FAIRFIELD, Conn. — It may be artificial meat, but plant-based protein’s popularity is real; the global industry is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 19.4% from 2024 to 2030 and be valued at approximately $24.7 billion. This progress has inspired JD Events (JDE) to sell the organizer Plant Based World (PBW) to Emerald.
JDE launched PBW in 2019, when the global industry was valued at approximately $3.4 billion. Its B2B events, including Plant Based World Expo North America and Plant Based World Expo Europe, and PBW Pulse, a digital news platform, connect the industry’s global supply network and help them develop, source and distribute products.
According to Joel Davis, Founder of JDE, as the plant-based industry quickly flourished, the brand grew beyond JDE’s bandwidth, driving the decision to sell. Collingwood, a value-creation and M&A advisory firm, advised JDE during the sale.
“JDE is a small boutique firm that incubates trade shows,” Joel Davis, Founder and CEO of JDE, explained. “We have been launching, building and divesting events for over 23 years now. It is our unique business model to prove a show concept, establish market leadership and then find a new owner to take the business to the next level. This was the right time to sell PBW.”
Davis shared that PBW events’ onsite hosted buyer programs, which make it easy to find high-value connections, were very popular with attendees and exhibitors.
“This was also a valuable aspect of the business to prospective buyers and supports what Collingwood sees across the wider market as buyers and investors double down with growing appetite for formats that increase value for customers and audiences in and around the event itself,” Davis explained.
Related. Emerald Acquires This is Beyond and Portfolio of B2B Luxury Travel Industry Events.
Emerald — who Davis said expressed genuine interest in the brand for many years and was the most committed to investing in its future and team — will help PBW continue to grow, strengthen its leading market position, deliver value to the plant-based ecosystem and meet global demand for plant-based products.
“Emerald has far greater resources than JDE to support the PBW brand’s strategic growth initiatives and the PBW team both domestically and globally,” Davis said. “The M&A landscape for high-quality trade show brands is opening up. There is strong demand from investors and strategic buyers for well-positioned event businesses in high-value niches. The PBW transaction reflects this trend, demonstrating that well-executed, high-growth events continue to attract significant interest.”
The next Plant Based World Expo North America will take place Dec. 2-3, 2025, at Javits Center. The next Plant Based World Expo Europe is scheduled for Nov. 26-27, 2025, at ExCeL London.
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