San Francisco – Paperloop has sold the biennial Tissue World events and publication to United Business Media (UBM) on February 1 for $4.5 Million. The small but fast-growing shows in the cluster generate annual revenues of roughly $2.5 million and include the original Tissue World, held in Nice, France since 1993; the biennial Tissue World Americas in Miami; and the new Tissue World China held last December at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center. The specialized shows are geared to the manufacturers, suppliers and buyers of tissue paper. Paperloop was represented in the transaction by the Jordan Edmiston Group, Inc.
The publication and events will become part of CMP Asia, a UBM subsidiary based in Hong Kong, which produces other shows for the paper and related industries in Singapore and China. CMP is one of the largest organizers of trade exhibitions in the region, with over 70 events. CMP also organizes events in the U.S. and Europe.
Tissue World China debuted in December 2004 with 70 exhibiting companies contracting 1,500 square meters of exhibit space. The exhibition drew 2,349 attendees and the Chinese-language conference drew 250 delegates. Tissue World in Nice was held in March 2003, growing 40% in exhibit space over its 2001 predecessor. Tissue World Americas premiered in September 2002 in Miami, drawing close to 1,300 trade visitors from the Americas and elsewhere.
Paperloop was created in February 2000 from the former Miller Freeman Pulp and Paper division and is headquartered in San Francisco with other offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The company produces over 100 print and online publications as well as conferences and trade shows such as CMM International in Chicago and CMM Japan in Tokyo. Paperloop President and CEO Ian Johnson says the decision to divest the Tissue World franchise was based on the company’s desire to build or acquire subscription-based services in the international forest products industry and related sectors.
