Snöcap July 25, 2025

Informa PLC has reported H1 2025 revenue of £2,035.9m, up 20.1% from the prior year, driven by growth in Live B2B Events and Academic Markets.

"Informa is further increasing the pace of performance, delivering 20%+ growth in our four key performance measures: Revenues, Profits, Earnings and Free Cash Flow," said Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive.

Key Results

• Revenue: £2,035.9m, up 20.1%
• Adjusted Operating Profit: £578.9m, up 24.0%
• Adjusted EPS: 29.8p, up 25.2%
• Free Cash Flow: £356.9m, up 25.0%
• Operating Margin: 28.4% vs 27.5% prior year

Segment Performance

• Live B2B Events: 8.5% underlying growth
• Taylor & Francis: 11.9% underlying growth
• Informa TechTarget: 4.3% underlying decline

Outlook

The company also raised its 2025 underlying revenue growth guidance to 6% from 5% and increased its adjusted earnings growth guidance to 10%.

Returns

Informa completed £200m in share buybacks year-to-date and committed an additional £150m for H2 2025. The interim dividend increased 9.4% to 7.0p per share.

Exhibition industry companies worldwide expect business growth in 2025, with more than half adopting artificial intelligence tools for operations, according to UFI's latest Global Exhibition Barometer.

The survey of 386 companies across 58 countries revealed key trends for the exhibition industry:

Business Growth Expectations:

• 34% expect space rentals in domestic markets to increase by more than 5% in 2025
• 40% plan to hire additional staff within six months
• 39% anticipate revenue growth exceeding 5% for services
• 26% expect sponsoring opportunities to grow by more than 5%

Regional Outlook:

• Strongest growth expected in Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and UAE
• Largest markets (US, Germany, China) anticipate stability or decline
• 78% of companies plan new activities within or outside current portfolios
• 50% intend to expand operations into new countries and regions

AI Adoption:

• 63% use standard AI tools regularly in business functions
• 17% have integrated AI-powered tools into existing systems
• 3% developed proprietary algorithms using internal data
• 17% report minimal or no AI implementation

The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry's bi-annual report shows companies remain optimistic despite concerns about economic and geopolitical challenges.

"This new edition of UFI's Barometer research highlights very contrasted outlook within most regions on one side, and very positive signs towards developments on the other," said Chris Skeith, UFI managing director and CEO. "It is especially encouraging to see high levels of recruitment and also the significant proportion of companies having already integrated AI-powered tools into their systems."

"Global economic developments," "geopolitical challenges" and "state of the economy in the home market" ranked as top business concerns for both short and mid-term planning.

The report includes market profiles for 19 countries and regions, with results segmented by organizers, venues and service providers.

The Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) has launched the National AI Index with more than 180 government representatives attending the first assessment cycle to evaluate institutional readiness for adopting artificial intelligence technologies.

The index will monitor progress and provide recommendations to support development efforts across government entities.

The initiative aims to align government efforts with national AI priorities while supporting entities in developing AI solutions for Saudi Vision 2030 goals.

The assessment framework includes three pillars, seven dimensions and 23 subcategories to measure government readiness in AI adoption.

Results will reflect maturity levels and provide support to enhance capabilities in priority sectors.

The index is part of SDAIA's role as the national reference for data and AI, overseeing regulation, development and application of these technologies. The initiative supports Saudi Vision 2030's goal to build a knowledge and innovation-based economy.