Charlotte, NC (April 9, 2013) - Ridgemont Equity Partners, a middle market buyout and growth equity investor, today announced the closing of an equity investment in Simpleview, Inc., the leading provider of software and digital marketing services to Destination Marketing Organizations ("DMOs"). The existing management team, led by CEO Ryan George and President Rich Reasons, will continue to run the business and has invested alongside Ridgemont in the transaction. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Simpleview provides a cloud-based comprehensive technology platform which connects DMOs around the world to travelers, meeting planners, and local businesses. The company's services include Customer Relationship Management software, Content Management Systems, interactive marketing services and a vertical ad network. DMOs implement Simpleview's products to attract travelers to their area and drive economic impact through a streamlined sales and marketing process.

"Simpleview is the clear leader in software and services for the DMO market," said Kurt Leedy, a Vice President at Ridgemont. "Our team has been highly impressed with the platform Simpleview has created and we share the Company's vision for its next stage of growth. We look forward to working with the Simpleview management team and its talented group of innovators."

"Our partnership with Ridgemont enables Simpleview to grow by scaling our already robust service offering and expanding our customer reach, both nationally and globally," said Ryan George, CEO of Simpleview. "We are very excited to join forces with this experienced investment team and anticipate an even brighter future for our company, the destinations that we serve, and the tourism industry overall."

"Ridgemont's investment in Simpleview is a natural addition to our fund," said George Morgan, a Partner at Ridgemont. "Our team has been actively seeking opportunities to invest in vertically-focused software-as-a-service businesses, and the reputation that Simpleview has built as a forward-thinking market leader, coupled with our financial and operational discipline, will be essential elements in the execution of the company's promising growth plans."

ArchPoint Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to Simpleview and Silicon Valley Bank provided financing for the transaction.

About Simpleview

Simpleview offers integrated products and services for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) platform and content management system (CMS), forecasting and reporting tools, websites, mobile sites, search engine optimization and interactive marketing services. Simpleview works with more than 200 U.S. and international DMOs. Learn more at www.simpleviewinc.com.

About Ridgemont Equity Partners

Ridgemont Equity Partners is a Charlotte-based private equity firm that specializes in middle market buyout and growth equity investments. Since 1993, the principals of Ridgemont have invested over $3 billion in more than 110 companies. The firm focuses on investments of $25 million to $75 million in industries in which it has deep expertise, including basic industries and services, energy, healthcare, and telecommunications/media/technology. www.ridgemontep.com.

Media Contact:
Bill Haynes
BackBay Communications
617-372-4314
bill.haynes@backbaycommunications.com 

On January 14, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. CST, destination marketing professionals will get a first look at Arena Destination Benchmarking - a revolutionary new service available in the first quarter of 2013. It allows destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to compare sales, website traffic and 100+ additional metrics to data from other DMOs using simple, online tools available around the clock. DMOs can register for the first demonstration webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/572276402.

"For years, DMOs have talked about the critical need to benchmark and compare performance in ways that would let them make more informed decisions," said Gary Grimmer, CEO of GainingEdge, one of three industry-leading companies that created Arena. "A few services have provided some limited information to work with, but now they can actually mine that data and much more on demand, where they pick the measures, the time frames - even the DMO sets they want to compare against."

Arena offers DMOs a number of features never before available in any destination marketing service:

• Simple DIY tools for creating custom graphs and reports online 24/7/365
• Data on 100+ metrics, including Meeting Sales, Sales Pace, Interactive, Social Media, Membership, Consumer Data and more
• The ability to compare against a global set, past self-performance and competitive sets based on regions, budgets and a number of other variables
• New data every month and the ability to compare against current data or any window of time: past three months, past year, last April, etc.
• Anonymity - including anonymity in competitive sets protected by aggregating data - unless by mutual consent arranged between DMOs
• Access for any destination willing to confidentially and securely share information, automatically or through simple online forms
• A FREE version that allows any DMO to evaluate Arena and its subscription levels offer higher-value online tools and detailed quarterly and annual reports

Three companies with strong ties to the travel and tourism industry - InterVISTAS, GainingEdge and Simpleview - created Arena. Over the past year, focus groups and an Advisory Council of 30 global DMO and Convention Bureau leaders have met at DMAI Annual, iMEX Frankfurt, iMEX America and ICCA Annual to guide the companies on product refinements and reporting requirements.

