Events. Phoenix Equity-backed Nineteen Group, of the UK, has acquired Broden Media, owner of the 13-year-old Emergency Services Show. The two-day show, which takes place next month, is said to have attracted more than 450 exhibitors and 8,000 visitors last year to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in Birmingham. The deal also includes the magazine Emergency Services Times.
In November last year, the 20-year-old Nineteen Group acquired the Sussex-based Western Business Exhibitions, organiser of UK-based events, including: The Health & Safety event (NEC), Health & Safety North (Bolton Arena), Scotland Works (SECC, Glasgow), and The Security Event (NEC). The deal coincided with the Phoenix investment.
Nineteen already organises the International Security Expo and the International Disaster Response Expo which together are claimed to attract more than 350 exhibitors and 12,500 international decision-makers from government and the private sector.
Insiders speculate that Nineteen and its private equity investors contemplate a future sale to the voracious Clarion Events which operates the market-leading Defence & Security Event International (DSEI), attended by more than 30,000 people annually at London’s Excel. The Blackstone-owned Clarion (the world’s fourth largest exhibition organiser) has no fewer than 25 defence and security events in 10 countries attracting 3,000 exhibitors and 120,000 visitors.
