Semantic Gains Sir Nick Varney as Investor
AI-generated image; symbolic
(eap) The British digital platform provider Semantic, based in Southampton and specialising in websites and online strategies for visitor attractions, can celebrate a significant milestone: Sir Nick Varney, founder and, until his retirement in early 2023, CEO of the international operator group Merlin Entertainments, has joined the company as a strategic investor.
Semantic aims to optimally support visitor attractions and hospitality businesses in their digital strategies. The partnership with Sir Varney, who looks back on more than 30 years of experience in the leisure industry, is intended to lead the company and its core product – the digital platform “LOOP by Semantic” – to further growth success. Particular advantages of the solution would be its agility and scalability: “More and more organisations are looking for digital platforms that can evolve alongside their own structures,” the company states. Semantic is owned by Managing Director Neil Lewin.
As Varney comments: “I have known Neil and Semantic for some time and was particularly impressed by his vision in developing the LOOP platform. In Location-Based Entertainment and indeed broader hospitality, a brand’s website is its most important asset after the physical venue or attraction. It is both the provider of information (and inspiration!) and the key route to market for converting customer interest into ticket sales or attendance. As such, in a competitive world, you need your website to be optimised and constantly updated. […] I am very much looking forward to working with Neil to develop the business further to the benefit of current and future clients.”
Lewin adds: “[…] Having someone of Nick’s calibre recognise the power of LOOP to drive that conversion is a testament to what our team has built over the last 25 years.” LOOP by Semantic currently counts more than 60 brands among its users. The company’s aim is to continue responding optimally to changes in guest behaviour and technological developments in the years ahead. ■
