Busy Trade Show M&A Activity Heats Up in Q4

December 15, 2019

After a relatively slower mergers and acquisitions market in 2019 overall, the last quarter of the year saw several transactions recently close. Questex recently acquired the Live Experience assets, including Live Design, Club Industry and World Tea Expo.

The acquired portfolio aligns with Questex’s focus on the Experience Economy and will join the Company’s other assets focused on the Hospitality industry, according to company officials. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Experience Economy is here. Companies driven by ‘experiences’ have a competitive advantage with business growth. In fact, they grow four times faster than companies that don’t embrace the Experience Economy,” said Paul Miller, CEO of Questex.

He added, “Research shows that 74 percent of consumers prioritize experiences over products or things. The customer experience has taken over from price and product features as the key brand differentiator because individuals want to participate in meaningful work completed on their own timetablesAs businesses compete for the attention of customers, experiences become a unique selling point.”

The Live Experience and World Tea assets complement Questex’s Restaurant & Bar portfolio. In addition, the Club Industry assets fit with Questex’s SIBEC Sports & Health Industry event as well as the hosted buyer environments Questex delivers in this market.

The Live Experience assets also include the rights to the XLive brands including the XLive Esports Summit and the WFX Network.

The Agenda trade show focuses on street, skate and surf fashion, and was bought by Toronto-based exhibition and trade show organizer AZTQ Corporation from Reed Exhibitions.

Agenda will be run by AZTQ as a standalone show under the leadership of Tony Shellman and Laurent Huttinot.

“We are excited about the acquisition of Agenda by AZTQ and look forward to growing and expanding this important and culturally relevant show,” said Tony Shellman, Agenda show director.

He added, “It has been a fantastic journey for myself and the team and we look forward to continuing to partner with innovative and leading fashion brands.”

Agenda will be held Feb. 4-6 in Las Vegas during Fashion Week.

The Institutes, a risk management and insurance knowledge provider, acquired three valuable knowledge-sharing platforms from LRP Media Group: National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference® & Expo (NWCDC), Risk & Insurance®, and National Ergonomics Conference & ErgoExpo® (ErgoExpo).

“At The Institutes, we are constantly seeking ways to better serve individuals interested in risk management and insurance topics,” said Peter Miller, CPCU, president and CEO of The Institutes.

He added, “By acquiring Risk & Insurance, NWCDC, and ErgoExpo, we are enhancing our ability to provide knowledge through an ever-expanding set of knowledge and knowledge-delivery solutions. Acquiring these platforms will not only enhance our content but also expand our ability to effectively deliver our content by gaining a better understanding of individuals’ risk management and insurance knowledge preferences and needs.”

NWCDC, Risk & Insurance and ErgoExpo will expand The Institutes’ educational capabilities across insurance and workplace safety.

NWCDC is the largest national workers’ compensation conference and tradeshow, focusing on the huge and complex workers’ compensation and disability industry. Additionally, Risk & Insurance is the leading media and marketing solutions platform in the risk management and commercial insurance space.

ErgoExpo is the nation’s largest and longest running ergonomics event, providing executives the latest industry knowledge essential to mitigating workplace injuries.

Tarsus Group made its fourth recent acquisition, picking up TyreXpo series of events from Singapore-based organizer, SingEx.

The acquisition adds a complementary brand to the automotive events in the Tarsus portfolio and gives the group access to an adjacent market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

The three other recent Tarsus acquisitions included Touch China, BizBash Media and Smarter Shows. 

The TyreXpo series was first launched in Singapore in 1997 and now provides one of the leading meeting places for the tire industry, with many of the world’s most important suppliers to the industry participating.

Favorable market conditions in recent years have led to key tire manufacturers investing heavily in East and South Asia and the region now accounts for more than 50% of global tire manufacturing. 

According to industry sources, Asia is the largest and fastest-growing market for tires globally and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.75% through to 2023.

TyreXpo Asia is firmly established as a must-attend for the industry in the region and beyond.  The biennial event is held at Singapore EXPO and the 2019 edition, held in March, attracted over 200 exhibitors across an exhibition area of 12,000 square meters and saw 2,506 visitors in attendance.

Key to the event’s ongoing success is the resilient demand for tires, irrespective of mobility trends and the future-proofed nature of the industry. 

Under Tarsus Group ownership, the event will have an increased focus on the TBR (truck & bus radial), OTR (Off the Road) and PCR (Passenger Car Radial) sectors coupled with a buyer program to grow the number of international buyers at the event.

Tarsus Group CEO Douglas Emslie, highlighted the strategic fit of the acquisition: “The TyreXpo series acquisition aligns with our approach of investing in high growth opportunities and markets. This is an exciting vertical for Tarsus and complements our existing presence in automotive industry events.”

Increased global participation will be a key focus for the event going forward, said Tarsus Asia CEO, Nino Gruettke: “The Tarsus Asia team are excited to roll out the next phase of development for TyreXpo series – a key priority will be to bring the world’s leading buyers to Singapore and truly internationalize the event.”

The next edition of TyreXpo Asia is scheduled to take place in March 2021 at the Singapore EXPO.

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.