BridgeTower Media acquires Grace Media, leader in window coverings industry

BridgeTower Media — parent company of Virginia Business and a leading provider of business intelligence, marketing solutions, and events across more than 40 specialized B2B brands — has acquired Grace Media, the company behind the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE) and Window Fashion VISION magazine, including its digital platform www.wf-vision.com.

As the premier annual event for the North American window covering industry, IWCE draws thousands of professionals from across the globe. Window Fashion VISION has served as the industry’s most trusted source for trends, business strategy and education for more than 30 years. These two cornerstone brands will now be integrated into BridgeTower’s robust business intelligence and events portfolio.

“Grace Media has built a loyal, engaged audience that relies on its content and connections to stay ahead,” said BridgeTower Media President and CEO Hal Cohen. “We’re excited to bring our digital transformation expertise to help scale that audience further, just as we’ve done across other high-performing verticals. We also see tremendous synergy between Grace Media and our coverage of the home furnishings and construction sectors. This acquisition will strengthen our tradeshow business and provide new growth opportunities across markets.”

Grace McNamara acquired Window Fashion magazine in 1986 from the Industrial Fabrics Association International and later rebranded it as Window Fashion VISION. In 1997 she launched IWCE, which has since grown into a national event welcoming over 8,000 companies to date, including thousands of new attendees annually. During the pandemic, McNamara’s daughter Ania Munzer stepped in to help manage operations and has continued to expand her leadership role. Munzer will remain in her current role post-acquisition.

“Building this business has truly been a labor of love,” said McNamara. “We’ve always been passionate about supporting the window covering industry and helping professionals grow their businesses. BridgeTower Media is the ideal partner to carry this mission forward. Their track record in digital transformation and B2B growth is exceptional. As Ania leads the next chapter, I feel confident we’ve aligned with a partner that shares our values and vision.”

Grace Media was represented by Franklin Partners Inc. (www.franklinpartnersinc.com) and Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A (www.winthrop.com). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.