Informa has announced its acquisition of Clarion Events from Blackstone for £2.24 billion, a move aimed at solidifying Informa's position in high-growth markets such as gaming. Since acquiring Clarion in 2017, Blackstone has successfully navigated the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic, during which live events were largely halted.
The deal, disclosed on Tuesday, is projected to finalize in the fourth quarter of 2026, valuing Clarion at 11.1 times its anticipated EBITDA for 2027. Informa emphasized that the acquisition of Clarion’s extensive portfolio, which includes major events in gaming and other sectors like defense and electronics, will allow for immediate market scale. Revenue from Clarion is expected to exceed £575 million ($761.6 million) by 2027.
Informa’s CEO, Stephen Carter, indicated that this acquisition will resurrect the company's earlier aspiration to dominate the B2B live events sector globally. In a video released on Informa's LinkedIn, Carter stated, “That will leave the Informa Group pursuing the strategy that we first laid out in 2013 to build a position in B2B live events and become the leading, the largest and the most international live events business anywhere in the world.” He also noted that integrating Clarion would enhance their existing portfolio, particularly within the gaming sector.
Alex Pratt, Managing Director of Clarion’s WorldGaming division, expressed enthusiasm over the acquisition, highlighting Informa's capabilities in data and digital technology, which he believes will elevate their live and digital business offerings.
Once the acquisition is finalized, Informa anticipates that its B2B live events segment will generate more than £4.2 billion in revenue from around 1,000 specialized brands. The deal is predicted to expand Informa’s footprint significantly, offering new growth opportunities in North America, Asia, and particularly IMEA (India, Middle East, and Africa), where Clarion currently has limited presence.
According to Informa, this acquisition is expected to yield around £50 million in annual operational synergies through efficiencies in operations and event management, as well as generating an additional £25 million in operating profit from increased revenue by 2029.
Clarion Events CEO, Lisa Hannant, will continue in her role and join Informa’s executive leadership team. She remarked on the significance of this deal for Clarion, emphasizing the quality of its business and the recognition of its market-leading brands.
Funding for the acquisition will come in cash, sourced through dedicated acquisition financing and net proceeds from an equity placing and retail offer totaling approximately £940 million. Despite the considerable size of the transaction, Informa expects its net debt to remain below three times EBITDA by the end of 2026 and drop below 2.5 times by the end of 2027, pausing its share buyback program to facilitate the acquisition. Informa projects that this acquisition can increase adjusted diluted earnings per share by a mid-single-digit percentage in 2027 while delivering a double-digit post-tax return on invested capital within three years.
