Diversified Communications acquires UK trade show
FILE PHOTO
Portland-based Diversified Communications acquired a 20-year-old UK restaurant trade show. Seen here is a 2018 oyster shucking contest at a Boston trade show operated by Diversified.
Diversified Communications, a Portland-based trade show and media company, has acquired Northern Restaurant & Bar, an annual trade show in the United Kingdom.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed in a news release Monday.
Diversified’s UK division will own and operate the show as part of its food and hospitality portfolio that includes lunch!, Casual Dining, Commercial Kitchen, and Natural & Organic Products Europe.
“As Diversified’s second acquisition in as many months, we are pleased to be executing on our inorganic growth goals with another strategic addition to the portfolio,” said Oakley Dyervice, president of strategy and corporate development.
The company continues to seek acquisition opportunities, he added.
Diversified is a media company with a portfolio of exhibitions and conferences, online communities and digital and print publications. Its goal is to connect, educate and strengthen business communities in over 15 industries, including food and beverage, health care, natural and organic, business management and technology. Established in 1949 and headquartered in Portland, it is a privately held, third-generation, family-owned business.
Its UK division is a trade event organizer and publisher based in Brighton, with events throughout the UK and in Europe. In addition to the newly acquired event, Diversified UK’s portfolio includes Natural & Organic Products Europe; Natural Products Scandinavia; Nordic Organic Food Fair; Organic Food Iberia, lunch!; Casual Dining; GEO Business; Digital Construction Week, Ocean Business; Commercial Kitchen, Marelec, SITS – The Service Desk & IT Support Show; Coach & Bus UK, EuroBus, RouteOne magazine, Route One Awards, British Tourism & Travel Show, Accountex, Accountex North, Accountex Espana and Natural Products magazine.
Northern Restaurant & Bar was last held at Manchester Central in March and was the most successful to date with 8,416 visitors, 296 exhibitors and around 60 speakers.
The show has been led by Thom Hetherington and Andy Clayfield.
Hetherington – CEO of Holden Media, a northern England exhibition organizer — acquired the trade show almost 20 years ago. Clayfield is the show’s event director.
Hetherington will be leaving the show. Clayfield will remain and join Diversified Communications UK as commercial director.
“This is an important development for Diversified’s UK business,” said Diversified UK’s managing director, Carsten Holm. “It’s a great fit for our other successful events in this space, with real synergies across the shows, which will result in tangible benefits for visitors, sponsors and exhibitors across all events.”
The show will hold its 22nd edition at Manchester Central from March 14-15, 2023.
The event also hosts an annual Top 50 segment featuring individuals within the northern England hospitality industry.
Energy forum acquisition
In September, Diversified announced the purchase of a hosted buyer event and digital media business called Smart Energy Decisions.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Diversified retained Smart’s team.
Founded in 2016 by John Failla, the web-based information resource informs and supports commercial and industrial electric power customers as they navigate the transition to renewables and minimize consumption of fossil fuels.
Organizer of Net Zero Forums, Renewable Energy Forums, and Innovation Summits, and producers of webinars, podcasts, eNewsletters, research, and custom media, Smart Energy Decisions complements Diversified’s clean energy portfolio that is already serving solar, energy storage and EV charging infrastructure markets.
Diversified is the owner of Pegasus Solar, a 1.5 megawatt solar farm in Maine, and the owner and producer of Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America.
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