Background
When the family owners of Pennwell decided to pursue the sale of their business, they sought out an advisor who could help them thoughtfully consider alternatives; run an efficient and confidential process; and maximize outcomes for family, management and employee stakeholders. They selected JEGI CLARITY.
Sector Context
The global events and B2B media industry has grown and evolved dramatically over the last decade and will continue to do so, post-Covid. From agriculture to aerospace, from fashion to fintech, very few industries are not reliant on a global network of suppliers, distributors and local customers. Integrated B2B events, information and marketing services of the sort provided by Clarion and Pennwell are critical to helping companies across all industries coordinate and promote their business internationally.
Our Role
No other M&A advisory firm possesses comparable market intelligence in the B2B media and marketing sector. Our sector knowledge encompasses not only the key trends that are driving industry changes – such as the shift to digital and virtual – but also direct access to the senior operators and investors who are leading these developments, often through M&A. Through years of interactions with Clarion and Pennwell, JEGI CLARITY was able to identify and highlight the compelling rationale for a transaction between these parties, leading to an outstanding outcome for both.
Transaction Detail
With 550 employees, PennWell organizes more than 40 exhibitions and conferences around the world, has 130 B2B media properties and provides integrated marketing solutions for related industries that include energy, emergency services and industrial technology.
With financial backing from Blackstone, Clarion has built a global B2B platform spanning over 180 events in 50 countries. Its executive team is consistently recognized for their innovation, expertise and industry leadership.
This highly strategic transaction brings together two of the industry’s most well-respected names to create one of the largest independent events companies in the world. PennWell’s market-leading events enhance Clarion’s existing industry portfolio while Clarion’s global sales and production network will accelerate PennWell’s international growth.
This transaction highlights JEGI CLARITY’s position as the pre-eminent M&A advisory firm for the B2B Media and Information sector, and a prime example of the firm’s ability to achieve exceptional outcomes for sellers through access to its extensive global buyer network.
