NEWS
In the spotlight
The stories , topics and trends making headlines in recent weeks .
Raccoon Media Group doubles portfolio with US acquisition
Raccoon Media Group has acquired Abilities Expo in the US , doubling its portfolio in the first year since it was acquired by Cuil Bay Capital . It brings Raccoon ’ s UK and US show portfolio to 17 events with more launches and acquisitions to be announced later in the year .
Abilities Expo , a series of seven exhibitions running across America , provides solutions for people with disabilities , their families and their carers . It currently sees over 30,000 visitors attend its events each year .
Abilities Expo bolsters Raccoon ’ s footing in the health and wellbeing market and joins Snowbound Expo , The Boston Run Show and The Boston Outdoor Expo in the company ’ s US portfolio .
The first event under Raccoon ’ s ownership will be Abilities LA from 15-17 March at the Los Angeles Convention Centre with staff and service providers retained .
CEO Mike Seaman said : “ The Abilities portfolio aligns perfectly with our strategy to run events that focus on healthy , active and sustainable markets . This acquisition also ties in with our desire to grow in the US , tripling the number of events we have there .”
Nineteen Group extends cyber security reach with SASIG purchase
Nineteen Group has acquired The Security Awareness Special Interest Group ( SASIG ), a networking and thought leadership forum for the cyber security industry .
SASIG represents 4,000 + organisations and includes chief information security officers ( CISO ) and their teams , professionals from other disciplines ( risk , HR , legal , supply ), government , law enforcement and academia .
The 20-year-old membership organisation supports the development of the industry by staging weekly webinars , three in-person events each month , and the Big SASIG each year .
Rachael Shattock , group event director at Nineteen Group said : “ SASIG holds a distinguished position within cyber security . Their events , including Big SASIG , will greatly complement our cyber portfolio , so we can ’ t wait to start integrating the two businesses .”
The fourth edition of Big SASIG will take place on 23 April in London .
Nineteen ’ s cyber portfolio includes the International Cyber Expo , held at Olympia in September , and the National Cyber Security Show , held at the NEC from 30 April until 2 May .
CloserStill Media acquires majority stake in Trailblazer Summits
CloserStill Media has acquired a majority stake in the Trailblazer Summits group in Germany . Terms of the deal have not been disclosed .
Trailblazer Summits GmbH produces a series of twoday , content-led confex events serving several key German market verticals including logistics , accounting , procurement , digital marketing and construction .
Trailblazer founder and CEO Thomas Promny will continue to lead the business and its 30-strong team from its Hamburg base . Astrid Jaeger , CloserStill ’ s managing director for Germany , joins the Trailblazer board of directors .
The addition of Trailblazer ’ s portfolio of 10 events means that CloserStill now organises more than 25 exhibition and conference events in Germany including , Zukunft Personal Europe ( Cologne ), Automotive Testing Expo ( Stuttgart ), Frankfurt Tech Week , Hydrogen Technology Expo ( Hamburg ), Passenger Terminal Expo ( Frankfurt ), Online Educa Berlin , Tire Technology Expo ( Hannover ), Electric and Hybrid Aerospace Technology Symposium ( Frankfurt ), Professional Motor Sport Expo ( Cologne ), ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo Europe ( Stuttgart ).
Commenting on the acquisition , Gareth Bowhill ( pictured ), CEO of CloserStill Media , said : “ We have made no secret of our continued ambition for the German market and its untapped potential , and this partnership is another important stepping stone to expand our presence in Europe ’ s largest economy .
06 — Spring