Mar 5, 2017

London-based global exhibitions company expands presence in international yachting industry.

Show Management, producer of five of Florida’s largest boat shows, has been purchased by a London-based company with a strategic plan to expand its Global Exhibitions business in the U.S. Informa (LSE: INF.L), which currently delivers 200 industry events annually, including the Monaco Yacht Show, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Show Management was founded in 1976 and has produced the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center since then. In 2006, the company was purchased by Active Interest Media (AIM), publisher of more than 50 of the country’s leading consumer enthusiast magazines, including Yoga Journal and Yachts International. AIM’s six groups, the Equine Network, the Home Group, the Healthy Living Group, the Marine Group, the Outdoor Group, and the Creative Home Group, reach more than 40 million readers in 85 countries around the world.

“We can think of no better company than Informa to focus on the continued growth and success of the five Florida boat shows and other events currently produced by Show Management,” said Efrem “Skip” Zimbalist III, president of Show Management and chairman of AIM.

The acquisition of Show Management aligns with Informa’s strategic plan to expand its Global Exhibitions business in the U.S. A global business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events company, Informa completed the €1.2 billion acquisition of Penton Information Services, a leading U.S. exhibition services company, in November 2016.

“Informa’s acquisition of Show Management allows for an exciting international opportunity that extends to exhibitors and the marine industry in leading global markets,” said Phil Purcell, president and CEO of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, partner with Show Management in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the world’s largest annual, in-water marine exhibition. “The MIASF looks forward to continued collaboration with our partners based on a relationship that has been built over decades.”