Chicago, IL – July 29, 2014 – BCD M&I (www.bcdmi.com) today announced the acquisition of Universal Meeting Management, Inc. (UMM), a leading corporate meeting and event management company with expertise in servicing the health care provider (HCP) sector and a growing customer base in the High Tech market. The move enhances the southeastern presence for BCD M&I and increases its service offerings to include proprietary technologies geared toward the HCP sector and a talented staff of meeting professionals with years of experience.

"The employees of UMM bring our clients something very valuable with their unrivalled expertise in planning and executing pharmaceutical events. They also share our dedication to superior customer service," said BCD M&I Global President Scott Graf. "Acquisition is key to our strategic growth plan, and we could not have found a better cultural fit than the one that currently exists at UMM."

In addition to specialization in the HCP and High Tech sectors, the UMM team has vast experience in product launches, medical meetings, and a proprietary technology platform which tracks, measures and reports meeting analytics to promote both financial transparency, audit readiness and compliance. While the tool has been primarily utilized in the US market, it will immediately be integrated into all of BCD M&I's regional operations.

BCD M&I currently has headquarter locations in Chicago, Mexico City, Maidenhead (UK) and Singapore and is delighted to enhance its presence in the southeastern United States. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, UMM was founded and led by industry veteran and entrepreneur, Kathy Truelove, for over 20 years.

"We are thrilled to join forces with BCD M&I, an industry leader across the globe in corporate meetings and events," says Truelove. "The combination of our companies, both built on a spirit of delivering innovative solutions and consistent service, brings additional value to current and potential customers."

"Both BCD M&I and UMM have built a solid portfolio of customers over the years which can expect to benefit from this merger," Graf states. "Our combined international reach and extensive experience in meeting and events management will further enhance our position as the leader in pharma sector meeting management across the globe."

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