Reed Exhibitions, a division of RELX Group, confirms agreement to acquire Mack Brooks Exhibitions, adding a further outstanding line-up of industry-leading brands to its global portfolio.
According to Exhibition World, both parties have not disclosed the value of the deal, but industry insiders estimate the price to have been around £200 million, and the transaction is subject to customary regulatory consents which is expected to close during the first half of 2019 .
Stephen Brooks, Chairman of Mack Brooks, said: “I am delighted for our customers and staff and extremely positive about the future of Mack Brooks as part of Reed Exhibitions. Our events and customers will benefit tremendously from Reed Exhibitions’ global reach, experience in delivering customer value and investment in technology. I am proud of the business we have built and happy to see it in such experienced hands for the next chapter of its evolution.”
Flagship brands include EuroBLECH (sheet metal working technology); inter airport (airport infrastructure and technology); Fastener Fair (fastener and fixing technology); Chemspec (fine and speciality chemicals); RAILTEX (rail infrastructure and technology); ICE Europe (paper, film and foil converting); CCE (manufacturing and converting corrugated and cartonboard); PSE Europe (plastics) and InPrint (print technology for industrial manufacturing).
A broad programme of geo-cloning has successfully positioned most of these brands and related adjacencies outside of Germany and the UK, in order to be present in countries including the United States, Mexico, China, India, other European countries and more. Promising access to innovation in both face-to-face and digital formats for the more than 175,000 Mack Brooks customers worldwide.
Chet Burchett, CEO of Reed Exhibitions, said Mack Brooks is an excellent fit for Reed Exhibitions existing portfolio and the combination of the two businesses will deliver value for all stakeholders, customers and staff.
Mr Burchett said: “For customers, we will be able to add value through capabilities such as our international sales group, innovative digital tools and increasingly sophisticated customer matchmaking programmes. For employees, Reed Exhibitions will provide exciting new opportunities. The acquisition is in line with our organic growth driven strategy, supported by acquisitions of targeted show portfolios that are natural additions to our existing business.”
Mack Brooks Exhibitions, based in the UK, was established in 1965 and features more than 30 B2B events across 14 countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom, serving nine industry sectors.
To find out more about Mack Brooks Exhibitions industry events including the inter airport exhibitions in Europe and South East Asia, visit their website here.
Photo credit: Reed Exhibitions website gallery
