Global exhibition organiser and media group Tarsus has announced it has completed the acquisition of Smarter Shows, the UK-based exhibition and conference organiser.
The acquisition enables Tarsus to strengthen its position in the aerospace, automotive and manufacturing industry sectors.
Founded in 2010, Smarter Shows has built a highly-focussed portfolio of B2B supply chain exhibitions and technical conferences held in North America and Germany with a particular focus on the aerospace, automotive and materials industries. Events in the Smarter Shows portfolio include FOAM Expo, Space Tech Expo, Ceramics Expo and other niche events.
Commenting on the acquisition, Tarsus Group CEO Douglas Emslie, explained: “Over the years I have observed and admired what James and the Smarter Shows team have achieved. I’m really pleased to be working with them to develop and expand the business going forward. This acquisition is a perfect fit with our strategy of combining organic growth, replications and strategic acquisitions to achieve our ambitious growth targets. I’m delighted to welcome the Smarter Shows team to Tarsus Group and look forward to an exciting future ahead.’’
James Reader, co-founder and CEO of Smarter Shows, added: “We’re delighted to announce the next phase of Smarter Shows’ development as part of Tarsus Group. We are proud of the reputation that we have built for delivering value to our customers along with our strong market knowledge and relationships; this deal represents a fantastic opportunity to further develop our events and international market presence, especially in China and the Middle East where Tarsus has very successful and established operations.”
Reader will take up the role of Non-Executive Chairman at Smarter Shows post-acquisition, while Joint Managing Directors Emma Stokes and Mindy Emsley will continue to run day-to-day operations from their offices in Brighton.
The acquisition follows quickly on the announcement that Tarsus Connect had purchased North America-based event media company BizBash. That acquisition added four main events, including the BizBash Live in New York and L.A. shows for event professionals, and the Connect portfolio of over 30 national, regional and vertically focused events around the United States.
