USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures

What USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures does

USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures is the events, promotions, and experiential marketing division of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), founded in 2016 to diversify the parent's traditional media offerings and monetize the USA TODAY NETWORK's audience reach. The company builds and operates consumer-facing products across five pillars: Promotions (giveaways, quizzes, sweepstakes), Awards (USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, Community Choice Awards, Best of Humankind Awards), Expos (Wine & Food Experience, Home & Garden Show, Life Expo, Auto Show, Kidz Expo), Endurance (RAGBRAI, Hot Chocolate Run series with 200,000+ participants, Statesman Cap 10K, Detroit Free Press Marathon, plus a portfolio of 115+ events under the Ventures Endurance sub-brand), and Ticketing via the proprietary EnMotive platform.

The EnMotive platform is the company's core technology asset: a proprietary ticketing, registration, fundraising, and e-commerce system serving 2,000+ events and timing more than 1 million racers per year, with bundled race timing, near real-time photo delivery (using facial and brand recognition), merchandise fulfillment, and production services. This platform underpins both internal event operations and a growing external SaaS-style offering for third-party race directors and organizers.

The business model combines multiple revenue streams: ticket sales and registration fees from endurance and expo events; sponsorship revenue from national and local brands leveraging the USA TODAY NETWORK's distribution across 200+ local media brands in 43 states; premium lead generation and community engagement campaigns powered by a proprietary database of over 5 million email addresses; and platform/managed-service fees from EnMotive's external client base. Customer segments are hybrid, spanning SMBs seeking lead generation, enterprises and brand sponsors seeking experiential reach, and consumer participants in endurance, culinary, and lifestyle events. The company is headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee with offices in Pittsford (NY), Boston, and Buffalo Grove (IL), plus remote employees across the country, and operates as a non-independently-funded subsidiary within Gannett's broader public-company reporting structure.

Name

USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures

Legal name

USA TODAY NETWORK Events

Website

https://usatventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures is the events, promotions, and experiential marketing division of Gannett, operating consumer events, awards programs, expos, endurance races, and the EnMotive proprietary ticketing platform serving 2,000+ events, with distribution across the USA TODAY NETWORK's 200+ local media brands in 43 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experiential Marketing Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Auto, Boat & RV Shows (MPAGAFAC), Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races) (MPAKAIAH), Event Digital Advertising & Paid Media (Search/Social/Programmatic) (THAHAGAH), Event Monetization & Sponsorship Tech (Virtual Booth Leads, Ads, Sponsored Sessions) (THAHAOAK)

Keywords

• Experiential marketing services
• Event management platform
• Endurance race events
• Ticketing technology
• Consumer promotions

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Management and Execution: Creating and managing events including awards, expos, endurance races, and promotions. Revenue generated from ticket sales, sponsorship deals, and event participation fees.
2. Sponsorships: Matching sponsors to the right event or promotion for best ROI. Creating brand awareness and revenue for partners through experiential marketing.
3. Promotions Services: Lead generation campaigns including giveaways, quizzes, sweepstakes driving lead generation for clients through a database of more than 5 million email addresses
4. Ticketing Platform (EnMotive): Registration, fundraising, marketing and e-commerce software as well as race timing, photos, merchandise fulfillment and production services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures (also known as USA TODAY NETWORK Events) creates impactful consumer engagements through a diversified portfolio of events, promotions, and endurance races. Its core offerings include national and community awards programs, consumer expos, branded endurance races, and promotional campaigns that connect brands with audiences. The business is powered by its proprietary EnMotive ticketing and event-management platform.

