Informa Acquires Tarsus Group in $940 Million Mega Deal

March 9, 2023

In the largest post-pandemic exhibition acquisition deal by far, Informa has bought Tarsus Group from private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners for $940 million. The acquisition was funded with cash and $210m of new Informa shares.

"We have long admired the Tarsus business which, like Informa, has been built around major brands in attractive, specialist B2B markets in the growing regions of Asia, China, the Middle East and the Americas,” said Informa Group CEO Stephen A. Carter.

The Informa Board believes the combination is both commercially and financially compelling, with strong portfolio alignment that will deliver enhanced value for customers, additional opportunities for colleagues and attractive returns for shareholders.

Douglas Emslie, CEO of Tarsus Group, said, “I am extremely proud of the Tarsus business, our people and our customers. I could not think of a better partner than Informa to lead our brands and colleagues through the next phase of growth and expansion.”

Tarsus Group was a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange before it was bought by Charterhouse in 2019.

"We are proud to have supported Tarsus’ development since 2019 and are confident that Informa is exceptionally well placed to deliver the next stage of the company’s growth strategy,” said Charterhouse Partner Robert Leeming. “We look forward to becoming a shareholder.”

A combination programme will be run through January 2024 that has the following three key objectives:

Deliver: Maximize 2023 performance, minimizing disruption and distraction in what is a key year of return, growth and acceleration for Live B2B Events;

Discover: Make growth-focused people, brand and business combination decisions;

Combine: Ensure the portfolios enter 2024 successfully, operating as one company under the Informa brand.

Informa COO Mark Temple-Smith will step in as executive chair of Tarsus from completion through to the end of the Combination Programme in January 2024. Temple-Smith formerly was the CEO of Asia for Tarsus.

Emslie will become a senior advisor to the Informa Group through the Combination Programme, guiding on talent, brands and partnerships.

The combination of Tarsus with Informa is expected to generate c.$20m annualized operating synergies by 2025 through efficiencies in procurement, real estate, technology, event contracts and other areas.

The combination also is expected to deliver incremental revenue benefits through cross marketing of Brands, digital expansion and new event launches, as well as harvesting first party data from Tarsus into IIRIS.

Tarsus launched in 1998 and under the leadership of Emslie has grown to more than 160 events globally in the United States, Mexico, China, South East Asia, the Middle East, Turkey and Europe in key verticals, including aviation, medical, labels and packaging, travel, housewares and automotive.

Since the Charterhouse acquisition in 2019, the Tarsus portfolio has been expanded and enhanced through 24 new launches and 11 targeted acquisitions.

Like Informa, Tarsus is seeing a similar strong return to the market for Live and On-Demand B2B Events in 2023.

The Tarsus business also significantly benefits from biennial events in odd numbered years, including the Dubai Airshow and LabelExpo Europe.

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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? 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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.