Regulatory Filings • Mar 29, 2010
Regulatory Filings
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New French leader in PR, events, and digital communication
Paris, 29 March 2010 – Le Public Système (Euronext FR0000065278) and Hopscotch announced today the signing of a protocol agreement to create a new group: Public Système Hopscotch. Together they will become France's top independent communications group, with a number one position in public relations and events and a leader in digital communications. Total combined sales for 2009 exceeded 150 million euros and the new group will employ a staff of 515 people.
Lionel Chouchan, Chairman of Le Public Système's Supervisory Board commented: "We are very happy to have reached an agreement which will enable us to pursue our ambitions and share a business vision based on boldness, creativity and innovation."
Frédéric Bedin and Jérôme Lascombe, respectively Chairman of the Board of Directors of Le Public Système and CEO of Hopscotch, added: "We aim to pool our forces on the most dynamic segments of the communications consulting market (Digital, Public Relations, Media Relations, Content, Events and Experience marketing) and to accelerate our growth in the international arena. The deal will spur our existing momentum by combining both external and organic growth and incubation of tomorrow's communication services. The new group will be called Public Système Hopscotch, and its creation marks the arrival of the new French leader in public relations, events and digital communication."
Benoit Désveaux, one of Le Public Système's Board Member and Managing Director commented, "Our merger will lay the foundations for synergies between the entire range of activities of the new group, allowing us to respond to the growing demand for integrated communications from our customers."
Le Public Système will acquire 100% of Hopscotch shares, both in cash and in shares. CEO of Hopscotch Jérôme Lascombe will then become one of the main shareholders of Public Système Hopscotch and Managing Director of the new group. He will join Frédéric Bedin, Benoit Désveaux and Pierre-Franck Moley on the Board of Directors of the Group and in their Concert in Le Public Système's shareholders agreement. The Autorité des marchés financiers has agreed that this action in concert did not require a mandatory tender offer.
Le Public Système, Hopscotch and their subsidiaries will retain their brand names and their organizational structures within the new Public Système Hopscotch group.
The merger should be completed during the second quarter of 2010.
Frédéric Bedin, Benoit Désveaux, Pierre-Franck Moley, President and Board members of Le Public Système and Jérôme Lascombe, CEO of Hopscotch
will host a conference call to answer journalists and investors' questions
To submit a question and join the conference, please dial the following number a few minutes before the call: From France +33 (0)1 7099 3212 From the UK +44 (0)207 1620 177
Since its creation in 1993, Le Public Système has been a leading independent player in the French communications market. Le Public Système offers a genuine alternative to traditional communication methods and media by exploiting its savoir-faire in community marketing in Public Relations, Events, Communication and Digital. Listed on Euronext Paris, Le Public Système currently employs a staff of around 400 and published 2009 sales of 136.4 million euros and a gross margin of 41.5 million euros.
Created in 2000 by Jérôme Lascombe and a handful of consultants from PR and Internet, Hopscotch rapidly rose up the ranks to become one of the leading PR agencies in France. In 2009, it recorded 15.3 million euros in sales and a 12.2 million euros gross margin, of which 40% came from digital services. It is also an expert in creating wide audience information campaigns leveraging broadcast media. Hopscotch has an international presence via its subsidiary Hopscotch Europe In One, a specialist in multi-country PR campaigns that was created in 2006 in Dublin.
Marine Pouvreau Tél. : +33 (0)1 41 34 21 97 - [email protected]
Jérôme Lascombe Tél. : +33 (0)1 58 65 00 00 - [email protected]
More information at http://www.le-public-systeme.com and http://www.hopscotch.fr
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