Informa Group buys out Clarion Events for £2.24bn

• Informa Group has confirmed that it is acquiring Clarion Events in a £2.24bn deal
• Clarion Events is expected to generate £575m in revenue in 2027 as business continues as usual under the new owners
• Clarion Events was bought by Blackstone Group in 2017 for £600m and has dramatically increased its value since

Informa Group has announced the acquisition of Clarion Events, a competitor, in a £2.24bn deal, sending the former’s shares on the London Stock Exchange up by 4.39% on Tuesday, October 6. The deal is not yet finalized and is expected to close in Q4 2026.

Informa Group signs deal to acquire Clarion Events

Clarion Events, the owner of WorldGaming, which runs ICE, iGB and the Indian Gaming Tradeshow, will now have a new corporate home, with Informa Group negotiating the deal with Blackstone, which owns Clarion Events.

The deal is a significant step-up from the original value Blackstone Group paid in 2017, when it bought Clarion Events from Providence Equity Partners for £600m. Rumors that Blackstone Group may be looking to divest first emerged in 2024. Informa Group now expects Clarion Events to generate more than £575m in revenue in 2027.

The news was detailed by Clarion Events CEO Lisa Hannant, who said: "Informa’s decision to invest in Clarion is a recognition of the quality of our business, our brands and our people. This is a moment to recognise the outstanding contribution of our teams. Their passion, expertise and commitment have helped build the successful business that Informa is investing in today."

Informa Group CEO Stephen Carter was similarly pleased with the move, and extolled Clarion Events’ virtues as a home to "world-class B2B brands and talent."

"We’re excited to bring Clarion’s brands and teams into the Informa Group and to further grow and expand our leading international B2B Live Events business," Carter noted, adding that Informa Group shared the same focus on serving major, specialist and international markets.

There are no immediate disruptions to the existing event formats planned, as confirmed by Clarion Events, which has said that business for ICE and iGB will continue as usual, not least because of the strong revenue contributors the events are.

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