M&A
in FUTR Group, an insight
and trends platform for retail,
marketing and commerce.
The business includes a two-
day European Summit held in
London and an Asia Summit in
Singapore.
Four acquisitions in the
USA this month. Diversified
Communications has acquired
Intersolar, electrical energy
storage (ees) and Power2Drive
North America from German
organisers Solar Promotion
International and Freiburg
Management and Marketing
International (FMMI). The
family behind Diversified also
own a number of businesses
outside exhibitions and
publishing including a solar farm
in Brunswick, Maine and this has
driven the interest in entering
the solar market.
The TMA, a US tobacco
industries trade association, has
agreed to acquire the exhibitions
and magazines owned by
SpecComm International
including TabExpo, a
quadrennial event that rotates
around Europe and is next
scheduled for Amsterdam later
this year, having taken place in
London in 2015 and GTNF – the
Global Tobacco and Nicotine
Forum.
With echoes of Endeavour
Media/Resolute Capital Partners
covered at the head of this
column, CyberRisk Alliance is
a new B2B business intelligence
company launched at the end of
2018 by Doug Manoni, former
CEO of SourceMedia, and backed
by private equity firm Growth
Catalyst Partners. Their first
acquisition is Infosec World
Conference and Expo
which was owned by the
MIS Training Institute,
a training company
focussing on internal
audit, fraud and information
security.
Haymarket Media Group
has acquired the National
Association for Continuing
Education (NACE) which
has been organising medical
education conferences for
healthcare professionals in the
U.S. since 2001. Haymarket
Medical Media, a division of
Haymarket Media Group, already
produces more than 100 medical
education programmes in print,
digital and through conferences.
Two of the big giants of
venue management, AEG and
SMG are to merge to create a
50/50 company to be known
as ASM Global, resulting
in a global portfolio of 310
arenas, convention centres and
performing arts venues.
What can we look forward
to in the coming months?
Back in November, Centaur
announced a disposal program
of three divisions including
The Meetings Show. With its
full year results due before the
end of March we should expect
an announcement to coincide
with these. There has also been
press speculation around a sale
process for Easyfairs, one of the
few remaining privately owned
organisers. With an EBITDA
estimated at €35m, it is roughly
double the size of Mack Brooks,
which was recently sold to
Reed for a price thought to be
in excess of £200m. With its
10 exhibition venues it might
suit GL events, although its
exhibition focus is currently in
Asia.
Otherwise we
can expect
private
equity to
make a
noise.
Senior figures at
Reed Exhibitions
talk international
acquisitions:
On the acquisition of India
BIG7
Gregory Zaraisky, CEO, Reed
Exhibitions, India: “Having
known Jivesh Sachdev and
his flagship event India BIG7
for more than two years, we
have been very impressed
by the team’s continuous
drive to innovate, keep
the event on-trend while
focusing on the customers’
needs. By joining forces,
we can increase customer
value and help accelerate
the transformation of the
industries which urgently
need investment, innovation
and new technologies.”
On the acquisition of
Florida Supercon
Lance Fensterman, global
president of ReedPOP: “We
are thrilled with the addition
of Florida Supercon to the
ReedPOP family. Mike Broder
and his team have done an
amazing job in making this
show one that has incredible
fan and industry support. We
plan to spend time listening
to the fans and exhibitors and
then investing to build upon
the awesome convention and
continue to give the great fan
base a fantastic experience.
Mike Armstrong, vice
president of ReedPOP: “I’m
excited to continue to get
to know the enthusiastic
South Florida fan base and to
have the opportunity to take
an already great show and
continue to make it better.”
April — 13