Bureau Betak joins The Independents Group

NEW YORK,Sept. 9,2021 --The Independents Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of a majority stake of Bureau Betak,the internationally renowned events production agency established by Alexandre de Betak in 1990. The move brings together leading forces in luxury,consolidating The Independents Group and Bureau Betak into the largest communications,experience,influence and digital marketing agency within fashion and lifestyle globally.

The move cements The Independents Group and Bureau Betak's status as industry trailblazers,collectively enabling an integrated approach to comprehensive client services. Under the umbrella,the group is a global leader in communications and digital marketing (Karla Otto/The Qode),experience and content (K2/The Qode) and influence and data (Lefty). This strategic acquisition of Bureau Betak expands The Independents' influence in these fast-moving industries.

To date,Bureau Betak,known for its innovation and creativity,has designed and produced over 1,500 world-class events,becoming the largest production agency in the world with offices in Paris,Shanghai,New York and Los Angeles. Its broad-ranging work spans high-end fashion shows,exhibitions and events across the realms of luxury,fashion,lifestyle and tech that seamlessly translate to the online realm.

Alexandre de Betak — together with his long-term collaborators and now managing partners Benedicte Fournier Beckmann,Paco Raynal and Guillaume Troncy — will continue to lead Bureau Betak as Chief Creative Officer,with a focus on global acceleration within Asia and the Middle East where The Independents Group has a solid presence. Alexandre de Betak will also join the group's board,offering his strong creative vision,network and resources across the agency collective globally. In his role,he will spearhead new creative ventures for the group,further deepening and driving its cutting-edge approach in this increasingly digitised luxury sphere.

Bureau Betak will bring its sustainability-led focus to the agency collective,implementing its best-practice insights across strategy,creative and production to ensure The Independents Group sets the benchmark as a leader in the field. Bureau Betak is the first luxury agency to receive the ISO 20121 certification for sustainable production practices.

The move will enable The Independents Group to be increasingly nimble and responsive to anticipating client needs across its 12 global offices. Bureau Betak,along with its distinct digital content arm Bureau Future,will further expand its reach across The Independents Group's key territories. Both will continue to service their own clients as well as the needs of the group.

"This is a major milestone of the group's development as a strategic and ROI-driven partner of our clients globally," says Isabelle Chouvet,CEO of The Independents Group. "Alexandre de Betak understood earlier than most the importance of culture and content for brands. His vision will help push the ball even further,making us a highly relevant strategic communications partner and giving us the ability to advise clients on campaigns that build on their cultural DNA."

Alexandre de Betak will bring his influence in the field of artistic talent,particularly across the realms of content creators and entertainment,to the group collective,enabling clients to seamlessly forge partnerships and collaborations that are authentic to the brand's identity. Together,Bureau Betak and The Independents will offer a new strategic,ROI-focused content creator service to brands,with data-backed metrics provided by Lefty,the influencer marketing platform acquired by the group in March 2021. The group will continue to accelerate growth through the support from its Minority shareholder Cathay Capital and financing provider Tikehau Capital.

"The Independents is the ideal partner to move to the next stage of the development of Bureau Betak and Bureau Future,especially given its strong global and China positions," says Alexandre de Betak. "Combining our creative resources and network with the reach of the Independents gives us a unique position to design and deliver bold,differentiating and iconic experiences. This is just the beginning. We are expecting to continue to bring new talents and expertise to the group".

The Independents Group portfolio now spans experience and content (Bureau Betak; K2; The Qode),communications and digital marketing (Karla Otto; The Qode; Bureau Future),and influencer marketing (Lefty).

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Karla Otto Media Contacts:

Lissy Von Schwarzkopf - Lissy.Vonschwarzkopf@Karlaotto.com

Jodie Latham – Jodie.Latham@karlaotto.com

ABOUT THE INDEPENDENTS

The Independents is a global group of agencies for industry leaders across luxury and lifestyle,comprising Bureau Betak,Karla Otto,Bureau Future,K2,The Qode and Lefty. The agency collective is powerfully positioned to offer streamlined strategy,creative,talent,influencer marketing,experiences and communications services for leading brands across key territories.

ABOUT BUREAU BETAK

Founded in Paris and New York in 1990,Bureau Betak has designed and produced over 1,becoming the largest global production agency in high-end fashion shows,exhibitions,and special events. Working with the most esteemed fashion brands in the world,Betak's work is known for its ability to translate physical events into the online realm — digital marketing is provided by its distinct content arm,Bureau Future. The agency's work collectively spans industries from fashion to tech,with offices in New York,Paris,Shanghai and Los Angeles.

ABOUT KARLA OTTO

Founded in 1982 by Karla Otto is a full-service brand-building agency specialising in fashion,design,beauty,lifestyle,arts and culture,operating from twelve cities around the globe.

ABOUT K2

Experiential agency K2 is the trusted partner for luxury,beauty and lifestyle brands,specializing in event concept,design and production with a unique craft in storytelling and interactivity – from fashion shows,exhibitions and conferences to popups,product launches and immersive brand experiences. Founded in 2002,the agency has developed leadership positions in Greater China,Japan and Korea.

ABOUT THE QODE

Luxury communications agency The Qode was founded in 2010 by Dipesh Depala and Ayman Fakoussa. Based in Dubai,the agency's work spans the Middle East,North Africa and India.

ABOUT LEFTY

Lefty is an end-to-end influencer marketing platform supporting the world's most innovative lifestyle brands to discover,manage,track their influencer relations and measure their impact.