Oppermann: A Perfect Match for 1SP's Strategy

According to the official press release, 1SP intends to expand its service portfolio in the area of business networking and event technology within the international games and digital industry with the acquisition of MeetToMatch. The stated goal is to more closely integrate marketing measures and business development activities.
MeetToMatch has been used at international conferences for over 10 years. 1SP is an internationally positioned agency group that was founded by Torsten Oppermann and Markus Oeller and has since grown strongly, both organically and inorganically. The group works for brands in the gaming, technology and consumer electronics sectors. Following confirmation of the acquisition of MeetToMatch, GamesMarkt had the opportunity to speak briefly with Torsten Oppermann.

To date, 1SP Agency has grown organically and inorganically, primarily in the areas of communications and marketing. How does MeetToMatch fit into the corporate strategy?

MeetToMatch fits perfectly into our strategy because our ambition is to support the entire customer journey of games products, if desired, almost from day one. Very often, these products are essentially “born” at trade shows and conferences, where developers pitch their first ideas to investors, publishers, or partners.

If we can already add value at this early stage by enabling better connections and more efficient matchmaking, that is a very natural extension of what we do. From that perspective, MeetToMatch is a strong strategic fit with our overall corporate strategy.

Are there any changes in the MeetToMatch team or company?

MeetToMatch will continue to operate exactly as before, with the same management team and the same employees. There are no changes in that respect.

What does change is the level of firepower behind the company. As part of 1SP Agency, we can invest more into faster platform development, roll out new features more quickly, and potentially expand the market reach beyond gaming into adjacent areas such as consumer electronics or related event formats.

What synergies will result from the acquisition in the short term and in the medium to long term?

We see synergies across several areas. On the business side, this includes development and business development. In addition, there are very practical synergies in areas such as finance, administration, and people and culture.

These may sound less exciting, but they are highly relevant for scaling a platform sustainably. By pooling expertise and structures in these areas, both companies become stronger together.

In the engine market, there are numerous examples of once open technology becoming a proprietary asset after a takeover. Will other agencies still be able to make appointments via MeetToMatch in the future, or will it become a tool for 1SP’s friends and family?

In contrast to what we have seen in parts of the engine market, we have no intention of turning MeetToMatch into a proprietary or closed technology. The platform will remain just as open and accessible to everyone as it has always been.

It will certainly not become a “friends and family” tool for 1SP Agency. Quite the opposite: our goal is to broaden its reach even further and, together with the MeetToMatch leadership team, continue to grow the business in an open and collaborative way.