Product overview

USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures operates a diversified portfolio of event, promotion, awards, expo and endurance racing products and services. The core platform is EnMotive, a proprietary ticketing and registration system serving over 2,000 events with registration, fundraising, timing, photography and e-commerce capabilities. The company delivers award and recognition programs (High School Sports Awards, Community Choice Awards, Best of Humankind Awards), culinary and lifestyle expos (Wine & Food Experience, Home & Garden Show, Life Expo), and a significant endurance events portfolio including the Hot Chocolate Run series, RAGBRAI, and Statesman Cap 10K. Promotions services include premium lead generation and community engagement campaigns. All offerings leverage the company's connection to the USA TODAY NETWORK's 200+ local media brands for marketing reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EnMotive: A proprietary ticketing and registration platform serving over 2,000 events with registration, fundraising, marketing, e-commerce, race timing, photos, merchandise fulfillment, and production services.
• Ventures Endurance
• Wine & Food Experience
• Hot Chocolate Run
• RAGBRAI

Products and services

• EnMotive
• USA TODAY High School Sports Awards
• Community Choice Awards
• Best of Humankind Awards
• Hot Chocolate Run
• RAGBRAI
• Statesman Cap 10K
• USA TODAY Wine & Food Experience
• Home & Garden Show
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show
• Life Expo
• USA TODAY Great American Tailgate
• Premium Lead Generation Promotions
• Premium Community Engagement Promotions

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ participants in Hot Chocolate 15K/5K race series across 20+ cities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Pro Football Hall of FameflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2026USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures announced the launch of the USA TODAY Great American Tailgate, an inaugural culinary and football celebration event in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The event will take place August 5-9, 2026, in Canton, Ohio, offering fans tasting experiences inspired by all 32 NFL teams within the Sugardale Fan Fest.
• MetacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 December 2025Meta expanded its Meta AI assistant to offer real-time news and content, partnering with USA TODAY and its network among other major news organizations to improve the timeliness, relevance, and diversity of content accessible through the platform.
• TaboolacoreTechnology or Integration · 5 December 2025Taboola deepened its partnerships with major international publishers including Gannett, USA TODAY Network, expanding advertiser access to display inventory beyond traditional search and social channels. Taboola expects to pay over $1.5 billion to publishers and OEMs in 2025.
• PetSmart CharitiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPetSmart Charities sponsors the Best of Animalkind category in the Best of Humankind Awards program.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eventbrite: Public ticketing and event-experience platform powering millions of events globally. Directly comparable to EnMotive's ticketing and registration SaaS business, and to USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures' event-promotion operations across consumer expos and endurance races.
• Tough Mudder: Operator of obstacle and endurance events (Tough Mudder, World's Toughest Mudder). Competes with Ventures Endurance for participants, sponsors, and themed-race IP in the mass-participation endurance category.
• Spartan Race: Global obstacle course and endurance event operator. Direct competitor in mass-participation endurance racing with overlapping participant demographics and sponsorship buyer base as Ventures Endurance.
• RunSignUp: Race registration, timing, and management SaaS used by thousands of US running events. The most direct functional competitor to EnMotive's ticketing and race-timing technology on the endurance side of the business.
• IRONMAN Group: Owner of the IRONMAN triathlon series, Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, and Epic Series. A direct competitor in the endurance and mass-participation racing category where Ventures Endurance fields Hot Chocolate, RAGBRAI, and the Statesman Cap 10K.
• Competitor Group: Operator of running events and endurance media properties (Competitor magazine, Competitor Running). Direct peer in road-race ownership, endurance event production, and high-touch runner engagement.

Others

• Gannett Co., Inc. (USA TODAY parent): The parent conglomerate itself; relevant as the operator of the 200+ local media properties and the USA TODAY brand that provide Ventures' distribution backbone. Not a competitor but the platform that defines the unit's strategic ceiling and risk profile.

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: World's largest exhibitions and events organizer (B2B trade shows and consumer expos). Comparable in scale of expo operations to USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures' Home & Garden, Auto, and Wine & Food expos, but with global B2B focus.
• Cvent: Enterprise event management and meetings platform serving large corporates and associations. Comparable in event-management software functionality to EnMotive but skews B2B enterprise and corporate events rather than consumer endurance and expos.

Emerging players

• Bizzabo: Modern event experience platform serving corporate events and conferences. Comparable on event-software features (registration, marketing) to EnMotive but with a focus on hybrid/virtual corporate events and a more product-led growth model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USATVentures
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/USATODAYNETWORKVentures
• Facebookfacebook.com/USATVentures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/USATVentures
• Instagraminstagram.com/USATVentures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures