New York, NY – The U.S. equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS) acquired Clarion Events, a British independent trade show organizer that has been on a growth spurt.
The deal was a management buyout in which VSS backed current Clarion CEO Simon Kimble and COO Tim Pilcher, who had led the original management buyout of Clarion in 2004.
Since then, Clarion has posted a growth rate of 300%. The growth was driven by eight acquisitions and the launch of 15 new events. The most recent debut was Mortgage Business Expo Northern Ireland held in early February.
“We are impressed with the Clarion management and their strong brands,” said Marco Sodi, a partner at VSS. “WE feel we have acquired a premier asset with leading ‘must see’ shows.”
Joining Kimble and Pilcher on the senior management team is David Arculus, founder of Emap Business Communications, who will serve as non-executive chairman.
Reach Simon Kimble at +44 (0) 20 7370 8343 or simon.kimble@clarionevents.com; Marco Sodi at +44 (0) 20 7484 1450 or sodim@vss.com