"We believe Arena has the potential to provide our industry with new and essential information that will allow every destination, regardless of its size or circumstances, to make strategic decisions based on better and more comprehensive data," said Steen Jakobsen, joint chairperson of the ICCA Destination Marketing Sector, "something that is vital in today's environment of economic uncertainty and risk, rapid change and increased competition."

After more than two years of development and countless enhancements, refinements and tests, Arena will be available to the destination marketing industry in the first quarter of 2013.

The January 14 webinar kicks off a series of informational events to demonstrate Arena in action. Register for this event at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/572276402.

The Arena Consortium

GainingEdge is a specialist firm focused on meetings, conventions, incentives, exhibitions and events and providing consulting services related to establishing and managing convention and visitor bureaus and developing and expanding convention centers. GainingEdge has provided services for clients in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Learn more at www.gainingedge.com

InterVISTAS Consulting Group is a leading management consulting company with extensive expertise in aviation, transportation and tourism.  The company has delivered benchmarking, market research and strategic planning projects for clients in more than 70 countries around the world. The company has offices in Canada, U.S., and Europe.

Learn more at www.intervistas.com

Simpleview offers integrated products and services for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS), forecasting and reporting tools, websites, mobile sites, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Simpleview works with more than 200 U.S. and international DMOs.

Learn more at www.simpleviewinc.com

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TUCSON, Ariz. (Dec. 5, 2012) - Many destination marketing organizations help to attract events and the impact to the local economy is immense. Restaurants and hotels, taxi services and airports, among countless other businesses all can see a boost from one meeting, tradeshow or conference.

It can be hard to determine the exact value of the event, yet, having the ability to show the economic impact of a DMO's efforts is imperative. How can a DMO be ready to respond with accurate information when government officials, community members and industry partners ask, "what have you done for me lately?"

Thanks to Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) - one of the largest trade associations focused on destination marketing organizations - they have found a way to make the case for DMO funding with their Event Impact Calculator.

Now, it is possible to easily measure the economic value of an event and calculate its return on investment to the local economy, compiling information from Oxford Economics, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other reputable sources. This translates to every report having instant credibility.

DMAI collaborated with industry CRM solutions to enhance their overall offering, including with Simpleview in 2012 to integrate the calculator into Simpleview CRM. As the tourism industry's first true integration with DMAI's toolset, the two organizations have addressed a goal that many DMOs have - being able to accurately quantify an event's impact in terms of direct expenditures, taxes, employment and wages.

The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce recently acclaimed the integration, as Simpleview received a 2012 Copper Cactus Award in the "Nextrio Innovation through Technology" category. The event's judges chose Simpleview because of the ways they help DMOs report key metrics to stakeholders.

Simpleview is offering full demonstrations of their Event Impact Calculator integration for all DMOs. Their team will show how to use the combined system to quantify the visitor spend and number of jobs generated from the meetings and convention business. To set up a free demonstration, e-mail Simpleview at info@simpleviewinc.com.

More information about Simpleview's integration with DMAI's Event Impact Calculator can be found at www.simpleviewinc.com/blog/index.cfm/press/.   

About Simpleview

Simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services, including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS) platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Simpleview employs more than 100 people with offices in Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and California who serve more than 200 domestic and international DMOs. For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com. 

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Media Contact: Sam Brace

Communications Manager

(520) 575-1151

sbrace@simpleviewinc.com

Simpleview is excited to announce that three of their clients have received 2012 Adrian Awards from Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for their website launches.

The Utah Office of Tourism and the Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) received Gold Awards for their individual sites - VisitUtah.com and MaconGA.org, while the Oklahoma City CVB received a Bronze Award for their new site - VisitOKC.com. Each site was a collaborative effort between Simpleview and the DMO's staff.

Rick Vaughan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Simpleview, said these three clients share a common theme of overcoming stereotypes and pre-conceived notions about their destinations with their new websites.

"Oklahoma City, Macon and the state of Utah are all wonderful places to visit and our winning DMO clients worked with us to accurately emphasize the best parts of each destination," he said. "All have seen an increase in web traffic and reported that visitors are able to find the information they need more quickly than before."

