B2B trade show and media company ‘right sizes’ its Portland HQ

An illustration shows people in a space with counters and chairs.

Rendering / Courtesy Diversified The company was looking for a modern, more sustainable space that fosters creativity and innovation where teams could be together on fewer floors, rather than spread out.

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By Laurie Schreiber

A Portland-based trade show and media company with a global presence is preparing to move its headquarters from 121 Free St. half a mile east to the city’s Old Port neighborhood.

Diversified leased 36,892 square feet of office space on two floors at 2 Portland Square from North River IV LLC.

The transaction was arranged by Drew Sigfridson, Brice O’Connor and Cameron Foster of the Boulos Co.

The company anticipates making the move in January.

“Our goal is to modernize our space to reflect the shift in work style over the past few years,” said Joann Leonard, the senior vice president of business operations who is leading the planning and execution of the building project.

An exterior view shows a multi-story building.

Photo / Courtesy The Boulos Co.

Diversified leased 36,892 square feet of office space on two floors at 2 Portland Square.

“With our hybrid work model, we don’t require the same footprint as before, and we want to enhance the in-office experience," Leonard said. "This move allows us to right-size our space while giving employees an inspiring, functional environment with settings for both collaboration and focused, independent work.”

The company is in the midst of a multi-floor renovation. The project team includes Portland architect Canal 5 Studio; Creative Office Resources, headquartered in Boston with a location in Portland, to provide furnishings; Freeport general contractor Zachau Construction and owner’s representative Todd Valentine of Real Asset Services LLC.

Collaborative space

The 121 Free St. location is much larger at 61,400 square feet. But it’s chopped-up layout made it untenable, the company said. The team is spread across parts of six floors, with offices and workstations located on three different levels.

Because each floor is divided into two separate halves by elevators and stairwells, it has been challenging to create a true sense of connection and collaboration on days when employees are in the office.

The 2 Portland Square space will address the situation by bringing the majority of employees together on one large, open floor, fostering a more collaborative and dynamic work environment.

500 employees

Diversified was founded in 1949 by Horace Hildreth Sr., a former governor of Maine and U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, when he bought WABI-AM radio in Bangor. The firm expanded into broadcast television, launching WABI-TV. By 1970, the company merged with a publishing firm and acquired its first magazine, National Fisherman, which remains part of its portfolio today with a growing number of digital publications.

An illustration shows a hall with desks and a glass wall.

Rendering / Courtesy Diversified

The company is in the midst of a multi-floor renovation, “reimagining” how employees work together.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Diversified initiated its first trade show, Seafood Expo North America (formerly known as the Boston Seafood Show).

Today, the third-generation family-owned business has locations in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom; with over 500 employees worldwide, more than 250 of whom work from Portland.

Producing more than 100 business-to-business trade events, conferences and 18 digital websites across multiple industries, Diversified said it has experienced “exceptional growth” since 2020. Events and conferences organized by Diversified’s U.S. division include Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America, Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Expo Processing Global, Seafood Expo Asia, Switchback, the Running Event, Commercial UAV Expo, International Workboat Show, Pacific Marine Expo, Cash Management Forum, Intersolar & Energy Storage North America, Geo Week, IOFM Conference & Expo and Admin Professionals Conference.

To mark 75 years in business last year, the firm updated its name from Diversified Communications to Diversified and refreshed its visual brand.

As part of its initiatives, Diversified partners with third-party organizations including Honeycomb Strategies, to assess its events to introduce carbon reduction strategies; Clusivity, which administers Inclusive Workplace surveys to understand and improve inclusive business practices; and trainers like Blue Level, which provides training in areas like inclusive leadership and unconscious bias.

In Maine, Diversified supports local organizations such as Equality Community Center, Maine Needs, the Ryan Project and the Dream Factory Portland. The company owns and operates a 1.5-megawatt solar farm in Brunswick.

Search criteria

For its new location, Diversified wanted to stay close to the Old Port, which Leonard said employees value for its accessibility and vibrancy.

“We were looking for a modern, more sustainable space that fosters creativity and innovation where our teams can be together on fewer floors, rather than spread out,” she said. “A Class A office we could design from scratch was key, and 2 Portland Square checked every box.”

“It’s more than just construction; it’s about reimagining how we work together,” said Leonard. “We’re making interior design and furniture choices, along with other details that will bring the space to life. The progress is exciting, and every choice is guided by what will best support our people and the way we work.”