Herald-Mail Media acquires What's NXT

Posted

Herald-Mail Media has acquired What's NXT, the Hagerstown, Md., company that publishes a free monthly event guide and hosts local events, such as the Downtown Summer Slide Festival and Krumpe's Donut Drop.

Starting in January, The Herald-Mail will publish What's NXT on a weekly basis and include it as an insert in its Thursday editions. It will also continue to distribute the free publication throughout the region.

Herald-Mail Media President Andy Bruns noted, "As we analyzed a possible What's NXT acquisition, it became very clear that this would be a tremendous win-win for both advertisers and consumers. The same investment from advertisers buying a much larger audience, coupled with expanded content resources for readers seems like a winning formula. These multi-media and event assets are right in our wheelhouse, and we look forward to taking them all to the next level."

"Our goal when we started What's NXT was to spotlight fun activities in the region and give local businesses an affordable marketing option," Editor-in-Chief Pieter Bickford said. "We're excited that The Herald-Mail will be continuing that mission by greatly increasing the reach of What's NXT to thousands of additional households. This will be a great advertising boost for our current clients."

The purchase also includes rights to the Downtown Summer Slide Festival, the late summer event that features a giant water slide. "With our marketing presence in the community, we can really expand on the successes of the first two Summer Slide events," Bruns said. "We also plan on utilizing the slide itself at other properties across the country owned by Herald-Mail Media's parent company Schurz Communications Inc."

High Rock will retain ownership and continue to host the annual Krumpe's Donut Drop, the annual New Year's Eve event that draws thousands of people to downtown Hagerstown. As part of the agreement, The Herald-Mail and Antietam Cable, also owned by Schurz Communications, have agreed to play an instrumental role in promoting the Donut Drop each year.

Herald-Mail Media will also acquire the What's NXT brand and all trademarked intellectual property including print and digital assets, such as whatsnxt.com, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

High Rock will also retain ownership of NXTpass at this time. NXTpass is a mobile app offering membership rewards at local entertainment, dining and shopping venues. Current users will not see any change in service.

What's NXT's Editor-in-Chief Pieter Bickford and Director of Events Melissa Fountain will transition to roles in the High Rock company. Bickford will be working to launch marketing services within the cinema industry. Fountain will continue to market and coordinate fun and exciting events for High Rock and other organizations in the region, including Baltimore.

"We're excited to expand our services," said High Rock President Ryan Lampton. "Both Pieter and Melissa were instrumental in growing What's NXT to the level it is today. Their skills and updated roles will be a natural extension of what High Rock already offers in the community."

High Rock Holdings, headquartered in Hagerstown, Md., is a privately-held holding company with a focus in the marketing, technology and entertainment industries. Companies under High Rock Holdings include High Rock Studios, a marketing and advertising agency; Leitersburg Cinemas, a 10-screen, first-run movie theater in Hagerstown; Waynesboro Theatre, a one-screen, first-run movie theater in Waynesboro, Penn.; and Warehouse Cinemas, a future chain of first-run movie theaters located primarily in the mid-Atlantic region.

The 189-year-old Herald-Mail Media is owned by Schurz Communications, a family-owned company based in Indiana. In addition to its daily newspaper and several area magazines, Herald-Mail Media also owns multiple digital assets serving the largest local online audience, as well as HM News Now, which features video news when you want it, where you want it. The Press Room at Herald-Mail, a new event venue located in downtown Hagerstown, headlines the thriving event promotion arm of the company.

Hagerstown, What's NXT
Calendar View all