Informa acquires Clarion Events for £2.3bn, expands live-event portfolio

Informa disclosed that it has completed a £2.3 bn acquisition of Clarion Events, the leading privately held organiser of business-to-business exhibitions, from private-equity firm Blackstone. The deal brings over a hundred live-event brands, including IFA Berlin, the International Casino Exhibition and the Defence & Security Equipment International held at London’s ExCel, under Informa’s umbrella. Financing will be sourced from the net proceeds of a £940 m equity placement coordinated with Retailbook, and the firm will suspend its ongoing share-buyback.

Informa projects annual live-event revenue of £4.2 bn and expects a mid-single-digit rise in earnings per share by 2027, with £50 m of cost synergies and £25 m of additional income by 2029. The company also outlined plans to separate its academic publishing arm, Taylor & Francis, as it approaches $1 bn in revenue. This move follows previous acquisitions of Ascential and a merger with TechTarget, signalling a broader strategy to strengthen Informa’s events and digital services footprint.