Informa to Acquire Clarion for £2.24 Billion
Informa is acquiring events organizer Clarion from Blackstone for £2.24 billion while initiating a separation review of its Taylor & Francis publishing arm.
Informa announced plans Tuesday to acquire events organizer Clarion from Blackstone for an enterprise value of £2.24 billion, or approximately $3 billion. The deal will integrate over 100 B2B event brands into Informa's portfolio, including the DSEI defense exhibition and the IFA consumer electronics show.
To fund the acquisition, Informa will use acquisition financing and a £940 million equity raise, which necessitates a pause in its share buyback program. The transaction is expected to close in late 2024, pending regulatory approval.
As part of a broader strategic shift toward business-to-business events, Informa is initiating a formal separation review of its academic publishing arm, Taylor & Francis. The publishing unit generates nearly $1 billion in annual revenue. Informa expects to announce the outcome of this review in March 2027.
