Dave Crump, President and CEO of CT Europe & Middle East & John Roche, CEO of Ion Solutions

Creative Technology Group (CT), a Live Events Company of NEP Group and worldwide specialist in audio visual equipment and bespoke staging solutions, has acquired Ion Solutions, a leading provider of professional audio visual and broadcast technology systems in Ireland.

Based in Dublin, Ireland, Ion Solutions specialises in the creative and technical delivery of indoor and outdoor live events, conferences and exhibitions, as well as the design, supply, installation and integration of audio-visual communications equipment, broadcast television systems, digital video production / computer graphics systems and digital signage solutions.

Ion Solutions will now become part of the CT Europe & Middle East group and will be rebranded as Creative Technology (CT) Ireland after a transitionary period.

The existing management team of Ion Solutions will continue to run the day-to-day business.

Ion Solutions was founded in 1967 as a technology engineering specialist, adding broadcast and AV systems integration, AV rental, facilities management and content creation capabilities. The business also offers a range of managed audio-visual services, ranging from maintenance contracts to on-site AV technician services.

Ion Solutions is led by an extremely experienced management team and employs 70+ full-time staff based out of two office locations in Sandyford, Dublin. Clients at Ion Solutions span a variety of sectors including broadcast, retail, healthcare, hospitality and educational facilities, as well as corporate venues.

NEP has 4,000+ employees in 24 countries, while CT operates 19 offices on three continents.

Today’s acquisition is consistent with NEP’s stated strategy to become the world leader in Live Events services.

The deal adds Ion Solutions’ significant high-end AV equipment inventory and local delivery capability on the island of Ireland, supported by an experienced technical team.

The addition of Ion Solutions also increases synergies across NEP’s operating segments to provide clients with access to even more robust AV resources, a deeper pool of skilled engineers and technicians, and a range of end-to-end solutions to support live events and broadcast productions in Ireland and on the world stage.

Dave Crump, President and CEO of CT Europe & Middle East, said: “The addition of Ion Solutions strengthens the CT organisation, increasing our full range of services and rentals we can provide to our clients, especially in an increasingly significant business hub like Dublin. Beyond technology, though, our business, above all else, depends on the quality of our people, and we are delighted with the wealth of talent that Ion Solutions brings to the table.”

“This is a great cultural fit for CT, NEP and Ion Solutions as we share similar core values and service-orientated cultures, and our clients worldwide will benefit from increased access to our innovative, high-quality, end-to-end AV solutions and talented staff.”

“From our earliest beginnings in 1967, Ion Solutions has always sought to innovate in the market, and to offer our unique experience in broadcast systems, coupled with the best of AV technology to our clients,” said John Roche, CEO of Ion Solutions.

“We were looking for the next step in our evolution and becoming part of Creative Technology and the global NEP Worldwide Network – working alongside our existing partners on the NEP Ireland, Screen Scene and NEP Connect teams – will be a tremendous benefit to both our employees and our clients in Ireland and worldwide.

“CT, along with the other companies in NEP’s Live Events operating segment, as well as the entire NEP Worldwide Network, will support our business and provide access to a global pool of state-of-the-art assets and highly trained technical talent in Europe and around the world,” added Roche. “Through this support, we will be in a position to provide our clients with additional services, and also work with clients right across the globe.”

www.ct-group.com