News
The Dealmaker
Steve Monnington
of Mayfield Media
Strategies runs the rule
over the latest global
exhibition deals
I
t’s one deal per month for
CloserStill Media at the
moment as they announce
their third acquisition in as
many months – their second
in Spain. Interalia, which
runs Infarma – a leading
tradeshow for the pharmacy
sector – has sold 80% of
the business. Expect the
roll out of more CloserStill
brands into Spain in both
healthcare and tech. It also
acquired Ecosalud (natural
products) as part of the deal
and I would expect this to
be offloaded as non-core at
some stage.
In 2015 Tarsus decided to
exit from the French market
in order to concentrate
on the USA and emerging
markets, selling the business
(which was renamed
Weyou), to their French MD
Romauld Gadrat for €9.2m
(then £6.54m). Gadrat was
backed by private equity
firm FCDE. EMZ Partners
have now acquired the
FCDE stake with Gadrat
remaining on board. Since
Tarsus sold, the revenue has
increased organically by an
average of 18% per annum.
Clarion US buys app event
Clarion’s US division
has acquired MAU Las
Vegas, a conference and
exhibition for developers of
mobile applications for the
08 — December
marketing and digital sector.
The show was originally
launched in 2014 as part of
Grow.co, the world’s largest
community of growth
marketing professionals and
brands, comprised of more
than 20,000 acquisition
and retention-oriented
professionals.
Healthcare Made
Practical (HMP), the
U.S based organiser of
more than 300 healthcare
conferences which is
majority owned by
Susquehanna Growth Equity
has acquired Provascular
GmbH, organiser of
cardiovascular events in
Germany. Provascular
also produces the Leipzig
Interventional Course ,
an annual global medical
education conference.
Italian Exhibition Group
(IEG), the joint venture
between Fiera di Vicenza
and Rimini Fiera formed in
2016, has acquired FIMAST
- the international trade
fair for textile machinery
and accessories - from
Principemedia. IEG have
also proposed the purchase
of the OroArezzo and
GoldItaly trade shows
owned by Arezzo Fiere,
the exhibition centre in
Arezzo, Italy to further
strengthen their position
in the jewellery sector
which is dominated by
‘It’s one deal
per month for
CloserStill Media’
their show Vicenzaoro.
IEG are in five main
sectors: Food & Beverage;
Jewellery & Fashion;
Tourism, Hospitality &
Lifestyle; Wellness, Sports
and Leisure; Green &
Technology.
Comexposium has
partnered with Chinese
organiser Recycling
Times Media to acquire
RemaxWorld Expo
& Summit, an office
equipment and printing
consumables exhibition
held in Zuhai, China.
They acquired the
China Stationery Fair
in Shanghai at the end
of 2017 giving them two
locations for the sector at
different times of the year.
Staying in China,
Meorient has become
the first exhibition
organiser in China to be
publicly quoted with a
listing on the Shenzhen
Stock Exchange raising
US$51m in the process.
Its fastest growing brand
is the China Homelife
series of sourcing events
which promote Chinese
home products and which
has been launched in 12
countries.
XPO Exhibitions,
the largest trade show
organiser in New Zealand,
has acquired a portfolio of
9 shows from North Point
Events. North Point have
sold their whole portfolio
save for the Auckland Art
Fair. The shows include
baby shows, food shows
and home and garden
shows making XPO the
largest independent
organiser in Australasia.