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SearchThe deal, which Informa expects to close toward the end of the fourth quarter of 2026, would expand its B2B events business. The company expects to finance it in part through a share placing of around £940 million.
Informa has agreed to buy Clarion Events from Blackstone for £2.24 billion in cash, in a deal that would expand its international portfolio of business events. The British group also announced that it has begun a formal process to separate Taylor & Francis, its academic business, although it has not yet decided how to do so.
The acquisition would add more than 100 events to Informa. Clarion’s portfolio includes DSEI, the defence and security exhibition held in London and other markets, and Awesome Con, a pop culture convention in Washington. It also covers events in the technology, energy, tourism and automotive sectors.
Informa organises, among other events, London Tech Week and the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. According to the company, following the acquisition its B2B events division would generate more than £4.2 billion in revenue and bring together around 1,000 specialist brands across more than 40 categories and 30 countries.
Informa said it would finance the acquisition through acquisition financing and raise approximately £940 million net through a share placing. The plan includes new shares offered to eligible investors and an offer to retail investors through RetailBook; some members of the management team will also subscribe for shares, for up to £1.6 million.
The deal has not yet been completed: Informa expects to close it toward the end of the fourth quarter of 2026. The date and terms described are those in the company’s announcement and do not represent outcomes that have already materialised.
The company estimates that Clarion will generate more than £575 million in revenue in calendar year 2027 and have an adjusted operating profit margin of 30%. Its calculations include organic growth of around 10% in annual events and approximately £100 million in additional year-on-year revenue associated with biennial events. These are forecasts, not guaranteed results.
Informa also expects the acquisition to increase adjusted diluted earnings per share by a mid-single-digit percentage in 2027 and to achieve a double-digit post-tax return on invested capital within three years, above its weighted average cost of capital. These expectations express the company’s objectives and depend on the execution of the deal and its subsequent performance.
In parallel, Informa has launched a formal process to separate Taylor & Francis, which publishes academic journals and books. The company said it would review all options and communicate the outcome alongside its annual results, expected in March next year. For now, it has announced neither a definitive structure nor a separation date.
The move signals a realignment of the group towards live events and could give the publishing business greater independence, in line with the purpose communicated by Informa. The Clarion acquisition and the review of Taylor & Francis are initiatives announced by the company; their financial and organisational effects have yet to materialise.
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