Bauer has purchased event business The High Tea Party, as it looks to broaden its revenue stream.
The high tea business, founded 10 years ago, holds events at five-star locations around Australia targeting women.
Each event attracts more than 3,500 attendees and includes presentations on topics such as fashion and beauty, as well as product sampling.
Events have become increasingly important for publishers who look to find additional revenue to advertising, which has been declining with the growth of digital platforms.
“Event experiences are an incredibly important part of our business and as we continue to diversify our revenue streams, consumer ticketed events at scale are a focus for us,” says Sarah-Belle Murphy, executive general manager at Bauer Media.
“The High Tea Party is an established brand with a large and loyal audience. This, combined with the clear synergies that exist with our titles and marketing expertise, makes it a perfect fit for the business.”
Bauer will leverage its audience, portfolio of media brands, talent, marketing platforms and commercial partners to expose their brands and businesses to new customers and build relationships with existing.
Former head of digital strategy at ARN Julia Smith has been appointed to run the high tea business at Bauer, supported by a cross business team from marketing, digital and sales. Alison Dean, CEO of The Peppermint Group which started The High Tea Party, will consult Bauer for 12 months.
“We’re delighted to have Julia on board to drive the growth of The High Tea Party and the invaluable experience Alison brings in having run the event for the past 10 years,” says Murphy.
“For our partners it represents an opportunity to engage with a motivated audience through product sampling and sales, stage sponsorships, data capture and direct consumer feedback.”
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