Bizly Acquires Kapow to Power the Future of Group Dining and Corporate Events
Palo Alto, CA – February 4, 2025
Bizly, the AI-powered corporate meetings and events platform, today announced the acquisition of Kapow, formerly the largest online group dining platform, from Hello! Destination Management.
From day one, Bizly’s mission has been unwavering: to provide the easiest and most cost-effective way for anyone to book events at the world’s best venues. This acquisition strengthens that vision by bringing curated, high-quality group dining experiences into Bizly’s unified platform, making it even simpler for both professional and non-professional event planners to create impactful events.
Kapow built a reputation for curating high-quality dining and group experiences, connecting users to thousands of premium restaurants and experiential venues. The company previously raised over $40 million from leading venture capital firms and has served thousands of customers, including some of the world’s largest Fortune 500 companies. Kapow was acquired by Cvent in 2018 and later sold to Hello! Destination Management in 2020, during the pandemic.
Group dining is the fastest-growing and most underserved segment of corporate events. Large conferences are increasingly becoming “a container” for smaller, more intimate satellite events—dinners, happy hours, and executive gatherings—where the real business is often happening. By integrating Kapow, Bizly gives event planners a seamless way to organize these critical, high-value gatherings to maximize overall event ROI.
Bizly has long supported group dining and restaurant venues, but adding Kapow dramatically expands its venue network, package capabilities, and customer reach. The marketplace will be fully integrated into Bizly’s core platform by Q3 2025, allowing for a unified product experience. All existing Bizly customers will gain access to Kapow’s venues in a phased rollout.
"The biggest shift in corporate events is happening outside the main stage," said Ron Shah, CEO of Bizly. "In today’s loneliness epidemic, people attend events not just for content but to build real relationships. Yet, large events often lack deeper interactions. The most meaningful moments happen in private dinners, happy hours, and intimate gatherings. Kapow created the best platform for booking these experiences, and by integrating it into Bizly, we empower event planners to foster real connections, deepen engagement, and maximize impact."
Beyond event planning, this acquisition also solves a major challenge in corporate spend management. Group dining often falls into “rogue spend” categories, making it difficult for companies to track and control costs. By bringing this category into Bizly’s AI-powered ecosystem, travel and procurement managers will gain full visibility and oversight across this fast-growing event category.
"We evaluated multiple strategic directions for Kapow and ultimately concluded that Bizly had the best vision and execution to carry on the company’s legacy," said Paul Mears III, CEO of Hello! Destination Management. "Their AI-driven approach—allowing users to describe an event while the platform does the rest—is the future of meetings and events. We are thrilled for Bizly and Kapow to join forces."
About Bizly
Bizly is the AI-powered platform transforming corporate meetings and events. From private dining to large-scale conferences, Bizly streamlines sourcing, contracting, and execution into one seamless solution, helping businesses create high-impact events with ease, while controlling costs and getting total visibility to event spend and ROI.
Designed for enterprise efficiency and user-friendly simplicity, Bizly eliminates the complexity of traditional event planning by integrating AI-driven tools for venue sourcing, budgeting, compliance, and attendee engagement. The platform empowers event planners, travel managers, and procurement teams to optimize every aspect of their meetings program—reducing manual work, increasing efficiency, and ensuring every event aligns with company policies and financial goals.
Bizly supports organizations of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to fast-growing startups, providing a scalable, policy-compliant solution that balances flexibility with control. With its AI-powered automation and real-time insights, Bizly helps businesses maximize the impact of their events while delivering measurable value across the organization.
About Kapow
Founded in 2011, Kapow was the largest group dining and experiential events marketplace, offering curated experiences at top restaurants and venues. Known for its thoughtfully curated venues and concierge services, Kapow has helped thousands of businesses host memorable gatherings. The platform revolutionized the way companies book high-impact sales events, executive dinners, and team-building experiences by offering high-quality venue options tailored for corporate needs. Over the years, Kapow built strong relationships with top restaurants and venues, making it a trusted partner for Fortune 500 companies looking to create seamless, memorable events.
About Hello! Destination Management
Hello! Destination Management is a premier provider of destination management services, delivering innovative, customized solutions for corporate meetings, events, and incentive travel across the United States. With a deep understanding of local markets and a nationwide footprint, Hello! specializes in curating unique, high-impact experiences that bring corporate events to life, ensuring seamless execution from planning to production.
With decades of experience, Hello! has built a reputation for excellence in event logistics, creative program design, and on-the-ground execution. As a trusted partner for Fortune 500 companies and global enterprises, Hello! Destination Management combines strategic event planning with operational excellence, ensuring that every program meets the highest standards of quality, engagement, and ROI.