These awards, which are one of the most prestigious honors in the travel and tourism industry, recognize notable industry advertising, digital marketing and public relations over the past year. The winning clients, as well as all the other 2012 recipients, will be honored at the Annual Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on Jan. 28, 2013. The black tie event will take place at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Simpleview will be posting full case studies of each winning project on their company blog. Visit www.simpleviewinc.com/blog for more information on each site's development and design process.

About Simpleview

Simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services, including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS) platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Founded in 1991, Simpleview employs more than 100 people with offices in Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and California who serve more than 200 domestic and international DMOs. For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com.

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Media Contact: Sam Brace
Communications Manager
(520) 575-1151
sbrace@simpleviewinc.com

Tucson-based Interactive Marketing Provider for Destination Marketing Organizations Expands Creative Department

TUCSON, Ariz. (Oct. 18, 2012) - Simpleview, a leader in the tourism industry that provides interactive marketing tools and services to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), has named Lisa Love as Creative Director. In her role, Love will establish website design goals for hundreds of clients, as well as work closely with our development team on creating rich, interactive online applications.

"Lisa brings an extensive amount of professional experience to our team, as we continue to emphasize and place value on our web projects' creative elements," said Tim White, Vice President of Talent Development for Simpleview. "She has worked at large agencies, but has also owned her own successful agency and brings a well-rounded perspective to enhance our creative department's overall abilities."

Love's work has been profiled by the most prestigious publications in the advertising industry including Graphis and HOW. She has also received numerous international, national and regional design and advertising awards.

Prior to joining Simpleview, Love served as the Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director for L3 Creative - a strategic branding, advertising and graphic design agency she founded in 1991 and headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. During her time leading the company, she spearheaded work for clients including Bath & Body Works, the Dial Corporation and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Previously, Love worked for Canadian-based natural health products manufacturer Atrium Innovations.

Love received her bachelor's degree in graphic design from the University of Ohio in Athens, Ohio.

About Simpleview
Simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services, including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS) platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Simpleview employs more than 100 people with offices in Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and California who serve more than 200 domestic and international DMOs. For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com.

Media Contact:

Tucson-based Interactive Marketing Provider for Destination Marketing Organizations Recognized as One of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in the United States.

TUCSON, Ariz. (Oct. 15, 2012) - Simpleview, a leader in the tourism industry that provides interactive marketing tools and services to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), has been named to the Inc. 5000 list - a ranking of the fastest growing private companies in the United States. The 2012 version of this list marks the sixth consecutive year that the company has been included.

Simpleview ranked 2,161 overall and 10th in the Travel Companies category. The Arizona-based company is also included in Inc.'s Honor Roll - a select group of companies that have made the Inc. 5000 list every year since its creation in 2007.

"I am proud to continually employ the brightest staff members with high-tech and tourism expertise to work at our headquarters in Tucson - the city where I grew up," said Ryan George, CEO of Simpleview.

George said he plans to sustain the company's growth pattern through several employee-focused initiatives. These include a personal education dividend that was added this year, which allows each staff member to invest $2,500 from the company into professional development training and higher education courses. Simpleview continues to offer 15 days of PTO, retirement accounts with matching funds and a fully stocked kitchen.

Bill Simpson, who is Simpleview's Chief Technology Officer, also cites the company's focus on research and development as a key growth factor, which has spurred inventions and innovations from every department at the company. This includes integrating an event impact calculator from Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) to help DMOs accurately quantify an event's impact in terms of direct expenditures, taxes, employment and wages.

"The technology field is moving at such a rapid pace and we know it's important to develop the products our clients need to stay ahead of their competitors, while attracting visitors to their destinations and building relationships with their partner businesses," said Simpson.

Other products of note include Map Publisher, which allows DMOs to develop customized maps for visitors to find key businesses or locations in a destination, and Mobile CMS - a new way to instantly create new pages and preview website layouts for mobile device use.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000.

About Simpleview
Simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services, including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS) platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Founded in 1991, Simpleview employs more than 100 people with offices in Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and California who serve more than 200 domestic and international DMOs. For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com.

