with operations in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, operated in Singapore as The Event Company and in China as ETGSC.
“The integration announcement (8 November) better aligns our teams to address the needs of clients by combining the Freeman agency resources with ETGSC and The Event Company,” said FreemanXP president Dan Hoffend.
“Over the last year, we have continued to invest in our agency business with superior talent, building on the strong reputation and unmatched heritage of the teams,” added Hoffend. “We are excited to create local expertise backed by global resources as we integrate our operations across Asia Pacific and around the world.”
Commenting on the news, Kim Myhre, SVP and MD at FreemanXP in EMEA, said: “It’s an exciting time for FreemanXP, as the agency now expands its reach into the thriving APAC market whilst our EMEA business continues to grow… We continue to grow as our clients embrace the benefits of intersectional design thinking to create breakthrough brand experiences.
“I look forward to working with Adam Charles and the newly formed APAC team on behalf of our growing roster of global clients.”
For nearly 25 years in China, ETGSC has been a leading event marketing and event technology company. With offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the teams deliver an average of 300 events each year in China and thousands of corporate events in hotels across Asia Pacific. Freeman will continue to operate the audio visual services under the ETGSC brand.
As Freeman integrates the two companies into FreemanXP, seasoned leaders have joined the team in Asia Pacific, including: Dionne Holder as managing director of China; Etienne Chia, as VP, digital and strategy, APAC; Carrie Tsoi as marketing director, APAC; Tamsyn Barker as executive creative director in Singapore, and Peter Fulcher-Meredith as director of communications in Singapore.
“Asia Pacific is a key market for our growth, both in-market and as a destination for our global clients who need strategic, creative agency services,” said Adam Charles, SVP, managing director, APAC for FreemanXP. “Over the last year we have supported our growing roster of clients by investing in people and systems to keep up with the unique demands of this market.”
