Informa has agreed to acquire Clarion Events from private
equity firm Blackstone in a £2.24bn deal that will significantly expand its
global exhibitions business.
The transaction will bring more than 100 B2B event brands
into Informa’s portfolio, including IFA, DSEI, ICE, Distributech and ITC.
Informa currently operates more than 800 B2B live event
brands across more than 40 market categories and 30-plus countries. The
enlarged business is expected to generate more than £4.2bn in revenue.
Clarion CEO Lisa Hannant will remain in her role and join
Informa’s executive leadership team following completion of the deal, which is
expected towards the end of the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory
approval.
The acquisition gives Informa greater scale in sectors
including technology, electronics, defence and security, gaming and energy,
while strengthening its presence across Europe, North America and Asia.
Informa said the deal would also create opportunities to
take Clarion brands into new markets and use its data, digital and analytics
capabilities to develop additional services for exhibitors and delegates.
Consolidation continues
The deal is the latest major move in the continuing
consolidation of the global exhibitions industry and follows Informa’s £3.8bn
acquisition of UBM in 2018.
It also marks a further shift in Informa’s focus towards B2B
live events. Informa expects the combined B2B Live Events business to
become a 7 per cent plus underlying growth business, with around £50m of annual operating
synergies expected from the combination.
For the events industry, the deal creates a significantly
larger player at a time when major organisers continue to build scale through
acquisitions and international expansion.
Subject to approval, Clarion is expected to become part of
Informa towards the end of this year. Informa says Clarion will continue to operate
against its existing 2027 plans initially, with integration work taking place
after completion.
