IMG expands its empire

Champ Car Australia race promoter The IMG agency acquired Quintus, the sports and entertainment company. The acquisition follows the recent purchase by IMG of a number of other companies including CSI Sports, BSI Speedway, Tennis Week and Art + Commerce.

Among its portfolio, key Quintus events include the BlackRock Masters Tennis, the showpiece and climax of the BlackRock Tour of Champions at the Royal Albert Hall, the Michelob ULTRA London Triathlon (the world's largest triathlon with more than 10,000 entrants), and the Microsoft UK Challenge (part of the Intelligent Sport Challenger World corporate team building series).

The deal also sees the return of Quintus CEO and one of its founders, Peter Worth, to IMG. Peter worked at the company for 11 years in the 1970's and 1980s, during which time he managed Bjorn Borg and headed IMG’s European sponsorship sales division.

SBI, the sponsorship activation and consulting arm of Quintus is included in the acquisition, and will transfer later this year to IMG’s West London offices along with Quintus, although the companies will continue to trade under their own names.

Ian Todd, President, IMG International, said, “I am delighted that IMG has been able to acquire Quintus with its impressive portfolio of UK events and talented management team. We will use our international network of offices to develop their proprietary events around the world. It’s also great to have Peter back at IMG again, and I am looking forward to working with him’.

Peter Worth, Quintus Chief Executive, said, “I am delighted that Quintus will be part of a company of IMG’s stature and excited about the future, when we will be able to build on what Quintus has successfully achieved so far using IMG’s extensive resources and talent pool."

Quintus is also one of the official hospitality agents for Rugby World Cup 2007 and holds a license for the 3-D signs currently being viewed on the pitch at the Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.