Media Contact:
Sam Brace
Communications Manager
(520) 575-1151 x168
sbrace@simpleviewinc.com

Clients Received Upgrades to Use CRM on Mobile Devices and Build Detailed Itineraries for Familiarization Trips and Site Inspections

TUCSON, Ariz. (July 12, 2012) - simpleview, a leader in the tourism industry that provides interactive marketing tools and services to destination marketing organizations, has officially released two new features for its customer relationship management system - Mobile CRM and FAM Trip/Site Inspection Group.

"Thanks to insights from our clients, our team has made it easier to share information within your DMO and with industry partners and stakeholders," said Liz Fernstrom, simpleview's CRM director of operations. Our new Mobile CRM and FAM Trip/Site Inspection Group features reflect simpleview's core beliefs of building the best, simple tools for communications, workflow and productivity in the travel and tourism industry."

Mobile CRM - Delivering simpleview CRM on Virtually Any Mobile Device

Mobile CRM is an extension of the simpleview CRM system for use on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers. The mobile-focused update delivers the system's complete functionality as a cloud-based, cross-platform service for virtually any mobile device.

Fernstrom said current customers will receive a fast and familiar experience, being able to access their organization's destination sales and marketing information on the go.

"The pace of business isn't slowing down and destination marketing professionals need to access their data at any time, no matter where they are in the world," said Fernstrom. "For users of modern smartphones or tablets, Mobile CRM can let you search for your data in CRM while on the road and with ease."

FAM Trip/Site Inspection Functionality - Assemble and Track Detailed Itineraries in CRM

In addition to the Mobile CRM rollout, the simpleview CRM department has successfully developed a new feature for its CRM system - the FAM Trip/Site Inspection Group. DMOs can now assemble and track detailed itineraries, as well as tie familiarization (FAM) trips and site inspections back to leads and member records. Additionally, staff can pull detailed event itineraries into communication templates, such as customized e-mails.

These new features will make it easier for tourism professionals to determine a DMO's return on investment and save staff members time, said Fernstrom.

Current simpleview clients with standard CRM package received both features today at no additional cost. Future clients will benefit from the new features as part of simpleview's CRM packages.

The Mobile CRM and FAM Trip/Site Inspection Group can be seen along with the full offering of simpleview's products and services during Destination Marketing Association International's (DMAI) annual convention from July 16 to 18, 2012, Booth #324.

For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com.

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Media Contact: Sam Brace
Communications Manager
(520) 575-1151 x 168
sbrace@simpleviewinc.com

TUCSON, Ariz. (April 13, 2012) - simpleview, a leader in the tourism industry that provides interactive marketing tools and services to destination marketing organizations, has successfully integrated Destination Marketing Association International's (DMAI) Event Impact Calculator into their destination management system - simpleview CRM.

With the industry association's new tool, users can now accurately calculate the economic value of a particular event and report its return on investment for the destination. Combined with simpleview's array of integrated products for forecasting and reporting marketing efforts, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) will have access to a dynamic and credible industry standard to quantify the impact in terms of direct expenditures, taxes, employment and wages.

Ryan George, chief executive officer of simpleview, said the collaboration with DMAI will be useful for DMO staff members to prove the worth of the overall meetings and convention business.

"From recent conversations I have had with destination marketers throughout the country, this new tool from DMAI will help add credibility for the entire industry," he said.  "I am proud that we were part of a initiative that will better prepare tourism professionals when advocating for the ongoing development and growth of the meetings sector," he said.

DMAI's calculator is updated annually through several sources, including survey data supplied by Tourism Economics, which is an Oxford Economics company, and city-specific data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is the association's goal to develop an industry-wide standard for determining the direct and indirect impacts of a meeting to a region.

"Our clients make up more than 200 domestic and international DMOs that have been adding data about their destination's events into the simpleview CRM system for years," said George. "By adding the Event Impact Calculator to the mix of data sources, this integration can only strengthen the organizations' ability to demonstrate the real value of face-to-face meetings at the local and national levels."

For more information about DMAI's Event Impact Calculator, visit http://destinationmarketing.org/page.asp?pid=417.

