Informa has become an 800-pound gorilla in the business information space, thanks in large part to a two step-strategic plan. Part one was the Growth & Acceleration, in effect from 2014 to 2017, that saw the expansion of Informa through both organic growth and acquisition, including the $1.56 billion purchase of Penton in the U.S. and nearly $6 billion acquisition of UBM in June 2018. Overall reported revenue for 2018 jumped 34.9 percent to about $3 billion, with acquisitions and disposals contributing 35.4% growth (primarily due to the acquisition of UBM). 

B2B powerhouse Informa has agreed to acquire  exhibitions giant UBM in a deal worth nearly $6 billion, including debt, reports the Financial Times (subscription required). The merger will create the largest operator of business events and exhibitions in the world.

The B2B media and information industry let out a collective gasp last Thursday wen Informa announced that it intends to acquire Penton for a whopping $1.56 billion--what appears to be a 10x multiple. 

UK-based Informa has acquired Light Reading, which provides digital information, marketing and events business serving the TMT community. Light Reading will join Informa’s Knowledge & Networking Division, which includes specialist content, data products and high quality “confexes” in several key verticals including TMT.

Business-to-business have always traded on being both experts and citizens in the markets they serve. The future of B2B publishing is going to be powered by adding data-driven insights and the immediacy to obtain and act on those insights.