UK - UBM Live has purchased the UK Publishing Expo from Legend Exhibitions for £320,000. The deal is the latest in a string of local and international acquisitions made this year.
As part of the deal, UBM will co-locate the 2011 Publishing Expo with its Technology For Marketing and Advertising and Online Advertising and Affiliate Expo events at Earls Court 2 from 1-2 March.
Publishing Expo was launched in 2006 and focuses on digital and print publishing solutions. Alongside the main exhibition, the event includes a free seminar programme. UBM CEO, Simon Foster, said Publishing Expo was complementary to its existing events line-up and would boost its Marketing Technology and E Commerce portfolio, which also includes Internet World and E Commerce Expo.
“Co-locating these events at a single venue at Earls Court in 2011 will enable us to provide the UK’s first comprehensive live event solution for marketing, advertising and media professionals,” he said. The purchase price will be paid in cash and is anticipated to exceed UBM’s cost of capital criterion in its first full year of ownership, the company stated.
The 2010 Publishing Expo attracted 3,300 visitors and ran at Olympia 2 from 24-25 February. In May, the former organiser told EW it was planning to relocate from Olympia to Earls Court for its 2011 show because it was larger and provided a better image.
Publishing Expo is one of several deals struck by UBM this year and comes hot on the heels of its acquisition of UK sales leads business, Lead in Research, for £1.45m this month.
Internationally, UBM Live also bought Canon Communications for £185m in September to grow its medical and manufacturing tradeshow portfolio.
