Las Vegas-based R&R Partners and MMGY of Overland Park, Kansas, have joined forces to form MMGY Global, a travel and tourism marketing company with more than 800 employees and a client list that includes some of the world's most prominent accounts. The deal closed Sept. 30 and was announced Wednesday, though detailed terms were not disclosed.
The combination builds on an existing relationship between the agencies, which already collaborate on behalf of clients including the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Brand USA, Discover Puerto Rico and Explore St. Louis. R&R will retain its brand and leadership, including CEO Michon Martin, while gaining access to MMGY's international network and specialized capabilities.
R&R brings more than 50 years of experience across advertising, media, public relations, government and community affairs, activations and events, crisis consulting and experience design. The merger marks a major change for R&R, whose longtime owner Billy Vassiliadis stepped away from day-to-day operations in March 2025 and turned CEO responsibilities over to Martin.
LVCVA CEO Steve Hill said his organization has worked with both companies and is impressed with R&R's creative efforts, including the famed "What happens here, stays here" advertising campaign. Hill noted that many of the LVCVA's strategies are research driven and he is impressed with MMGY's research capabilities.
Martin said she and Vassiliadis had previously turned down numerous merger and acquisition offers, but the more they discussed the potential advantages with MMGY CEO Katie Briscoe, the more they saw a shared future. "We have never been afraid of the future, we're always the one that is at the forefront of it, and as she's talking, I start to see our future together," Martin said.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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