CHICAGO — CloserStill Media has acquired a majority stake in Partnership Network Events (PNE), the producer of market leading hosted-buyer events and conferences in the UK, U.S. and Middle East in the sectors of healthcare, public sector and education.
The deal with UK-based PNE helps to strengthen CloserStill’s growing hosted-buyer portfolio businesses in Europe and North America, while complementing its existing European Healthcare and Learning portfolios.
“We are proud of the very strong hosted-buyer portfolio that CloserStill has developed across the European and North American markets since our initial investment in the US..-based Influence Group portfolio. We see the further development of the groups hosted buyer portfolio as a key organic growth opportunity for the group, including by building complementary offerings to established trade shows in the CloserStill portfolio where it makes sense to do so,” said Gareth Bowhill, CEO CloserStill Media.
This marks CloserStill Media’s third majority stake acquisition in 2024, following the January acquisition of the Trailblazer Summits event group and the April acquisition of Elite Exhibitions.
PNE was founded in 2018, as a “kitchen table start up,” and then doubled the size of its team in 2019. In 2020, NPE hosted three events by transitioning to an online platform, and by 2022 it was hosting 13 events. NPE reported 2023 as its most successful year, marked by growth and its international debut with HPN Miami. On this year’s docket for NPE is 37 events, new markets and international expansion
“PNE and CSM share the same culture: a drive to be the best at what we do, a determination to run the best events for the industry we serve and an infectious pride of what we do,” said Matthew Butler, Group MD, CloserStill Media. “The PNE events deliver a different audience to those we deliver at CSM, allowing both businesses to work in beneficial harmony. This incredible partnership allows us to further develop our already market-leading healthcare offerings whilst developing and growing the current PNE business.”
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Jack Jacob, Founder and CEO of PNE, and Dean Finnegan, COO at PNE, will continue to lead the PNE team in Sussex.
Stay tuned to Trade Show Executive for more information on this news.
