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Informa buys events company Clarion from Blackstone in £2.24bn deal

Takeover adds more than 100 shows, from the DSEI arms fair to comic convention AwesomeCon, as FTSE 100 group plans to spin off Taylor & Francis

By LineZotpaper
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Informa, the FTSE 100 events and publishing group, has agreed a £2.24bn deal to buy the London-based events organiser Clarion from the private equity firm Blackstone, adding more than 100 shows ranging from a major defence exhibition to comic book conventions.

Informa has struck a £2.24bn deal to buy Clarion, the London-based events organiser owned by Blackstone, in a takeover that adds more than 100 events to its portfolio.

The collection spans DSEI, the defence and security exhibition held at London's ExCel, and AwesomeCon, a comic book and pop culture convention in Washington. Clarion's other shows cover travel, classic cars, technology, gaming and design, including Birmingham's Classic Motor Show, billed as the "world's largest vehicle club gathering" and due to take place next month.

DSEI, held every two years in London as well as in Germany and Japan, has attracted protests. Last year hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the four-day London fair over the presence of Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, Israel's three biggest arms companies, which have supplied the Israel Defense Forces. The latter two are state-owned.

Stephen Carter, the Informa chief executive, said the company was "accelerating the focus" on its core live events business. The group also laid out plans to spin off its academic publishing arm, Taylor & Francis.

Informa, headquartered in London and employing 14,000 people, hosts major industry events including London Tech Week and the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Its shares have been flat so far this year after it was forced to reschedule several events in the Middle East because of the conflict in the region. Last year Carter moved his residency from the UK to the UAE and retired from the House of Lords.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The deal consolidates a large slice of the global live events market under one owner at a time when trade shows and conventions are a central focus for large media groups.
  • Clarion brings Informa the DSEI arms fair, an event that has become a flashpoint for protest over defence trade with Israel.
  • The purchase sharpens Informa's shift toward events as it prepares to separate academic publisher Taylor & Francis.

Background

Informa is one of the world's largest events and business information groups, headquartered in London, and organises major gatherings such as London Tech Week and Cannes Lions. Clarion is a London-based events organiser whose portfolio spans defence, pop culture, motoring, travel and technology shows. The sale by Blackstone continues a pattern of major private equity firms selling events businesses built up through acquisition, with Clarion's mix of trade fairs and consumer exhibitions making it an unusual asset in the sector.

Key Perspectives

Informa: Chief executive Stephen Carter said the company was "accelerating the focus" on its core live events business. The group plans to spin off academic publisher Taylor & Francis, signalling events as its primary growth engine. Blackstone: The private equity firm is selling Clarion after owning the business, handing the organiser's portfolio of more than 100 events to Informa in exchange for £2.24bn. Critics and protesters: DSEI has repeatedly drawn demonstrations. Last year hundreds protested outside the London fair against the presence of Israeli arms companies including Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, each of which has supplied the Israel Defense Forces. Market observers: Informa's shares have been flat this year, and the group was forced to reschedule several Middle East events because of the conflict in the region, a reminder of the operating risk in its international events portfolio.

What to Watch

  • Completion of the deal and any regulatory or competition review that may follow.
  • Further details and the timetable for the Taylor & Francis spin-off.
  • Whether the next DSEI editions, in London, Germany and Japan, attract renewed protest or exhibitor boycotts.
  • The rescheduling of Informa's Middle East events as regional conditions evolve, and the effect on its share price.

Sources

Zotpaper

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