Informa boosts festivals brand with Cannes Lions purchase

Informa Group is set to acquire Cannes Lions organizer Ascential and bolster its new initiative for festival-led experiences. 

The £1.2 billion deal aims to combine its expertise and global presence to grow and accelerate Ascential’s flagships shows such as the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Money 20/20. Read more about it below:

Here are the top headlines for your weekly event news updates:

• Informa strengthens festivals brand with Cannes Lions purchase
• Easyfairs to boost big data and AI with acquisition deal
• Questex hires new VP to head wellness division
• Hyve acquires leading marketing event
• UFI scales up education programs globally

The events industry is consolidating, creating bigger, more competitive entities. But you can still make your show stand out – get the insider tips with our Events Amplified ebook.

Read on for your full Week in Events roundup ⤵️

Informa strengthens festivals brand with Cannes Lions purchase

Informa has moved to prop up its new festivals division with the acquisition of Ascential, owner of premier conferences such as Cannes Lions.

The deal – valued at £1.2bn and also including Money 20/20 – was disclosed alongside the exhibition group’s half-year results and involves a cash offer of 568p per Ascential share.

Under the move, Informa will focus on creating experience-led festival brands under its Informa Festivals divisions, keeping Cannes Lions as the centrestage.

Stephen Carter, Informa CEO, said: “Informa is in the business of creating, nurturing and growing world-class B2B brands.

“Lions and Money20/20 are outstanding examples of such brands.

“Combined, we can expand them into more sectors, accelerate growth and take advantage of new opportunities.”

Cannes Lions will serve as the flagship brand alongside Informa’s existing portfolio, including Monaco Yacht Show, London Tech Week and Black Hat.

Both companies are reportedly performing well, with Informa raising its full-year financial guidance.

Here are the key highlights of the deal:

• Complementary strengths: Informa brings a global platform, strong event portfolio and data analytics capabilities. Ascential contributes high-growth brands like Money20/20 and Cannes Lions.
• Accelerated growth: The combined entity aims to drive faster growth by leveraging cross-selling opportunities, expanding into new markets, and optimizing operational efficiencies.
• Cultural alignment: Both companies emphasize a strong focus on employees and industry relationships, forming a solid foundation for a successful integration.
• Portfolio expansion: Informa’s existing portfolio of events, coupled with Ascential’s flagship brands, creates a powerful offering across diverse sectors.
• Geographic reach: Informa’s global presence will accelerate Money20/20’s expansion into high-growth markets like the Middle East and Africa.
• Data-driven insights: Informa’s data platform, IIRIS, will enhance Ascential’s data capabilities, enabling deeper customer insights and more effective marketing strategies.
• Operational efficiencies: Combining resources will lead to cost savings and allow for reinvestment in growth initiatives.

Ascential revealed the deal followed multiple approaches from Informa in recent months.

The company’s recent streamlining to focus primarily on events, with complementary subscription and advisory services, has made it an attractive acquisition target for Informa.

Stephen added: “Informa has the operating platform and capacity. We have international reach into growth sectors.

“We have IIRIS, our First Party Data Platform, and we have an understanding of both the FinTech and Marketing sectors.

“These strengths make us ideally placed to capture the growth and acceleration opportunities available to both Lions and Money20/20.”

Philip Thomas, CEO of Ascential, said: “I am extremely proud of all of Ascential’s brands, and the people who work so hard to deliver for them every day.

“Our two divisions, Lions and Money20/20, have transformed how our customers around the world experience events, and benefit from both digital intelligence and advisory services.

“The value our businesses bring to their respective industries is clear as is the regard in which they are held by Informa.”

Easyfairs to boost big data and AI with acquisition deal

Easyfairs has secured investments from Cobepa and Inflexion to bolster its AI and big data technologies.

The new partnership brings together Cobepa, Inflexion and Easyfairs group chairman Eric Everard.

It is hoped it will open doors to strategic M&A opportunities, strengthening its position in the global events landscape.

Eric said: “I am delighted and confident that this partnership will usher in a new era of development for Easyfairs, benefiting our exhibitors, visitors, team members and partners.

