On 6 October 2026, Informa (LSE: INF.L) announced two moves at once. It plans to separate their Academic business, Taylor & Francis, and it will buy Clarion, a UK-based events company, in a £2.24bn deal. Together they point one way: Informa wants to be a pure B2B company and the leader in B2B Live Events.
Stephen A. Carter, Group Chief Executive, Said:
“Today is one of those days, one of those exciting days in the history of our company, Informa. We’ve made two announcements today about our future and our future ambition.
We’ve confirmed that today we will be seeking how to separate the academic business, Taylor & Francis, from the Informa group some 20 years after it came into the group, now significantly larger, over four times the size, with real reach and range of capability in open access, in newer services, and in newer markets. That business is, we believe, now ready for that level of independence and separation, and we’ll take some time between now and March/April of next year to examine the best way to achieve that.
Alongside that, we confirmed that that will leave the Informa group pursuing the strategy that we first laid out in 2013 to build a position in B2B live events and become the leading, largest, and most international B2B live events business anywhere in the world.
The addition of the Clarion company to the Informa group will give further oxygen and capability to our existing portfolio. We’ve long admired the Clarion business it’s one of the oldest, and certainly the oldest exhibition and event business in the United Kingdom, and they too have pursued a policy of expansion. Bringing Clarion into the Informa group adds scale and market position in two or three verticals: in defense and security, in gaming, and in electronics. It further compounds our position in technology and energy and adds about 100 brands to our overall portfolio as a company. We think their market position both geographically and by sector, and indeed the culture of the Clarion company will combine very naturally, effectively, and efficiently inside Informa.
So, two big announcements today, important announcements in the development of the Informa company. It will create two standalone businesses: the Informa group will be focused on B2B, and Taylor & Francis will find a structure in which they can stand on their own two feet and pursue the ambition and growth that they’re now set to deliver and maximize.”
What Informa gets from Clarion
Clarion was founded in 1947, is headquartered in the UK, and owns and runs more than 100 specialist B2B brands. It is being bought from Blackstone for an enterprise value of £2.24bn. That is 11.1x its expected 2027 EBITDA, or about 9x if you include cost savings, and about 8x if you also include revenue gains.
Clarion expects revenues of £575m+ in 2027, with adjusted operating profit margins of 30%+. Its brands include eight Marquee brands (revenue of 30m+) and eight Power Brands (10m to $30m).
The deal gives Informa a quick way into three fast-growing categories:
- Electronics: including IFA Berlin, the world’s largest consumer electronics event.
- Defence and Security: including DSEI, a leading international brand.
- Gaming: including ICE in Barcelona, the global leader.
It also adds depth in Technology (ITC Vegas) and Energy (Distributech, North America’s largest energy transmission and distribution brand). Informa says the number of category franchises earning $50m+ will pass 20.
After the deal, Informa’s B2B Live Events business will make over £4.2bn ($5.7bn) in revenue across about 1,000 specialist brands, in more than 40 categories and 30+ countries.
A voice from inside Clarion
The Managing Director of Clarion Events, Alex Pratt, said:
“Big day at Clarion Events today! Informa has agreed to acquire Clarion, and gaming is named as one of the three growth categories behind the deal, with ICE called out as the global leader.”
“I joined iGamingBusiness in 2004. Seeing what we’ve built at WorldGaming recognised like this means a lot, and the credit goes to the team who did the work over the last 22 years.”
“Very excited for the next stage in the journey… Informa’s data, digital capability and international reach are exactly what our live and digital ecosystem needs to go further, faster”
The goodbye: Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis joined Informa in 2004 and has grown a lot since. Revenue has risen fourfold to about $1bn, and annual published articles have grown nearly five times to 170,000+. It also has more than 2,700 peer-reviewed journals and 185,000+ specialist reference titles.
Informa describes the separation as a chance for the business to have more freedom. Carter said:
“With Taylor & Francis approaching $1bn in revenue, growing at 4%± and with its Open Research capabilities firmly established, we believe it will now benefit from greater flexibility and freedom through the next phase of its development, as Informa further expands the depth and reach of its B2B portfolio.”
A review of all options has started. The outcome will be reported with Informa’s 2026 Full Year Results in March 2027.
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