NY-HBC
12.4.2022 16:02:10 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Convene, the leading hybrid meeting, event, and workspace provider, announced today that it has completed its recapitalization plan, led by HBC, a holding company at the intersection of real estate, technology and retail, and a fund managed by the Private Equity Group of Ares Management Corporation (“Ares”) (NYSE: ARES), a leading global alternative investment manager.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220412005446/en/
Convene will operate HBC’s existing portfolio of flexible work, event, restaurant and meeting spaces, which are expected to be rebranded as Convene and will remain branded as SaksWorks in the interim. HBC will be the majority owner of the combined entity, with 26 facilities under management and dozens more under development, which is expected to be the largest premium flex space operator across the US, Canada and Europe.
“We built Convene with a mission of elevating the workday experience. This strategic investment by HBC and Ares provides instant scale and growth opportunities for our business. We are excited to partner with HBC who is equally focused on delivering premium and flexible experiences to enable today’s distributed workforce," said Ryan Simonetti, co-founder and CEO of Convene. "As organizations continue to embrace hybrid work and are demanding higher quality environments in which to gather, we are well-positioned to seize this moment."
Convene combines design, technology, and hospitality to deliver elevated meeting and event spaces that enable business productivity and collaboration. Convene Studio, a proprietary virtual and hybrid events platform, can be added to any Convene or third-party location venue to enable seamless, secure, hybrid, and virtual meetings for up to 10,000 virtual attendees, including full production services.
Convene’s signature award-winning hospitality delivers a human touch in both the physical and virtual worlds. A team of dedicated on-site professionals welcome each guest and offer in-house assistance with everything from catering to IT/AV support, to ensure workday experiences are effortless and personalized. Alongside unlimited craft snacks, tea and barista coffee, Convene’s Head Chefs develop seasonal menus to replenish creative energy in every one of our locations.
With the investment from HBC and Ares, Convene’s future expansion will focus on locations in key urban and suburban markets. As businesses are reimagining their office footprint and hybrid workforce strategies, commercial real estate landlords are also re-thinking what is required to stay competitive in today's dynamic marketplace. Sought-after amenities such as coworking options, on-site culinary offerings, premium and elevated meeting and event venues, and hybrid technology that were once thought of as "nice to have" are now a "must have". Convene is well-poised to bring this fully operationalized solution to a wide variety of commercial real estate partners across the globe.
“Ryan and his management team have a 12-year track record of building world-class destinations for hosting events, meetings, and flexible workspace,” said Hamid Hashemi, COO, HBC Properties & Investments. “We are looking forward to implementing our shared vision across parts of HBC’s real estate portfolio, including the conversion of certain of its assets into Convene locations. With this transaction, Convene will expand its footprint into suburban markets, where people can work and meet closer to home.”
“We are proud to support Ryan and the Convene team in their continued growth as they further enable the future of work through innovative spaces and experiences,” said Craig Snyder, Partner and Co-Portfolio Manager of Special Opportunities in the Ares Private Equity Group. “We believe that this transaction will help accelerate Convene’s leadership position and we look forward to being a partner to them as they execute on future opportunities.”
About Convene
Convene is the leading provider of premium meeting and workday experiences with a global network of venues and flexible office locations. Combining design, technology, and hospitality to elevate today’s modern work experience, Convene creates the spaces and experiences that help teams succeed. With Studio, an all-in-one solution for digitally-enabled events, and 23 locations across the U.S. & London including meeting spaces and flexible workplaces, Convene creates your best day at work, wherever it happens. The company has been named one of America’s 100 Most Promising Companies by Forbes and a Best Workplace by both Inc. and Fortune Magazine.
About HBC
HBC is a holding company of investments and businesses at the intersection of technology, retail operations, and real estate.
It is the majority owner of iconic e-commerce companies: Saks, a leading online destination for luxury fashion; The Bay, a Canadian e-commerce marketplace; and Saks OFF 5TH, a premier luxury off-price e-commerce company offering top brands at the best prices. These businesses were established as separate operating companies in 2021. HBC also wholly owns Hudson’s Bay, the operating company for Hudson’s Bay’s brick-and-mortar stores, as well as SFA, the entity that operates Saks Fifth Avenue’s physical locations, and O5, the operating company for Saks OFF 5TH stores.
With assets spanning top markets and prime locations across North America, HBC owns or controls—either entirely or with joint venture partners—approximately 40 million square feet of gross leasable area. HBC Properties and Investments, the company’s real estate and investments portfolio business manages these assets along with additional real estate offerings, including Streetworks Development, its property development division.
Founded in 1670, HBC is North America’s longest continually operating company and is headquartered in New York and Toronto. For more information visit: www.hbc.com .
About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of December 31, 2021, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had approximately 2,100 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and approximately $314 billion of assets under management, as adjusted for Ares Management’s acquisition of AMP Capital’s Infrastructure Debt platform which closed February 10, 2022. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com .
