By Amy Thomson | Updated on Oct 06, 2026 at 08:05 AM
Informa Plc agreed to buy Clarion from Blackstone Inc. in a deal valued at £2.24 billion ($3 billion) including debt, which will build up the British company’s fast-growing events and trade show business.
The deal is expected to close near the end of the fourth quarter pending regulatory approvals, and will be financed with a £940 million equity placement, Informa said in a statement on Tuesday. The company also said it will pause its share buyback program to redirect funds to the deal.
Informa has rapidly expanded its live events business, which includes the Dubai Airshow and the Monaco Yacht Show, as well as Black Hat cybersecurity conferences. The unit has contributed to a tenfold increase in business-to-business sales since 2014, Informa said. Clarion focuses on exhibitions, with 125 events and media brands in industries including gaming, technology, energy and security.
Alongside the deal for Clarion, Informa said it will evaluate options to sell its academic business, Taylor & Francis. The unit is the oldest part of the group, tracing its history back to 1798 when the Philosophical Magazine scientific journal was first published. Informa merged with Taylor & Francis in 2004, but has been steadily moving away from publishing with acquisitions of events businesses and conference series.
Informa’s shares fell 1.9% at 8:03 a.m. in London trading. The stock has declined about 4.4% this year, giving the company a market value of about £10.7 billion.
Blackstone agreed to buy Clarion in 2017, later combining it with Global Sources, which runs China-focused trade shows. The private equity firm has been exploring options for the business, including a stake sale, for more than a year.