What Zapwater Communications does

Zapwater Communications is a privately held, founder-led integrated communications agency headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2010 by David Zapata. The firm delivers multidisciplinary services—media relations, social media management, influencer marketing and relations, strategic partnerships, event management, and crisis communications—to enterprise clients organized across five focus verticals: travel and tourism, hospitality, consumer products, fashion/beauty/retail, and design and real estate. Named clients include Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Virgin Hotels, Meliá Hotels International, Banyan Group, Fairmont Mayakoba, Icelandair, Finnair, Ace Hardware, Hestan Culinary, Visit Finland, Visit Baja California Sur, and Discover Dominica, among others. The agency operates three U.S. offices (Chicago, Los Angeles, and Coral Gables) and is a member of the Travel Lifestyle Network (TLN), which extends effective delivery into Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and Oceania.

The agency has no disclosed proprietary software platform, no public API, and no announced AI or machine learning capabilities. Its operating assets are its human team of 11–50 staff, its 400+ cumulative industry awards (including consecutive appearances on The PR Net 100 and Provoke Media Best Agencies rankings), its three-office footprint, and its bilingual Latin American coverage through the CHISPA division launched in 2023. In 2019 the firm acquired Cheryl Andrews Marketing Communications, its only disclosed M&A transaction.

Zapwater generates revenue through professional services fees, structured as retainer-based agency-of-record engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the firm is bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding. Distribution is sales-led: direct enterprise engagement by senior leadership and account teams is the primary channel for securing and renewing client mandates. Leadership consists of founder and CEO David Zapata, Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Lake, and Chief Operating Officer Amanda Recupido, supported by a layer of first-ever VPs (creative, client services, CHISPA) installed between 2023 and 2025.

Name

Zapwater Communications

Legal name

Zapwater Communications, Inc.

Website

https://zapwater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago-based integrated communications agency founded in 2010, specializing in travel and lifestyle brands. Serves enterprise clients across hospitality, tourism, consumer, and design sectors with media relations, social media, influencer marketing, and bilingual CHISPA services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Integrated Communications Services: Agency provides comprehensive communications services including media relations, social media management, influencer marketing, strategic partnerships, event management, and crisis communications. Revenue is generated through professional services fees, typically retainer-based arrangements as agency of record.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zapwater Communications is an integrated communications agency that sells public relations and marketing services to travel and lifestyle brands. Its service offering spans media relations, social media, influencer marketing and relations, strategic partnerships, event management, and crisis communications, delivered through its Chicago headquarters and offices in Los Angeles and Coral Gables, with a dedicated bilingual Latin America-focused division called CHISPA.

Product overview

Zapwater Communications is an integrated communications agency offering a unified suite of professional services rather than a software product. The agency's core offering consists of six primary service lines—Media Relations, Social Media, Influencer Marketing & Relations, Strategic Partnerships, Event Management, and Crisis Communications—which are delivered as an integrated communications package tailored to each client's needs. These services are organized around five focus area verticals: Consumer, Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Design & Real Estate, and Fashion Beauty & Retail. The agency also operates CHISPA, a bilingual services division launched in October 2023 specifically serving travel and tourism clients across Latin America. The company has won more than 400 industry awards demonstrating its commitment to excellence in the communications field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Relations

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pan Pacific Hotels GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2023Appointed as Pan Pacific Hotels Group's international public relations team alongside Travel Lifestyle Network (TLN) partners amidst global expansion. Zapwater leads PR efforts for the group's international properties with TLN global network support.
• Travel Lifestyle Network (TLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZapwater Communications is part of the Travel Lifestyle Network, a global network of travel and lifestyle PR agencies. TLN brings together global network to discuss new trends in travel PR and marketing, appoints board members, and collaborates on international client work.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MMGY Global: MMGY Global is one of the largest integrated marketing agencies specializing in travel, tourism, and hospitality. Direct competitor to Zapwater for travel and tourism AOR mandates, with similar integrated service offerings (PR, social, influencer, digital).
• Quinn: Quinn is an award-winning integrated communications agency focused on travel, hospitality, food, beverage, and lifestyle brands. Closely comparable in vertical focus, integrated service mix, and boutique scale to Zapwater's travel/lifestyle practice.
• Development Counsellors International (DCI): DCI is a leading integrated marketing firm focused exclusively on economic development and travel/tourism, working with destinations, convention bureaus, and tourism boards. Directly comparable for tourism board AOR work that competes for clients like Visit Finland and Discover Dominica.
• Lou Hammond Group: Lou Hammond Group is a boutique PR firm specializing in travel, hospitality, and lifestyle. Comparable boutique scale, vertical focus, and integrated agency-of-record model serving hotel, destination, and consumer lifestyle clients.
• HL Group: HL Group is a creative communications and marketing agency for luxury, travel, hospitality, beauty, and spirits. Direct competitor for hospitality, lifestyle, and travel PR mandates with similar integrated offering and boutique positioning.
• Finn Partners: Finn Partners is an integrated marketing and communications firm with a strong lifestyle, travel, and consumer practice. Comparable integrated agency model, though larger scale, serving similar hospitality and consumer brands.
• Berk Communications: Berk Communications is a boutique lifestyle, hospitality, and travel PR firm in New York. Comparable boutique scale, vertical focus, and integrated agency-of-record service model for hospitality, food/beverage, and lifestyle brands.
• Hemsworth Communications: Hemsworth Communications is a boutique PR and social media agency specializing in travel, tourism, and hospitality. Comparable boutique scale and integrated service offering for destination marketing and hospitality PR clients.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: Edelman is the world's largest independent PR firm with a deep travel, hospitality, and lifestyle practice. Represents the broad incumbent competition for major global AOR accounts that Zapwater may face on enterprise pitches.
• Weber Shandwick: Weber Shandwick is a global public relations and communications agency with significant travel and consumer practices. Represents the global incumbent class competing for integrated communications mandates at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zapwater-communications
• Xx.com/zapwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Zapwater Communications