Mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, Grimes, McGovern & Associates (GMA) has published a white paper analysing cross-border investments in events companies.
Cross-Border Private Equity M&A Activity in the Events Industry uncovers how private equity firms have invested in portfolio companies and how those portfolio companies, in turn, have invested in independently-owned events businesses, especially across North America and Europe.
GMA has tracked and analysed hundreds of M&A deals, dating back to 2013. Almost half (43%) of private equity buyouts or growth capital investments were made post-Covid, indicating the substantial appetite for M&A since 2022.
“Audience extension and common clients are two main considerations of the investment thesis for any bolt-on event acquisition. Particularly in events portfolios with a large number of Fortune 500 clients, these corporations tend to be global and are looking for customers in all regions. The investment of PE-to-Portfolio Companies tends to be more tied to diversification in the particular fund they are investing out of,” said John McGovern, CEO of GMA.
“We expect cross-border activity, especially Portfolio Company to Bolt-on, to continue. Many Portfolio Companies are expected to come on the market in the next couple of years, so they will have new owners seeking more acquisitions to balance against organic growth.”
