Informa has agreed to acquire Clarion Events, owner of ICE Barcelona and the iGB portfolio, from Blackstone at an enterprise value of £2.24bn (US$2.96bn).
The transaction covers Clarion’s entire business of more than 100 specialist brands. Its gambling portfolio includes ICE, iGB and the Indian Gaming Tradeshow, alongside major events serving the electronics, defence, energy, insurance technology and affiliate sectors.
Completion is expected towards the end of the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory clearances. Clarion will initially operate as a separate business within Informa, with its existing plans and budgets retained during the first three to six months.
Lisa Hannant will remain Clarion chief executive and join Informa’s executive leadership team following completion.
“Informa’s decision to invest in Clarion is a recognition of the quality of our business, our brands and our people,” Hannant said. “Their passion, expertise and commitment have helped build the successful business that Informa is investing in today.”
The purchase will be paid in cash and financed through committed acquisition funding and approximately £940m raised through an equity placing and retail offer. Informa has paused its share buyback programme to redirect capital towards the transaction.
Clarion is expected to generate revenue exceeding £575m during 2027, with an adjusted operating margin above 30%. The acquisition price represents 11.1 times its forecast 2027 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.
Informa expects approximately £50m in annual operating savings from procurement, shared services, event delivery and the removal of duplicated corporate costs. It is targeting a further £25m in annual operating profit from revenue synergies by 2029.
The enlarged live-events business would operate approximately 1,000 specialist brands across more than 40 sectors and 30 countries, generating annual revenue above £4.2bn (US$5.7bn).
“Clarion is home to world-class B2B brands and talent,” said Stephen Carter, Informa group chief executive. “We share the same focus on serving major, specialist and international markets and delivering impact and value to our customers and partners.”
Blackstone acquired Clarion from Providence Equity Partners for £600m in 2017. Clarion subsequently expanded through acquisitions and developed larger businesses in North America and Asia.
Informa identified gaming as one of three high-growth categories it will enter at scale through the transaction, alongside electronics and defence and security. Its integration plans include expanding Clarion brands into additional international markets and applying Informa’s data, lead-generation and digital services across the portfolio.
The acquisition forms part of a wider restructuring under which Informa plans to separate its Taylor & Francis academic publishing division and concentrate the listed group on B2B events and related services.
TAGS: Informa, Clarion Events, ICE Barcelona, iGB, Blackstone, Gambling Industry Mergers and Acquisitions, Gaming Events, Lisa Hannant, Stephen Carter
