1/8/25
Clarion Capital Partners Acquires Marketplace Events Clarion Capital Partners Acquires Marketplace Events
NEW YORK, NY, January 8, 2025 – Clarion Capital Partners, LLC (“Clarion” or the “Firm”) today announced its acquisition of Marketplace Events, the largest organizer of business-to-consumer shows in North America.
Marketplace Events runs more than 110 shows in 54 markets across the U.S. and Canada, including Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, Vancouver and Montreal. Sectors include home and garden, sports and outdoors, and holiday in addition to 11 recently acquired trade shows. Marketplace Events annually convenes more than 2.2+ million consumers and 30,000 exhibitors and hosts 5 million unique web visitors.
Marketplace has developed a leverageable infrastructure across North America, including an integrated marketing capability and state-of-the-art operating systems that allow the business to produce a superior consumer experience.
“We are excited about our investment in Marketplace Events—the clear market leader in the B2C events industry in North America,” said David Ragins, President of Private Equity for Clarion Capital Partners. “They are quickly developing their expertise across additional end markets while being the acquiror of choice, but it is the value they place on their employees and their strong workplace culture that aligns so well with Clarion’s own vision.”
“We expect our new partnership with Clarion will allow us to accelerate our growth even further and offer new opportunities for our staff, our exhibitors and partners,” said Mark White, CEO of Marketplace Events. “We have a long history of buying and growing home and holiday shows, and we are excited to continue on that path while also building out our sport and outdoor business and our new B2B shows,” White continued. “The business has now fully recovered to beyond pre-COVID levels and has never been stronger,” said White.
Marketplace Events was represented in the transaction by BrightTower as exclusive financial advisor. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP represented Clarion while PennantPark provided financing for the deal.
The acquisition, completed in Clarion’s Fund IV, comes just weeks after the firm announced its acquisition of Arthur Murray International, Inc, an international franchisor of dance studios.
About Clarion
Founded in 1999, Clarion is a New York-based investment manager operating two primary business segments: Private Equity (launched in 1999) and Structured Credit (launched in 2018). Clarion’s private equity business seeks to make primarily control investments in a diversified portfolio of lower middle-market companies generating $7.5-30.0 million of EBITDA. Clarion focuses on growth companies in industries such as: Media, Entertainment & Technology; Financial Technology & Services; Business & Healthcare Services; and Consumer & Consumer Services. Clarion’s structured credit business focuses mostly on CLO equity and mezzanine investments, sourced both in the primary and secondary markets. The structured credit team manages traditional private funds and an insurance-dedicated fund. Additional information on Clarion can be found at www.clarion-capital.com.
About Marketplace Events
Marketplace Events creates vibrant expositions connecting enthusiasts with experts, products and services in dynamic face-to-face environments. The company produces more than 100 business-to-consumer and trade shows in North America including almost 70 home and garden shows, 19 sport and outdoor shows, 16 holiday shows and 11 regional trade shows. The 114 combined events, in 54 markets, currently attract 30,000 exhibitors, 2.2 million attendees and another 5 million unique web visitors annually. The company produces some of the most successful and longest-running shows in North America, including market-leading shows in Seattle, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal—some of which have thrived in their markets for more than 75 years. For a full list of upcoming events visit www.marketplaceevents.com.