MML and staff buy Dublin conferencing business Agenda

INVESTMENT firm MML Growth Capital Partners (MML) has bought Blackrock-based conferencing firm Agenda Communications and Conferencing Services in tandem with some of the company’s staff, the Sunday Independent has learned.

Recently filed Companies Registration Office documents show an MML company, Vision Acquisition Holdings, is to buy Agenda’s entire share capital.

An employee company is subscribing for shares in Vision Acquisition Holdings.

Neither MML nor Agenda responded to requests for a comment.

Agenda’s speciality is managing international professional medical associations, including setting up conferences and exhibitions on behalf of clients.

“The expertise and experience of our staff and the services we offer allow the leadership of our client organisations to focus on their professional careers while we manage the business of their voluntary associations,” its website says.

Clients listed on the website include the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology, and the European Society of Retina Specialists.

MML is led by Neil McGowan, formerly of FL Partners, and Rory Quirke, formerly of TVC Holdings.

Last month, the Sunday Independent revealed MML was in talks to take a stake in the master Irish franchise of Fastway Couriers. The talks emerged on foot of a strategic review initiated by Fastway, revealed by this newspaper in November.

“We provide growth capital to private businesses on the island of Ireland for expansion, acquisitions, recapitalisations and shareholder reorganisations, contributing between €2m and €12m as part of each bespoke investment,” the company says on its website.

It has made investments in food-tracing business Identigen, specialist electrical contractor H&MV Engineering, and refrigeration company Lowe Refrigeration.