“With Cobepa and Inflexion’s backing, we are now in a prime position to enhance our technological capabilities and expand our global footprint, ensuring continued success and innovation in the events industry.”

The acquisition is expected to solidify Easyfair’s growth strategy by:

• Launching fresh, cutting-edge events
• Expanding successful event brands into new territories
• Broadening Easyfairs’ footprint across geographies and sectors
• Turbocharging the company’s big data and AI capabilities

Aurélien Delavallée, managing director Cobepa, said: “We are very pleased to accompany Easyfairs in its next phase of growth.

“The company has established itself as a clear leader in its industry and is ideally positioned to continue and accelerate its growth through organic and inorganic initiatives.”

Tom Green, partner at Inflexion, added: “We are thrilled to officially begin our partnership.

“With the deal now finalised, we look forward to working closely with Eric and the management team to support and achieve Easyfairs’ ambitious growth plans.”

Questex hires new VP to head wellness division

Questex has appointed a new vice president to lead its wellness division.

Jess Tyler will assume responsibilities in the new role and oversee key events within the Wellness Group.

These include the International Beauty Show and International Esthetics, Cosmetics, & Spa Conferences.

The appointment comes after Questex’s strategic restructuring into four main communities: Hospitality, Life Sciences, Technology and Wellness.

Jess Tyler brings 15 years of industry experience and has previously served as senior vice president at Emerald and chief revenue and experience officer at MJBiz.

Hyve acquires leading marketing event

Hyve Group has announced the acquisition of POSSIBLE, a leading marketing ecosystem event.

POSSIBLE, powered by MMA Global, connects industry leaders to explore disruptive ideas shaping the future of marketing.

This deal strengthens Hyve’s position in the marketing events sector and aligns with its commitment to delivering high-value networking and learning opportunities.

Mark Shashoua, Hyve CEO,  said: “At Hyve, we are motivated by our purpose, which is to create game-changing impact for our customers, their businesses and industries, through our unmissable in-person events.

“It is crystal clear that POSSIBLE has become the go-to event for its community and is a fantastic fit for our business.”

Key highlights include:

• Hyve will collaborate with MMA Global and POSSIBLE to create the foremost platform for inspiration, networking and business opportunities in the marketing industry.
• The partnership leverages MMA Global’s extensive network of over 800 member companies across the marketing ecosystem.
• POSSIBLE will continue to benefit from MMA Global’s strategic partnership, ensuring access to cutting-edge industry insights and trends.

Greg Stuart, MMA Global CEO, added: “We are incredibly excited about the acquisition of POSSIBLE by Hyve, as it provides an even more powerful platform for MMA to share transformative insights with the marketing community, helping marketers to embrace the possibilities of the new future of marketing.

“There is no better partner for the MMA than Hyve with their track record in innovating and transforming the event attendee experience.”

UFI scales up education programs globally

UFI has widened its educational offerings to strengthen the exhibition industry landscape.

Under the initiative, UFI and the Macau Fair & Trade Association (MFTA) have signed a two-year Greater Bay Area Education Partnership.

? UFI and the Macau Fair & Trade Association (MFTA) have signed the first-ever Greater Bay Area Education Partnership!

? This two-year partnership will bring multiple onsite UFI education programmes to Macau, taught in English and Mandarin.#ufi #MFTA #education #eventprofs pic.twitter.com/QhPdz7BUVZ

— UFI (@UFILive) July 25, 2024

UFI COO Adeline Vancauwelaert said: “In response to the growing demand for professional development opportunities, UFI is committed to expanding our educational offerings globally.

“Education is one of UFI’s core pillars, and we aim to ensure that industry professionals worldwide have access to the highest quality training and resources, empowering them to drive the future of the exhibition industry.”

Anna Lawrence, UFI education programme manager, added: “We are thrilled to see UFI’s educational programmes expand significantly over the past year, with continued growth on the horizon thanks to dedicated education patrons like MFTA.

“UFI remains committed to providing continuous learning and professional development to the entire industry, and we extend our gratitude to the lecturers, partners, and hosts who help us make this possible.”

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