PARIS — Comexposium got 2020 off to a fast start by announcing the pending acquisition of a major European medical conference organizer. The French organizer also said it was negotiating the launch of a new joint venture in the wine industry with Vinexpo.
The Paris-based organizer said in early January it had agreed to acquire Europa Group, a leading organizer of medical conferences in Europe, once it cleared a final antitrust hurdle in France. Europa Group organizes 50 events and would make healthcare the largest of Comexposium’s portfolios, as well as making Comexposium the largest medical conference organizer on the continent.
At the same time, Comexposium has been holding exclusive discussions with Vinexpo Holding, the French organizers of the global Vinexpo brand of trade shows for the wine-and-spirits industry. Vinexpo is owned by the Bordeaux-Gironde Chamber of Commerce and Industry and runs two Vinexpo shows in France and three others in New York, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.
The proposed joint venture would feature a portfolio of 10 events, including the Vinexpo shows, plus Vinexpo Explorer in Beaujolais. They would be combined with Comexposium’s current lineup of Wine Paris, World Wine Meetings, and the two World Bulk Wine Exhibitions held annually in Amsterdam and China. The new entity will be the world’s leading organizer of events dedicated to wines and spirits, with annual attendance of more than 78,000 with around 5,900 exhibitors, Comexposium said.
“The alliance we are building marks a significant turning point for the world of wines and spirits,” said Vinexpo Board Chairman Christophe Navarre. “It will allow us to extend our influence, develop a portfolio of must-attend events, and meet the expectations of markets throughout the world.”
Reach Comexposium World Wine Meetings at +33 (0)1 76 77 17 74 or wwm.global@comexposium.com; Vinexpo CEO Rodolphe Lameyse at +33 (0) 5 56 56 00 22 or ccordase@vinexpo.com.
