CLEVELAND — Marketplace Events (MPE), producer of 66 consumer shows in North America, acquired the Arizona Bridal Shows from Townsquare Live Events LLC (http://tinyurl.com/MPevents-Bridal). The two shows, which run annually in January and June at the Phoenix Convention Center, represent MPE’s first foray into bridal shows and into the Phoenix market. With events in 31 markets, MPE attracts 20,000 exhibitors, 1.8 million attendees and another 3 million unique web visitors annually. Corporate Solutions advised Townsquare in the transaction, but terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Phoenix is a robust consumer show market and one that we’ve looked to participate in for what seems the longest time,” said MPE CEO Tom Baugh. “The Arizona Bridal Shows are historically two of the strongest events in the bridal category, so they are a good fit for MPE. We’re eager to grow these shows and establish a significant presence in this strategic market.”
To grow the Arizona Bridal Shows, Baugh told Trade Show Executive that MPE will apply its sales, marketing and operational best practices. “The average Marketplace Events show has 300+ exhibiting companies and more than 21,000 attendees,” he said. “Each time the company produces an event we learn more, and then have the opportunity to apply those learnings to all other shows in our portfolio. This ‘reducing the learning curve’ is evolving into a huge, compounding competitive advantage for Marketplace Events and will obviously come into play in Phoenix. Second, MPE show management will be embedded in Phoenix, which was not the business model of the previous owner. We are confident this ‘localness’ will make a big difference short- and long-term.”
Since being purchased by Sentinel Capital Partners in 2016, MPE has made 10 acquisitions, including:
- Calgary Homexpo from the nonprofit CHBA-UDI Calgary Region (April 2016)
- Indiana Flower & Patio Show and Christmas Gift & Hobby Show from HSI Show Productions of Indianapolis (September 2016)
- Three home shows (the Richmond Home Show at Richmond Raceway Complex in Virginia, the Virginia Home Show at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Va., and the Richmond Home & Garden Show at the raceway complex) from Royal Productions (September 2016)
- Five home shows (two home shows in Raleigh, NC, two in Charlotte, NC, and one in Greensboro, NC) and Southern Christmas Show from Southern Shows Inc. (December 2016)
- Cincinnati Home & Garden Show from Hart Productions (May 2017)
- Two Montreal home Shows (Montreal Home Expo and Montreal Fall Home Expo) from ExpoPromotion (March 2018)
- Three Atlanta home shows (The Spring Atlanta Home Show and Fall Atlanta Home Show & Outdoor Living Expo at Cobb Galleria Centre and the The North Atlanta Home Show & Outdoor Living Expo at Infinite Energy Center) from SEMCO Productions (May 2018)
- Northwest Flower & Garden Festival in Seattle and the Tacoma Home & Garden Show from O’Loughlin Trade Shows (May 2018)
- Minnesota Home & Patio Show from Cenaiko Productions (June 2018)
- Two Arizona Bridal Shows from Townsquare Live Events, LLC (March 2019)
Sentinel Capital Partners is a private equity firm that invests in companies at the lower end of the middle market. With a staff of 150 in 14 offices, MPE now produces 43 consumer home shows in the U.S., 16 in Canada, five holiday shows and two bridal shows.
Reach Tom Baugh at (330) 351-3228 or tom@mpeshows.com
