FIRST Celebrates 25 Years Of Delivering Innovative Experiences
Leading Global Agency Cements its Place in Bringing Together Brands and People Through Creative, Connected Experiences
NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FIRST, a leading global brand experience agency operating out of New York, Los Angeles, London, Dublin and Singapore, today announced its 25th anniversary celebration. FIRST has grown from a small events company to a globally recognized brand experience collective made up of over 550 employees in 12 countries. The company's founding motivation and entrepreneurial spirit continues to shape and drive today's innovation and delivery of award-winning client experiences.
FIRST was founded in London in 1996 by Richard Waddington as First Protocol, focused on delivering top-tier client events. In 2000, Maureen Ryan Fable launched Ryan Fable Productions, and the two companies merged in 2004 under First Protocol. Ryan Fable assumed the helm in the Americas. The company continued to grow exponentially, turning into a powerhouse and positioning it as a global industry leader. In 2016, First Protocol rebranded to FIRST.
Over the years, the company has grown and expanded beyond New York and London. FIRST opened its Los Angeles hub in 2012, its Singapore office in 2013 and its Dublin hub in 2018. Partnerships have also helped the company gain more traction and grow its creative influence, with the acquisition of the Barkley Kalpak Agency in the Americas in 2016 and Clive Agency in the UK in 2018. These partnerships have helped FIRST focus on the future, expanding teams to help clients deliver their messages effectively across the globe. The company has maintained its privately held ownership throughout its history.
Maureen Ryan Fable, CEO, Group at FIRST stated, "Our 25-year history has shown we can and will always look to the future of events and how to best serve our international roster of clients. From somewhat humble beginnings, our teams never stop collaborating, creating, innovating, and pushing the limits. Shifting focus this past year to further expand our service offering to produce virtual events has made us stronger, and with our deep bench of seasoned expertise, we are well positioned for the future."
This milestone anniversary comes during a year of unprecedented growth during uncertain times. FIRST continued to thrive and adapt to better serve digital, hybrid, and in-person audiences. The company embedded teams with clients, vastly increasing reach and engagement, while continuing to deliver the first class, high touch, creative experiences for which FIRST is known. As a creatively led organization, the evolved service offering focuses on content, technology, and data & insights, allowing clients to better lean on FIRST for their complete brand experience needs.
Peter Godfrey, Chairman of the Board at FIRST said, "Having been part of FIRST since its inception in 1996, I remain proud to witness the amazing journey that's been achieved thus far. Over 25 years, FIRST has expanded globally and transformed through innovative products and services, while consistently creating the best teams to serve our clients worldwide. Our people are our finest assets; they have the knowledge to deliver the high-quality experiences our clients have come to expect from FIRST. I'm excited to see how we can continue to grow and adapt into the future and am sure that the next 25 years will be just as extraordinary."
About FIRST
FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. Operating as a full-service agency partner or through embedding specialist talent into client teams, FIRST brings brands and people together through creative, connected experiences. Spanning 12 countries with more than 550 team members, FIRST works with clients across industries including financial services, technology, media, consumer electronics, medical and healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and the nonprofit sector. Most recently, Eventex honored FIRST as one of the Top 150 Event Organizers & Agencies in the USA, while Chief Marketer listed FIRST among their "200 Top Marketing Agencies of 2021" and Special Events recognized FIRST as one of their "50 Top Event Companies'' at the end of 2020. Crain's New York Business included FIRST in the Top 100 "Best Places to Work in NYC'' for 2020, and The London Stock Exchange Group once again listed FIRST as one of '1000 Companies to Inspire Britain' in 2020. For more information, please visit www.firstagency.com.
CONTACT: Christine Cullity, christine.cullity@firstagency.com
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