Gannett / EnMotive name John Smith as Vice President of Partnerships

February 26, 2020

32-Year Industry Veteran to Spearhead Partnerships & Growth for Endurance Platform

SAN DIEGO & CHICAGO – February 26, 2020 – Gannett and its EnMotive Company division announced today that industry veteran John Smith has joined the company as Vice President of Partnerships, effective immediately.

Smith comes to Gannett & EnMotive from the Ironman Group, operator of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, where he most recently served as Vice President of Global Partnerships, North America. In his career spanning more than three decades, Smith has helped dozens of brands and businesses of all sizes, including Toyota, Land Rover, Humana, Garmin, Brooks, Hoka, GEICO and Michelob Ultra among others, to utilize events and media to connect with runners, cyclists and triathletes.

“John is a dynamic connector of people and a respected executive with an unmatched track record of success in the media and events space,” said Steve Ginsburg, EnMotive Company, CEO. “He truly is an industry pioneer who builds relationships with the same type of passion that he has for endurance sports. John’s extraordinary expertise and diverse experience will enable our team to deliver ideas and opportunities to connect our partners with our consumers.”

Smith has more than 32 years of sales and sponsorship leadership experience. Prior to Ironman’s acquisition of Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) in 2017, Smith served as Senior Vice President where he was responsible for all of CGI’s event properties and publishing division revenue. In the executive management role, Smith led an integrated sales and sponsorship team of more than 20 employees helping the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series significantly expand its corporate partnership base and directly managing millions of dollars in advertising and sponsorship revenues annually.

Gannett’s RAM Racing & EnMotive divisions have quickly become one of the largest race production companies in the United States, operating the Milwaukee Marathon, the Providence Marathon, Santa Rosa Marathon, Statesman CAP 10K, RAGBRAI cycling event and the Allstate Hot Chocolate 15K/5K series to name a few. Smith will help drive new partnerships while expanding the organization’s endurance platform and offerings.

“I am honored and energized to join the Gannett media & events family and the EnMotive portfolio, an organization positioned for success with an abundance of sought-after opportunities and assets,” said Smith. “This is a tremendously exciting time for the company and industry, I look forward to working with the team as we establish our vision to reach the next level by earning relationships one partner and one athlete at a time.”

Smith is an active Runner, Cyclist and Triathlete and lives in Cardiff, CA.

About Gannett

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an innovative, digitally focused media and marketing Solutions Company committed to strengthening communities across our network. With unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of nearly 140 million people monthly with our Pulitzer-Prize winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services. Gannett brands include USA TODAY and more than 260 daily local newspaper brands, digital marketing services companies ReachLocal, WordStream, and ThriveHive, and U.K. media company Newsquest. Effective November 20, 2019, following the completion of its merger with Gannett, New Media Investment Group Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under Gannett Co., Inc. and its ticker symbol has changed to “GCI”. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com

About Gannett Ventures

Gannett Ventures, a division of Gannett/USA Today Network specializes in delivering world-class events and promotions for the media industry and the communities they serve. Our events and promotions inspire pride and progressive innovation throughout the ever-changing media industry, while still relying on core newspaper strengths – our ability to create content, attract audiences, and bring powerful meaning to the lives of others. Our events draw over 3.2M attendees annually. We are the industry leader delivering results through events and promotions from coast to coast. To connect with us, visit GateHouseLive.com.

About EnMotive

EnMotive is a world-class data management and technology provider for the event industry.  In addition to its fully mobile event registration, charitable fundraising, marketing, photography and on-site solutions, the organization is one of the largest timing and event production companies to the endurance industry in the United States.  Based in Chicago with 12 offices across the country, the organization works with thousands of events, including Milwaukee Marathon, Detroit Free Press/TCF Bank Marathon and the Atlanta Track Club. To learn more visit www.EnMotive.com or contact hello@EnMotive.com