About simpleview

simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services, including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS) platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Founded in 1991, simpleview employs more than 100 people with offices in Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and California who serve more than 200 domestic and international DMOs. For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com.

simpleview, a leader in the tourism industry that provides interactive marketing tools and services to destination marketing organizations, has named Rick Vaughan as vice president of sales and marketing, serving as a company lead for the Sales and Marketing departments.

"Rick's proven expertise and vast experience in the tourism industry will be an asset to help simpleview expand into new markets and provide our clients with well-executed growth strategies," said Ryan George, chief executive officer of simpleview. "Our staff and colleagues will benefit from his knowledge, counsel and leadership."

Vaughan brings more than 34 years of experience in the tourism industry to simpleview. He has held executive positions with global hotel brands such as Westin Hotels and Resorts, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and Marriott International.

Most recently, Vaughan served as the senior vice president of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau (MTCVB), an independent, non-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting Southern Arizona as a convention, visitor and film production destination. In this role, he oversaw sales, marketing, advertising, public relations, convention services, creative services and website development campaigns for more than 12 years at the organization.

"Adding such a talented professional like Rick who has had extensive experience working for a convention and visitors bureau to the simpleview team will ensure that we continue to offer our clients the strongest destination marketing capabilities available in today's marketplace," said George.

Vaughan currently serves on several national tourism-related boards. He is also a Certified Destination Management Executive by Destination Marketing Association International and a Certified Tourism Ambassador by the Tourism Ambassador Institute.

"I am excited to be joining an organization with such a tradition of excellence and understanding of what destination marketing organizations need today," said Vaughan. "It is my plan to focus on providing customer service that generates the positive results our tourism-focused clients have come to expect from simpleview."

About simpleview
simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services, including the industry's most advanced customer relationship management (CRM) and content management system (CMS) platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Founded in 1991, simpleview employs more than 100 people with offices in Arizona, Texas, Minnesota and California who serve more than 200 domestic and international DMOs. For more information, visit www.simpleviewinc.com.

Media Contact: Sam Brace
Communications Manager
(520) 575-1151
sbrace@simpleviewinc.com

TUCSON, February 17, 2012 - simpleview hit a new high mark this month as its employee count surpassed 100.

"We consider this one of our most important milestones because it speaks directly to our commitment to our customers," said CEO Ryan George. "We've always made relationships our top priority, and we're keenly aware that size without talent and service is a losing proposition."

Even with the recent addition of Los Angeles, Steamboat Springs, Shreveport Bossier County, and Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen Area as clients, bringing the company's current customer base to 200 DMOs, simpleview has steadily maintained a 2:1 customer-to-employee ratio.

Staying Ahead of Growth
simpleview has also made structural changes in recent years to stay ahead of growth and better meet client and industry needs, including the creation of dedicated account managers, the transition to product managers and ongoing efforts to extend our API and educate strategic partners as to how they to can work with simpleview to complement our offerings. The company is also focused on exposing their area-specific experts to the industry in more meaningful ways, whether through their own online user forum, the annual simpleview Summit, industry speaking opportunities and the creation and dissemination of whitepapers, blog posts, and further social media engagement.

These evolutions, along with simpleview's 20 years of experience and support from their customers, have positioned the company to help shape important industry initiatives such as DMAI's new EEI calculator, the empowerMINT CRM integration, and direct-connects to hotel partners though Newmarket's MeetingBroker® channel.

"I'd like to say we're delivering the same level of service today as we did back when we had 30 customers," George said. "The truth is, today we're far better. We are more proactive, we have more customer touch points and we are delivering a higher level of expertise to our customers than ever before, but can we do more? Absolutely, and those know us well, know that we will."

About simpleview
simpleview helps destination marketing organizations (DMOs) succeed on every front, from convention sales to tourism marketing and day-to-day operations. The company offers integrated products and services including the industry's most advanced CRM and CMS platforms, powerful forecasting and reporting tools, dynamic websites, sites for mobile web, search engine optimization and interactive marketing. Founded in 1991, simpleview employs 100 people with offices in Tucson, Dallas, Minneapolis and San Diego serving more than 200 domestic and international destination marketing organizations.

Media Contact:
Cara Frank
Director of Marketing & Communications
(520) 575-1151
cfrank@simpleviewinc.com