Tempest Has Exciting News!

MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ — Tempest, a global digital marketing agency, announced its acquisition of iDSS, a cloud-based SaaS CRM software company for the tourism and destination marketing industry.  The acquisition combines Tempest’s industry-leading creative and web technologies with iDSS’ patented CRM system to provide destination marketers with a comprehensive suite of digital marketing products and services.

“As the focus of tourism marketing continues to evolve from segmentation to personalization, the need for high-performance big data and cloud-based technologies is critical. Travelers are challenging marketers to deliver personalized and authentic experiences in the fragmented travel ecosystem. There is no organization better suited for this challenge than a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO),” said Alex Heimann, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Tempest. “Local expertise, as well as access to valuable historical data, gives DMOs a unique competitive advantage to transform their organizations and capitalize on this opportunity.  With iDSS, Tempest can now provide a web-based platform to facilitate this transformation,” Heimann said.

The acquisition will provide stability and resources to support iDSS’ rapid growth in the destination marketing industry.  iDSS now serves 125 Destination Marketing Organizations globally. iDSS will retain its brand and all current staff and operate as a division of Tempest, Inc. iDSS General Manager Mark Lynch will become President of the iDSS division.

“Building on our successful history together, we can now fully integrate award-winning Tempest creative and web technologies with iDSS’ patented CRM technology. This acquisition is a positive milestone for the destination marketing industry and will provide our clients and prospects with forward-thinking, open solutions to market their destinations, ” said Mark Lynch, President of iDSS.

iDSS will continue to be headquartered in Minneapolis, with additional personnel being added in Philadelphia and London. Current iDSS board member, Melvin Tennant, and long-time board member, David Klenk, will remain on the iDSS board. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This acquisition is particularly exciting for our agency because it gives us the ability to expand our services and redefine the vendor-client relationship in the destination marketing industry,” said Gregg Shapiro, Chief Creative Officer and President of Tempest.

Tempest was advised by WeiserMazars LLP and Greenbaum Rowe Smith & Davis LLP; and iDSS was advised by Stoel Rives LLP and CliftonLarsenAllen LLP.

About iDSS
iDSS, a division of Tempest Inc., is a leading cloud-based SaaS CRM software company. iDSS was the first to provide web-based CRM solutions to the destination marketing industry and offers a comprehensive, patented, web-based destination management platform for RFP lead distribution, marketing automation, member management,  sales enablement, and event registration, with robust analytics to power Destination Marketing Organizations worldwide.

About Tempest
Tempest, a leading digital marketing agency, combines its expertise in search marketing, creative, technology, digital media, and analytics to deliver digital experiences that inspire for some of the world’s biggest brands.

iDSS Contact:
Mark Lynch
[email protected]

Tempest Contact:
Alex Heimann
[email protected]