ECI Partners, the leading growth-focused mid-market private equity firm, today announces its investment in TAG, the market leading high-touch travel management company to the entertainment and corporate markets.
The transaction marks a significant milestone as it facilitates an exit for Apiary Capital, who have supported TAG since 2018 and will make a 4x return.
TAG was founded in 1988 and now employs more than 450 people across the globe. As an award-winning travel and event management company, TAG has redefined the standards for travel in the entertainment industry with specialists providing bespoke, high-end service to some of the biggest names in music, film and TV production as well as top C-suite and corporate executives.
With a track record of eight successful acquisitions during Apiary’s ownership, TAG is poised for further expansion with ECI’s backing, bolstering its platform and enhancing its bespoke offering to its client base around the world.
Jens Penny, TAG CEO, commented: “Today is a fantastic milestone in our evolution, as we proudly announce the investment by ECI. With our entertainment and corporate clientele and the incredible TAG team, we are very confident that this partnership will deliver a host of new benefits and opportunities as we’re poised to elevate our standards even further, ensuring unparalleled service for our clients as we continue to shape the future of entertainment and high-end corporate travel management. We would like to thank Mark, Jess, Nicki and the team at Apiary for their support and commitment over the past 6 years and we look forward to the journey ahead and growth with ECI as our new partner.”
George Moss, Partner at ECI, commented: “We are excited to be partnering with TAG and leveraging ECI’s experience of investing in the travel industry to propel this global leader to new heights in the global entertainment and corporate travel markets. We are looking forward to working with the management team to continue innovating TAG’s service model, investing in technology and supporting the next stage of growth in its global footprint.”
Mark Salter, Managing Partner at Apiary Capital, commented: “We are incredibly proud to have been part of the amazing journey that TAG has been on since our investment in 2018. Jens and his team have done a fantastic job in expanding TAG into new geographies and markets, more than doubling the size of the business on the way. We are delighted to pass the baton on to ECI who are the right partner to take the business forward and support it through its next phase of growth.”
