Expo gets on board with Diversified
Diversified Communications UK is delighted to announce the acquisition of Expo Management for an undisclosed sum. Expo Management organise three market leading events – the biennial Euro Bus Expo exhibition, Coach and Bus Live, and Best of Britain & Ireland, which all take place at the NEC, Birmingham. Established for almost twenty years, the privately owned company also publishes the leading range of trade magazines, supported by digital platforms, for the sector.
Euro Bus Expo was rebranded as a joint industry initiative between Expo Management and The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) trade association in 2006. Today, it boasts attendance of almost 10,000 and around 300 exhibitors, and is widely recognised as one of the leading trade shows for the sector in Europe. Coach and Bus Live, which focuses more on the UK’s domestic market, also takes place every two years; alternating with Euro Bus Expo. The Expo Management event business, based in Royal Leamington Spa, also includes two successful award ceremonies – The Route One Operator Excellence Awards and the National Coach Tourism Awards. Whilst the UK’s leading domestic travel trade show – Best of Britain and Ireland, completes the events portfolio.
The publishing side of the business is based in Peterborough and includes the industry’s trade magazines – Route One and Coach Monthly, as well as the leading industry directory, websites, apps and other publishing activity. The business will continue to be headed up by Mark Griffin, who becomes Group Director for the division.
Commenting on the news, Diversified UK’s Carsten Holm says: “It’s great to be welcoming Expo Management and its fantastic team, headed up by Mark Griffin, to Diversified Communications. We have always been very impressed with the success of Mark’s business, and feel that his personal approach, customer focus and attention to detail is very similar to our own way of doing things. With the same team in place and a shared vision, but with the added resources of Diversified, I know the industry will enjoy working with us as much as they have enjoyed working with Expo Management over the years. It already feels like a perfect fit for our business and is a significant development for Diversified’s UK business.”
Mark Griffin, Managing Director of Expo Management, agrees: “We are really proud of what our team have achieved over the last twenty years. We have some fantastic events and publishing products, which have a strong reputation as market leaders in the bus, coach and domestic tourism markets. Being part of Diversified Communications will give us scale, which is essential nowadays to grow any business, and there are huge opportunities out there in our market. The reputation which the Diversified team have as an award winning company, passionate about branding and customer experience is well known. This will be a really exciting journey and is great news for our market.”
Including recent acquisitions and a series of new launches, Diversified UK continues to strengthen its position as one of the fastest growing event organisers and publishers in the UK. The award-winning UK division of Diversified Communications now employs over 80 staff and has increased its brand portfolio by 127% over the past eighteen months.
The next Euro Bus Expo is already virtually sold out five months before the doors open, with extra space being taken to accommodate growing exhibitor demand. The event takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on 4-6 November 2014 (www.eurobusxpo.com), with the Route One Excellence Awards ceremony on 5 November at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. Coach & Bus Live returns to the NEC in October 2015 (www.coachandbuslive.com) and Best of Britain and Ireland, also at the NEC, will take place on 11–12 March 2015 (www.britainandirelandevent.co.uk).
For more information, please contact:
EXPO Management: Mark Griffin on 07802 470896 or mark.griffin@expom.co.uk.
Diversified Communications UK: Carsten Holm on 01273 645113 or cholm@divcom.co.uk.
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Caption for photo: (Left to right) Carsten Holm, MD, Diversified UK and Mark Griffin from Expo Management, agree go ahead on deal.
Direct link to high-res photo: www.divcom.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Carsten-Holm-Mark-Griffin-high-res.jpg
Notes:
Diversified Communications UK (Diversified UK) is a fast growing trade event organiser and publisher based in Brighton, Peterborough, Leamington Spa, and Nailsworth, Glos. In addition to the newly acquired events, Diversified UK’s portfolio includes Natural & Organic Products Europe; Natural and Organic Awards; Natural Products Scandinavia; Nordic Organic Food Fair; lunch!; Casual Dining; GEO Business; Ocean Business; camexpo; office*; Marelec, SITS – The Service Desk & IT Support Show; Natural Products magazine; and the Natural Beauty Yearbook. For more information, visit: www.divcom.co.uk.
Diversified UK is part of Diversified Communications, a leading international media company providing market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, eMedia, publications and television stations. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine, and business management. Based in Portland, Maine, USA, Diversified employs over 800 staff, with divisions in the Eastern United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Thailand and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit: www.divcom.com
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