Informa PLC has announced a £2.24 billion acquisition of Clarion Events from private equity owner Blackstone, marking a major strategic move to solidify its position as a global leader in B2B live events.
Following completion, Informa’s enlarged live events business will encompass approximately 1,000 specialist B2B brands across more than 40 market categories in over 30 countries, generating live event revenues exceeding £4.2 billion ($5.7 billion) and establishing an operational platform positioned for 7%+ underlying growth.
The enterprise value of £2.24 billion represents a pre-synergy multiple of 11.1x expected 2027 EBITDA, or approximately 9x including cost synergies and 8x including both cost and revenue synergies. Informa has identified approximately £50 million in annual run-rate operating cost synergies from procurement, shared services, and operational efficiencies, alongside approximately £25 million in additional operating profit by 2029 through targeted revenue synergies such as international brand syndication and geo-adaptation.
The transaction is being funded through dedicated acquisition financing and net proceeds from a £940 million equity placing and retail offer. Informa is also temporarily pausing its share buyback programme to direct capital toward the purchase, with net debt expected to remain below 3x EBITDA at year-end 2026. The deal is expected to be complete towards the end of Q4 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals, after which Clarion CEO Lisa Hannant will join the Informa Executive Leadership Team.
Commenting on the acquisition and broader strategic shifts, Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive of Informa, said: “The planned separation of Taylor & Francis coincides with further expansion in B2B through the £2.24bn acquisition of Clarion, the UK-based owner of more than 100 B2B Live Event brands. The combination will underscore Informa as the UK-listed, international leader in B2B Live Events, with annual Group revenues exceeding $6bn and underlying revenue growth of 7%±.”
A core pillar of the transaction is Clarion’s dedicated gaming division, WorldGaming (formerly operated as Clarion Gaming). WorldGaming connects gaming professionals, operators, and suppliers across nearly 200 countries through executive summits, digital intelligence platforms like iGaming Business, and world-leading trade shows. Its portfolio is anchored by ICE, the largest gaming technology exhibition, which recently relocated from London to Barcelona, alongside digital and affiliate events including iGB L!VE and iGB Affiliate.
Beyond gaming, Clarion gives Informa immediate scale across several major sector franchises, including Electronics ,IFA Berlin, Global Sources, Defence and Security ,DSEI, UDT, Technology ,ITC Vegas, and Energy ,DISTRIBUTECH, Infocast.
Alongside the Clarion acquisition, Informa announced plans to separate its Academic Markets division, Taylor & Francis, focusing the main group entirely on core B2B operations.
He commented: “Today’s announcements mark the latest step in a growth strategy that has seen B2B revenues grow tenfold since 2014, whilst generating more than $3bn of value in Business Intelligence and lifting Taylor & Francis revenues fourfold since it joined the Group.”
