Informa’s Clarion Deal Targets Gaming Growth

Informa, a global events giant and FTSE 100 firm, is set to acquire Clarion Events from Blackstone for £2.24 billion, adding more than 100 B2B event brands to its portfolio, including ICE and iGB. The deal is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Informa’s focus on live business events, following plans to spin off its academic business, Taylor & Francis.

The acquisition brings one of the largest event portfolios in the gaming industry into the same group as Informa’s existing B2B business. Informa forecasts that the enlarged B2B Live Events business will generate over $4.2 billion in revenue from around 1,000 specialist brands, with the group as a whole bringing in over $6 billion in revenue across more than 30 geographical markets.

So what becomes of Clarion? Informa says it will leverage its existing growth platform to grow the acquired brands through new markets, cross-marketing, data and digital services. It has also identified opportunities to grow Clarion’s brands into geographies where it has greater presence, while building its position in markets where Clarion already has scale.

For iGaming, that could mean more international reach for ICE, iGB Affiliate and an even wider portfolio. Clarion Events CEO Lisa Hannant said the acquisition reflects the strength of the company’s brands, its positions across attractive sectors and geographies, as well as the expertise of its teams. The company also notes that business will continue as usual for customers, exhibitors, sponsors, partners and suppliers, and that Clarion will maintain its focus on delivering exceptional experiences.