London-based events giant Informa has entered a £2.24bn agreement to acquire Clarion, a rival events organizer currently held by the private equity firm Blackstone. The strategic move is set to incorporate more than 100 new events into Informa’s expansive portfolio. A British events business that hosts arms fairs and conventions for comic book fans has been snapped up by a FTSE 100 rival for more than £2bn.
The acquisition covers a diverse range of gatherings, spanning the defence and security exhibit DSEI, typically held at London’s ExCel, to popular culture conventions like Washington’s Awesome Con. Clarion’s roster also includes technology, gaming, and design industry events, as well as the Classic Motor Show in Birmingham, which is marketed as the “world’s largest vehicle club gathering.” Medicine, technology and engineering, it publishes journals and books about science.
DSEI, which rotates between London, Germany, and Japan, has previously faced significant opposition. Demonstrators gathered outside the London fair last year to protest the presence of major Israeli arms manufacturers, including Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries, the latter two of which are state-owned. Last year, hundreds demonstrated outside the four-day fair in London in protest against Israel’s three biggest arms companies present at the event.
Stephen Carter, chief executive of Informa, stated the company is “accelerating the focus” on its core live events division. To support this shift, the group has initiated a formal process to evaluate the separation of Taylor & Francis, its academic publishing arm. Founded in 1852 and acquired by Informa in 2004, the unit reported approximately $1bn (£760m) in revenue last year. Results of the review are expected by March.
Headquartered in London with 14,000 employees, Informa operates major international gatherings such as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and London Tech Week. While the company maintains a significant presence in India, Asia, and the Middle East, its shares remained flat earlier this year as regional conflicts forced the rescheduling of several events.
Informa, which has been led by Carter since 2013, plans to finance the Clarion takeover by raising £940m through a share placement. This offer will be accessible to individual investors via the broker RetailBook. Following the announcement on Tuesday, Informa’s share price on the London Stock Exchange climbed by 1.4%.
The company projects that the Clarion acquisition will bolster its earnings per share starting in 2027 and drive long-term growth. Meanwhile, Carter has stepped down from the House of Lords and relocated his residency to the UAE, a move noted during the company’s recent strategic updates.
