Dealmakers
Steve Monnington
Managing Director
Mayfield Media Strategies
Dealmakers
he record pace set last year for the number of
transactions continues into 2019 with 18 transactions in
the two months to January 2019.
One of my predictions for this year was the continuing
sale of non-core brands by the larger organisers and, following its
acquisition of UBM, Informa has started divesting some of its non-
exhibition assets. The Life Sciences Media Brands Portfolio was part
of the UBM business and has been sold to MJH Associates, a leading
US-based medical communications company, for just over US$100m.
The brands cover three core vertical markets – Healthcare, Pharma
and Animal Health – and were included within the Other Marketing
Services division, which was declining, and at 12% had lower
operating margins than the Group average of 31.5%.
There were also non-core disposals by Clarion which, having
acquired Pennwell Corporation for around £300m (US$4397m) last
year, has sold more than 20 non-core media brands and related
events in Oil and Gas, Industrial Technology, Dentistry and Water to
Endeavour Business Media. Included in the sale is the Oil and Gas
Journal, which was the very first magazine launched by Pennwell
more than 100 years ago.
Endeavour is a publisher created by former SouthComm Media
CEO Chris Ferrell and backed by private equity firm Resolute Capital
Partners which, in just over one year, has made nine acquisitions.
The Clarion assets represents their largest deal so far and are in
sectors well represented by some of the previous acquisitions.
Clarion also made further disposals with the sale of their German
mechanical engineering exhibitions FMB and FMB-Süd to EasyFairs
which will fit alongside their existing portfolio of industrial trade
shows: Solids, Maintenance, Pumps & Valves, Empack and Logistics.
FMB was originally acquired by Clarion in 2010 as part of a larger
business.
There was also activity in venue management where two of the
big giants, AEG and SMG, announced their intention to merge to
create a 50/50 company to be known as ASM global, resulting in a
global portfolio of 310 arenas, convention centres and performing
arts venues.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
On a smaller scale, GL events added to their venue portfolio with
the acquisition of 60% of the shares of Johannesburg Expo Centre
2002 (JEC). JEC owns the Johannesburg exhibition centre which was
originally acquired by Montgomery Worldwide in 2004, which will
continue to hold the other 40%.
Transactions this period:
Buyer Business Country Sector
MJH
Associates Informa Life Science
media brands USA Life Science
Endeavour Business
Media Pennwell non-core
brands & events USA Energy, Water
Diversified
Communications Intersolar, ees,
Power2Drive USA Energy
CyberRisk
Alliance Infosec World
Conference & Expo USA CyberSecurity
Haymarket Media NACE USA Healthcare
TMA TabExpo & magazines USA/Europe Tobacco
AEG & SMG Venue Management merger Global Immediate
Media Marine & Coastal
Engineering Expo UK Marine
Pico Group FUTR Group UK/Singapore Retail Insights
GL events CIEC Union China Home
GL events Johannesburg Expo Centre South Africa Venues
Specialised Exhibitions
Montgomery FM Expo South Africa Facilities Mngt
EasyFairs FMB Germany Engineering
Reed Exhibitions India Big7 India Gifts, Houseware
Messe Frankfurt Gartex India Textiles
Messe Dusseldorf FAMDENT India Healthcare
Seven Events IMOS Indonesia Motorcycles
Venues
Issue 2 2019
11