News
T
arsus finished the year in style with
three acquisitions within a month.
First up is UK based organiser Smarter
Shows founded by James Reader
and running events in the USA and
Germany in the aerospace, automotive
and manufacturing sector, including,
FOAM Expo, Space Tech Expo and
Ceramics Expo. At the end of 2016
Smarter sold The Battery Show to UBM
and this sale to Tarsus represents the
balance of the portfolio.
Their second deal is the acquisition
of BIzBash by the Tarsus subsidiary
Connect Meetings. BizBash runs four
shows for event and meeting planners
and this brings the total Connect
portfolio to over 30 national, regional
and vertically focused events around
the United States.
The final acquisition is TyreXpo Asia
acquired from SingEx, the organising
arm of Singapore Expo. TyreXpo slots
into the Tarsus automotive portfolio
in China (AAITF – the Automotive
Aftermarket show in Shenzhen) and the
SE Asia series of events in Myanmar,
Cambodia, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
This takes Tarsus back to its origins
when Tyrexpo was originally acquired
as part of their very first acquisition –
Labelex.
The Dealmaker
Steve Monnington of
Mayfield Media Strategies
runs the rule over the latest
global exhibition deals
New entrant Roar TechMedia
We have another private equity entrant
into the exhibition sector. Apiary
Capital have backed a new venture –
Roar Techmedia founded by Duncan
Kirk, ex-head of Imago TechMedia,
the technology show division of
Clarion Events. Several of Kirks new
management are also his former
colleagues at Clarion. Russell Taylor,
ex- CEO of ITE Group is Chairman.
Their first acquisition is the healthcare,
environmental and marketing
technology shows organised by Prsym
“Easyfairs have acquired 100% of German organiser Untitled
Exhibitions, owner of the All About Automation series of events
which fit nicely with Easyfairs existing Automation event”
08 — January
Media Group. Some of these shows such
as Naidex and RWM were themselves
acquired only recently by Prsym from
Ascential.
Prsym, founded by Nick Moss, has
been sought after by several PE firms
as one of the few remaining sizeable
private organisers but has resisted
selling the whole company. Now he
is left with a smaller mixed portfolio,
which he will presumably sell off show
by shows over time.
Easyfairs expands into Germany
Easyfairs has acquired 100% of German
organiser Untitled Exhibitions,
owner of the All About Automation
series of events which fit nicely with
Easyfairs existing Automation event
in Switzerland and the mechanical
engineering exhibition FMB which they
acquired earlier this year from Clarion.
Earlier this year U.S organiser
Endeavour Business Media, who are
backed by private equity firm Resolute
Capital Partners, acquired several
exhibitions from Clarion as part of
Clarion’s rationalisation of the Pennwell
portfolio. Now they have done more
of the same with Informa acquiring 23
B2B brands and 7 events in industry,
automotive and infrastructure.
Emerald Expositions has acquired
G3 Communications, a provider of lead
generation services and organiser of
B2B Marketing Exchange Event Series.
Their brands include Retail TouchPoints
and the Retail Innovation Conference
which focusses on disruption and
transformation in the retail sector.
Emerald had an existing relationship
with G3 to bring Retail TouchPoints
Live conference programme into their
own RetailX show in Chicago.
When Reed Exhibitions acquired
Mack Brooks it included a 50% stake
in Inter Ads Mack Brooks India. Their
acquisition of the remaining 50% brings
the total number of 2019 deals at the
time of going to press to 78, edging
close to 2018’s record number of 87
transactions.