Raccoon Group ‘doubles portfolio’ in one year

Raccoon Media Group’s event portfolio is set to double within a year after its latest acquisition, according to the company. 

The group has taken over Abilities Expo, a series of exhibitions focused on disabilities in the US, and is expected to announce more launches and purchases later in 2024.

That’s your top story this week. Here’s your full roundup of the headlines:

• Raccoon Media Group set to double portfolio with new acquisition
• CloserStill Media to become among ‘Germany’s largest indie planners’
• ETT Club bids farewell after almost four years
• Clarion Events selects new logistics partner for carbon reduction
• IEG becomes first gender equality certified tradeshow

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Read on for your full Week in Events roundup ⤵️

Raccoon Media Group set to double portfolio with acquisition 📈

Raccoon Media Group is poised to double its portfolio in the course of a year after its latest acquisition.

The organiser’s UK and US event portfolio will increase to 17 shows, doubling in the first year since it was acquired by Cuil Bay Capital.

Its latest takeover – Abilities Expo – is a series of seven exhibitions in the USA, catering to individuals with disabilities and drawing over 30 thousand annual visitors.

Mike Seaman, Raccoon Media Group CEO, said: “This acquisition also ties in with our desire to grow in the US, tripling the number of events we have there.

“I’m equally excited about working with the incredible team who deliver these shows – they are incredibly talented and provide us with a strong platform for additional future growth.

“The Abilities CEO Lew Shomer will remain with the business and will ensure a smooth and effective transition.

“Lew is a brilliant entrepreneur and well respected by the community, so it was important to us to keep him involved in order to develop the event sensitively and within the best interests of the disability community.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank David Korse, Lew’s business partner for his support throughout the transaction and for helping to build such a fantastic community and business.”

The acquisition enhances Raccoon’s position in the US health and wellbeing market.

It will boost its existing portfolio in the country, which includes Snowbound Expo, the Boston Run Show and the Boston Outdoor Expo.

CloserStill Media to become among ‘Germany’s largest indie planners’ 

CloserStill Media is set to become among the largest independent event planners in Germany after a new takeover.

The organiser obtained a majority stake in the rapidly growing Trailblazers Summit group, which hosts a series of two-day confex events across sectors including logistics, accounting, procurement, digital marketing and construction.

Trailblazer’s portfolio draws influential buyers through unique formats, curated content and networking.

Thomas Promny, Trailblazer CEO,  said: “CloserStill’s expertise in the global tech sector and their successful track record in launching and growing events makes this a powerful combination.

“We are excited to see how this partnership will ignite our business and allow us to get to lots of new opportunities for our team to expand the business and better serve our customers and communities.”

CloserStill’s event portfolio in Germany now boasts more than 25 exhibitions and conferences.

This includes industry-leading brands like Zukunft Person-al Europe, Automotive Testing Expo, Frankfurt Tech Week and Hydrogen Technology Expo.

Gareth Bowhill, CEO of CloserStill Media, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Thomas and his Trailblazer Summits team into the Group.

“We have made no secret of our continued ambition for the German market and its untapped potential, and this partnership is another important stepping stone to expand our presence in Europe’s largest economy.”

ETT Club bids farewell after almost four years

The Exhibition Think Tank Club has bid farewell to industry colleagues after nearly four years of collaboration.

A special session was held for members to share their feedback on the project’s impact on their business approach.

ETT Club, as it is called, emerged in 2020 during the global Covid-19 crisis when industry meetings were halted.

Matthias Tesi Baur, CEO of MBB Consulting Group, said: “ETT Club as a project will end, but I think it will continue with many initiatives in the associations and other groups as well.

“Associations do a great job bringing people together as well through many different formats – through the congresses, through their online webinars.

“These are actually the two things where I hope they will continue and I hope will come out of the ETT Club.

“One of the things we have done for the first time in our industry was creating this atmosphere of being really hierarchy free.”

The group had evolved into a global community with 200+ online sessions and 1,300 diverse members from 72 countries, encompassing industry professionals across various sectors and regions.

He added: “It really didn’t matter if you are C-level or a student, it only mattered if you had a good idea, a good question, or if you were challenging something we’ve done for hundreds and hundreds of years.

“You had your place and you had the right to speak and everybody listened to you.

“I hope this element of hierarchy-free collaboration, somehow finds its way into other formats.”

Read more about it here.

Clarion Events selects new logistics partner for carbon reduction

Clarion Events has selected a long-term logistics partner to reduce the carbon footprint of its exhibitions.

The organiser teamed up with Kuehne+Nagel to tackle the issue from January 2024.

Kuehne+Nagel will handle all onsite services for Clarion’s 200+ events –  including storage, lifting, customs, traffic management and international freight forwarding.

Verena Lester, Clarion Events’ group operations director, said: “Clarion is incredibly excited to embark upon this new journey with Kuehne+Nagel.

“I see our shared emphasis on providing world-class customer solutions and dedicated focus on building a more sustainable future for the global events space as key pillars of a partnership that will drive additional value for both parties in the years ahead.”

Mike Priestley, director Kuehne+Nagel Expo, added: “We have worked with Clarion for a number of years and are delighted to announce that they have appointed Kuehne+Nagel for all their events as of 2024.

“Their trust in our capabilities, along with our shared ambition to drive low-emission solutions, provides a solid basis for a successful purpose-led partnership.”

Meanwhile, it comes as we learned the 2024 edition of Global Exhibitions Day will focus on sustainability efforts across the industry.

Four campaign pillars will support this year’s theme:

• Exhibitions drive progress: They provide a platform to discuss, create, and showcase solutions to universal challenges.
• Exhibitions facilitate economic growth: They connect industries, stimulate economic activity, and create jobs.
• Exhibitions are sustainable: They offer a sustainable approach to business and development, gathering communities in one place while managing environmental impact.
• Exhibitions connect people: They bring people together in person, enabling face-to-face interactions for collaboration and contribution.

Geoff Dickinson, UFI president,  said: “The significance of this year’s Global Exhibitions Day theme on sustainability cannot be overstated.

“Exhibitions are indeed catalysts to sustainable futures, and the time is now for us to come together as an industry on 5 June 2024 to show that.

“I look forward to celebrating GED 2024 and invite all my colleagues and friends from around the world to do the same.”

IEG becomes first gender equality certified tradeshow 👩👨

The group’s Rimini and Vicenza exhibition and congress venues – along with its Milan and Arezzo offices -obtained a certification score of 89.75 out of 100, by one of the most reputable certifying agencies.

Maurizio Ermeti, IEG president, said: “I am claiming an acknowledgement that is not simply the reward for a path taken on the wave of a corporate culture that is finally asserting itself in the business world, but the affirmation of a corporate identity that has always featured a substantiated pre-requisite of rewarding and recognising talent, wherever it may be.”

The certification process evaluates various areas, including corporate culture and strategy, and IEG achieved a high score that reflects its strong human capital management policies.

These policies support female employment, creating a work environment that promotes growth and work-life balance.

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