At their annual exhibition in Cannes this month, airport retailers might have wondered whether the UK’s impending exit (or not) from the European Union would be good for duty free shopping. But they have learned not to worry too much about political events. It is 25 years since the Single European Act tore down customs…
Can Metropolis win?
Metropolis International is one of the UK-based companies which have grown rapidly by acquiring legacy brands from B2B publishers who have turned off print. It was launched 25 years ago by fund manager Jonathan Mills and has clearly been able to capitalise on the low acquisition prices of magazines and even lower interest rates. It…
Clarion buys developer show
The US division of Clarion Events has acquired MAU, an annual Las Vegas conference and exhibition for the developers of mobile applications for the marketing and digital sector. The MAU event was launched in 2014 as part of the Grow.co portfolio. The event attracts around 2,500 attendees representing major mobile brands. The Blackstone-owned Clarion is the…
HMP buys Provascular
HMP, of Pennsylvania, an organizer of international healthcare events and education, has acquired Provascular GmbH, a German-based company producing cardiovascular education and events. Full terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The Provascular agreement includes a strategic alliance with the company’s event management group, CongO GmbH, to produce the Leipzig Interventional Course (LINC), a premier…
What media monopoly?
The era of media consolidation is well underway. The Vox Media acquisition of New York magazine, and Vice’s purchase of Refinery29 were just the start of deals which will endeavour to turn huge digital audiences into real, lasting profit. This week, Group Nine Media – owner of animal site The Dodo, Thrillist (food-drink-lifestyle), and Now…
What next for Northstar Travel?
In a flurry of deals, the fast-growing Northstar Travel Group, of the US, this week bought: the UK-based Buying Business Travel from Panacea Media, and Meetings & Incentive Travel from CAT Media; and TravelPulse US and TravelPulse Canada from travAlliance Media, of the US. Northstar claims to be the world’s leading B2B information and events…
Retail shivers for UK print
More scares for UK publishers of newspapers and magazines. The UK’s fifth largest supermarket chain Aldi last week stopped selling newspapers and magazines in its 850 stores. Media consultant Wessenden said: “The German-owned discount retailer’s share of the total magazine business was constrained by its limited range, yet it had still built up a 2.2%…
Reuters buys conferences
Thomson Reuters has bought the high-end conference organiser FC Business Intelligence (FCBI) from its private equity owner LDC. The company is being rebranded as Reuters Events. The 29-year-old FCBI produces conferences in the energy, pharma, travel and tech sectors. Its events include: eyeforpharma Barcelona, Petrochemical Update Downstream, EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit, and Insurance Nexus Connected…
EasyFairs buys FutureBuild
The Belgium-owned, €200m-revenue EasyFairs is acquiring FutureBuild Events, of London, and retaining its seven staff. The next event is in March 2020 and is forecast to have 400 exhibitors and over 27k attendees. FutureBuild will fit within Easyfair’s construction portfolio centred around the Building Holland event in Amsterdam. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. FutureBuild…
Soutar searches again for ‘free’ profits
The Moscow-born, London-educated media entrepreneur Evgeny Lebedev, who has been splashed by financial and political controversy (courtesy of some Saudi shareholders), this week appointed magazine publisher Mike Soutar as CEO of the loss-making London Evening Standard. He must now find ways to restore the 192-year-old free newspaper to profitability. In 2018, the 900k-circulation, Brexit-opposing newspaper…
