Wasserstein & Co ALM
Hanley Wood
Prism Media
Penton Media
The Wicks Group Wicks Business Media
Wind Point Partners Active Interest Media
Summit Business Media
Source: DeSilva + Phillips database
Strategic and platform companies (owned by private equity firms) accounted for 36%
of all acquisitions, the nine most active acquirers of the past three-and-a-half years
have been:
Figure 8: Most active strategic/platform company acquirers
Type of acquisitions Company
B2B United Business Media
1Canon Communications/Apprise Media (Spectrum Equity)
1105 Media (Nautic Partners, Alta Communications)
Hanley Wood (CCMP, Wasserstein)
Diversified Business Communications
1Advanstar Communications (DLJ, VSS)
Questex Media (Audax)
Consumer Affinity Group
Interweave/Aspire Media (Frontenac Company, Catalyst Investors)
1Note: Advanstar and Apprise Media have acquired both B2B and consumer events
Source: DeSilva + Phillips database
Other active acquirers include Reed Exhibitions, Access Intelligence, PennWell, dmg
world media and Incisive Media.
Two Case Studies: Roll-up Strategy
Affinity Group
In 2005, Affinity Group announced a new division, AGI Events, to own and operate
recreation-focused consumer shows throughout the U.S. AGI’s most noteworthy
event at that time was the Great North American RV Rally which had 10,000
attendees. It began a roll-up strategy in 2005:
 2005: Two acquisitions, adding 15 events
 2006: Two acquisitions, adding 10 events
 2007: Two acquisitions, adding 6 events
 2008: Two acquisitions, adding 15 events
As of June 2008, after completing eight acquisitions, AGI has 45 consumer shows
with a total audience of 500,000 attendees, and is the nation’s largest provider of
outdoor recreation events.
Canon Communications
In 2005, Canon Communications, a leading B2B media company with 15 tradeshows
and 15 magazines for the global medical devices market, was acquired by Apprise
Media for $200 million. In 2006, Canon began making a series of acquisitions:
 2006: Two acquisitions, adding nine events and two magazines
 2006: Two acquisitions, adding 10 events
9
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26