Time Out Buys Facebook Data-Driven Hugecity

City events publisher Time Out Group has acquired Hugecity, which mines Facebook event, friend and location data to deliver personalised event information to users' laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hugecity claims to offer a crowdsourced event guide app for 'every neighbourhood in the world'. The service pulls in the locations and Facebook preferences of its users and their friends, to deliver personalised events, and has more than four million events added by Facebook users every month.

Time Out, which publishes magazines, web sites, apps and guidebooks covering events, entertainment and culture, says the acquisition will help provide event coverage and event information worldwide, while also enabling businesses to target consumers globally with events and tailored offers.

As part of the deal, Hugecity will be re-named Time Out World, while its founders Hugh Malkin and Adam Wilson will create an innovation arm called Time Out Labs, which will focus on developing new products and ideas for readers.

Tim Arthur, Global CEO of Time Out Group, comments: 'We already speak to a combined worldwide audience of over 28 million people, but that's just the start. This move will help us to become the world's most comprehensive platform of event information and inspiration.'

Web sites: www.timeout.com and www.hugecity.us .