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220412005446/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Owkin Creates New Spin out Waiv, Formerly Owkin Dx, With $33M Financing12.3.2026 14:30:00 CET | Press release
Investment lead by OTB Ventures and Alpha Intelligence CapitalWaiv develops AI-powered precision testing to better identify and stratify patients in the clinic and in clinical trials, transforming patient careWaiv extends Owkin’s strategy of real-world validation for its AI Owkin, the AI company on a mission to solve the complexity of biology, today announced the spin out of Waiv, formerly known as Owkin Dx. The move follows significant investor interest and positions Waiv to bring AI-powered precision testing for better identification of patients in the clinic and in clinical trials, to transform patient care. This follows on from the successful launch of Bioptimus, an Owkin incubated company, in February 2024. Waiv translates AI innovation into real-world clinical impact, developing tests that predict biomarkers and patient outcomes, including RlapsRisk BC for prognostic risk profiling. With multiple tests already in use in clinical settings, its deployment platform Destra, and colla
RQM+ Launches SMART Solutions Life Cycle Partnership Model12.3.2026 14:30:00 CET | Press release
Helps MedTech Companies Navigate MDR, IVDR, and AI-Enabled Device Development RQM+, a leading MedTech CRO offering regulatory consulting, clinical trial, laboratory, and reimbursement services, today announced the launch of SMART Solutions, a life cycle partnership model designed to help medical device and diagnostics companies manage growing regulatory and development complexity. SMART Solutions introduces a strategy-led operating framework that unifies regulatory, quality, clinical, reimbursement, and laboratory expertise to support MedTech companies across the entire product life cycle to help reduce risk from early development through post-market. “MedTech companies are navigating unprecedented complexity as regulatory expectations evolve, product innovation accelerates, and post-market expectations are expanding,” said John Potthoff, Ph.D., chief executive officer of RQM+. “SMART Solutions moves beyond traditional consulting by providing an integrated life cycle partnership that h
Cryptio Raises $45m Series B as Digital Assets Move Into Regulated Financial Markets12.3.2026 14:06:00 CET | Press release
The system of record for tokenized finance – ERP infrastructure for institutions operating in digital assets Cryptio, a leader in financial data transformation and enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications for regulated digital assets, announced today a $45 million Series B funding round co-led by BlackFin Capital Partners and Sentinel Global, with participation from 1kx, Alven, BlueYard Capital and Ledger Cathay Capital. Banks, exchanges, asset managers, including Société Générale’s SG Forge, Circle, Gemini, and Securitize rely on Cryptio to ensure financial integrity across their digital assets businesses. Existing ERP systems fall short for digital assets Traditional ERP and accounting systems were not designed for blockchain-native assets, real-time reporting, or modern custody frameworks. As regulated financial institutions expand into stablecoins, tokenized securities and other on-chain instruments, these limitations create material operational and reporting challenges. Cry
HyperLight Introduces 145 GHz Reference Modulators to Enable 448Gbps per Lane Datacom and 260GBaud Telecom Development12.3.2026 14:03:00 CET | Press release
HyperLight Corporation, creator of the TFLN Chiplet™ platform, today announced the release of its 145 GHz Packaged Intensity Modulator (IM), expanding the company‘s high-speed modulator portfolio. The new device is designed for ultra-wide modulation bandwidth, high signal fidelity, and stable operation control, enabling 448 Gbps per lane intensity-modulated-direct-detection (IMDD), 260 GBaud coherent links, and broadband RF photonics systems. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260312319685/en/ Fig. 1: HyperLight’s 145 GHz intensity modulator for 448Gbps per lane IMDD and 260GBaud coherent applications, with operational electro-optical bandwidth >145GHz, stable bias control, 0.8 mm-connector; available in O-, C-, and L-bands. As symbol rates and analog bandwidth requirements continue to rise across data center interconnects, AI-driven photonics infrastructure, and laboratory test environments, system architects in
Enodia Therapeutics Strengthens Sec61 Portfolio Through Acquisition of Preclinical Assets from Kezar Life Sciences12.3.2026 14:00:00 CET | Press release
Transaction deepens insights into Sec61 selectivity for targeted protein degradation, supporting accelerated development of Enodia’s novel small-molecule inhibitors Enodia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing novel small-molecule therapies for targeted protein degradation at the point of synthesis, and Kezar Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: KZR), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel small molecule therapeutics to treat unmet needs in immune-mediated diseases, today announced that Enodia has acquired Kezar’s assets from its Sec61-based discovery and development program. The acquisition enables Enodia to advance its understanding of Sec61 selectivity mechanisms, expanding biological and translational insights for faster progression toward key clinical milestones. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260312627573/en/ Under the terms of the purchase agreement between Enodia and Kezar, Kezar w
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom