Snöcap May 23, 2025
Snöball correspondent
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What's brewing in the world of exhibitions and associations? Our latest weekly recap Snöcap brings the movers and shakers in the industry every Friday.
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Here's the top stories of the week:
- Blackstone seeks $2.5 billion exit sale of Clarion Events amid market rebound
- RX Global's WTM London names Chris Carter-Chapman new event director
- EIC partners with JMIC to strengthen event industry advocacy, research and sustainability
- GL Events strengthens animal health portfolio with acquisition of Chinese pet vet exhibition
- Olympia reports 33% y-o-y food waste reduction in latest ESG report
- Who is hiring?
Blackstone seeks $2.5 billion exit sale of Clarion Events amid market rebound
Blackstone Inc. has launched the sale process for Clarion Events and could seek a valuation of about 2 billion pounds ($2.5bn) as dealmaking activity recovers from recent market volatility, Reuters has reported, citing four people familiar with the matter.
The private equity firm distributed information memoranda earlier this month and has attracted interest from CVC, KKR, PAI Partners, Ardian and Asian firm Hillhouse Investment, according to the Reuters report.
Blackstone bought the London-based events company, which runs international trade shows in electronics, gaming, energy, security and defense, for 600 million pounds in 2017. The firm supported Clarion through the COVID-19 pandemic when the events industry shut down.
The potential sale would be one of the largest private equity transactions since U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies triggered market volatility. Clarion could fetch around 12 times EBITDA, one source told Reuters.
Clarion's revenue rose to 432.9 million pounds in the 12 months through January 2024 from 257 million pounds a year earlier as the events industry recovered in China and Hong Kong.
Spokespeople for the firms declined to comment to Reuters. There is no guarantee a deal will emerge, the sources said.
RX Global's WTM London names Chris Carter-Chapman new event director
RX Global has appointed industry veteran Chris Carter-Chapman as event director of World Travel Market (WTM) London.
Chris replaces Juliette Losardo, who has moved to RX Arabia. He will now oversee WTM London, scheduled for Nov. 4-6, 2025, at Excel London.
With 15 years of experience in media and events across multiple sectors, Chris has held senior roles including head of content, commercial director and event director.
He has vast experience launching and running events across Europe, North America and South America.
Chris previously served as event director at Intelligence Squared for nearly five years and at Centaur Media, where he oversaw the marketing portfolio including Festival of Marketing and Marketing Week Live.
He will report to Jonathan Heastie, travel portfolio director at RX UK.
"He has a successful track record in running B2B trade shows and conferences," Jonathan said.
"I am acutely aware of the immense responsibility that comes with leading an event of WTM's stature," Chris said.
The 2025 event will mark WTM London's 45th year.
EIC partners with JMIC to strengthen event industry advocacy, research and sustainability
The Events Industry Council (EIC) and Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) have announced a collaboration to coordinate advocacy, research and sustainability efforts across the global business events sector.
The partnership unites two industry organizations to strengthen the voice and influence of the business events community amid regulatory changes, economic volatility and geopolitical tensions.
The collaboration will focus on three priority areas:
- Unified Global Advocacy: Joint efforts to amplify industry voice on travel restrictions, carbon regulations and geopolitical issues
- Research: Collaboration on the next global Economic Significance of Business Events Study with Oxford Economics, scheduled for release in 2026
- Sustainability Alignment: Coordination between EIC Sustainable Event Standards and JMIC's Net Zero Carbon Events initiative
"The business events industry plays a critical role in knowledge exchange and economic growth," said Dr. Senthil Gopinath, 2025 chair of the EIC board and CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association.
James Rees, president of JMIC and executive director of Excel London, said the collaboration "is built on the principle that unity brings strength."
Amy Calvert, president and CEO of the Events Industry Council, said the partnership reflects "our mutual commitment to advancing the role of global business events as a driver of global economic and social progress."
The partnership comes as the events industry faces uncertainty from shifting regulatory frameworks and evolving geopolitical conditions.
GL Events strengthens animal health portfolio with acquisition of Chinese pet vet exhibition
GL Events announced Monday it has acquired a 69% stake in East West Small Animals Clinical Veterinary Surgeons Conference (WESAVC), the organizer of China's exhibition for veterinary equipment for companion animals.
The French events group did not disclose financial terms of the transaction. The founders of WESAVC will retain a 31% stake in the company.
WESAVC organizes an annual veterinary industry event in Xiamen that attracts more than 1,000 exhibitors across 50,000 square meters. The exhibition covers veterinary equipment, technology developments and specialized conferences.
The Chinese company employs about 40 people and generates sales of approximately 6 million euros with an operating margin near 30%, according to GL Events. The company will be consolidated into GL Events' accounts in May 2025.
GL Events said the acquisition supports its strategy to develop its presence in the animal health sector in China and internationally. The deal will also strengthen the capabilities of its subsidiary GL Events Live Shenzhen.
Olympia reports 33% y-o-y food waste reduction in latest ESG report
Olympia Events reduced food waste per cover by 33% year-over-year between 2023 and 2024, according to the venue operator's annual ESG report released Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The London-based exhibition center maintained its 13-year record of diverting 100% of waste from landfill and increased its recycling rate to 98.22%. The venue donated 2.4 tonnes of surplus food to local charities through City Harvest.
To address Scope 3 emissions, which account for 92% of its carbon footprint, Olympia issued an emissions reporting tool to its top suppliers and co-funded a carbon literacy training program for event professionals.
The company raised 55,000 pounds for charity and provided over 27,000 pounds in grants to local schools through its charitable trust, according to the report. Staff volunteered 280 hours for community projects.
Olympia's ESG strategy focuses on community, environment and collaboration initiatives, supported by 22 sustainability ambassadors. The venue aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Who is hiring?
This section highlights the latest job positions in the events and associations industry. Here are some new roles that have opened up:
Dubai World Trade Centre
Digital Marketing Manager
CloserStill Media
Marketing Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Tahaluf
Marketing Director
Marketing Manager
Comexposium
Content Manager
Easyfairs Netherlands
Marketeer Beurzen & Events
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