Penton added to its robust lifestyle and food portfolio with the acquisition of World Tea Media, an event and digital information company for the global tea industry, from F+W, a Content + eCommerce company.

World Tea Media includes the flagship show for the tea industry – World Tea Expo.

World Tea Expo will be led by Fred Linder, group president, Penton, who will continue to lead Penton's New Hope business as well as Penton Exhibition Services.

"An essential element of our strategy is to focus on high-growth sectors and extend leadership positions. World Tea Media is at the forefront of the United States tea industry and is poised to double its size over the next five years,” Linder said.

He added, “This portfolio of events and digital products perfectly complements our assets.  We have the ability to nurture and grow entrepreneurial businesses through our understanding of consumer behavior, product innovation, future trends and exceptional relationships.

The tea expo complements Penton’s other shows, including Natural Products Expos East and West, both of which had grown in leaps and bounds.

Penton has created a formula to nurture and grow innovative entrepreneurial businesses in emerging markets into large retailers with mass distribution.

Penton also has the ability to tap into large food manufacturers through its leading food brands -- Multi-Unit Food Service Operators Conference (MUFSO), Nation's Restaurant News (NRN) and Supermarket News.

Penton will combine its knowledge from both the natural products and food marketplaces to accelerate the growth of tea and beverage companies. 

World Tea Expo brings together buyers with purchasing influence, including grocery chains, mass merchandisers, independent retailers, tea shops and coffee houses from the United States, as well as 46 countries around the world and World Tea Academy (WTA), the leading online tea education and certification program.

They also produce World Tea News, the premier news portal for the tea industry and the North American Tea Championship (NATC), the only independent and professionally judged tea competition in North America.

"We're excited to work with the team at World Tea Media to further extend their value as an information resource for the global tea industry, with an emphasis on the growing specialty, premium tea and healthy beverage segments,” Linder said.

World Tea Expo was founded by George Jage, who sold it to F+W Media in 2012.