"We see great opportunities for growth here, because the need for communication in social networks is growing strongly in the companies in our 20 or so industries," explains Matthias Bauer, Managing Director of Vogel Business Media: "We are digitizing communication for our customers and are now also bringing it to social networks and communities with innovative products and services."

"We are delighted to combine our social media expertise and experience with Vogel Business Media as a renowned and recognized partner in large B2B markets," says David Rost, CEO of INTEGR8 media GmbH: "We have been on the market for five years and have a number of interesting customers, such as Vattenfall, Volkswagen, Amazon and Vorwerk."

The joint venture between Vogel Business Media (51%) and INTEGR8 media (49%) is managed by Matthias Bauer (Vogel Business Media) and David Rost (INTEGR8 media). "INTEGR8 social" starts with a team of six. The team will soon be strengthened with additional expertise, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and chatbots.

Vogel Business Media is Germany's largest trade media company with 100+ trade journals, 100+ web portals, 100+ business events as well as numerous mobile offerings and international activities. Its headquarters are in Würzburg. The print and digital media serve around 20 sectors in the fields of industry, automotive, information technology, law/economics/taxes and B2B communication. Other offerings range from trade fair services, communication services, contact experts and communities to market intelligence & insights. The company celebrated its 125th birthday in 2016.