Finelight buys Business Show Media in its biggest-ever deal
What's the deal? Finelight Group, a Norwich-based B2B media, events, and intelligence group, has acquired a majority stake in Business Show Media GH Ltd (BSM). It is the largest acquisition in Finelight's history. Terms were not disclosed.
What each side brings: BSM runs exhibitions including The Business Show, The International Franchise Show, and the White & Private Label Expo across the UK, Europe, North America, Singapore, and Australia. Its events draw more than 1,500 exhibitors and 45,000 attendees annually.
What's the endgame? Finelight is building sector-focused platforms that pair events with media, data, and intelligence. The deal strengthens its Business and Professional Services arm.
The acquirer plans to back BSM's organic growth with investment in existing events, new-market expansion, and additional products. It also wants to extend audience engagement year-round through digital platforms and new intent-data capabilities.
What changes? Not much at the top. Christian Yandell stays on as BSM chief executive officer, working with his existing team, while gaining access to Finelight's technology and operational resources.
Finelight founder and chief executive officer Andrew Schofield called BSM "a great business with established international brands, scaled audiences and a strong track record of organic growth." He added that the deal is "an important milestone in the development of the Group." The seller was advised by Grimes, McGovern and Associates.
The signal: The purchase fits a wave of consolidation in specialist B2B events and media. In October, CloserStillDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → acquired ROAR B2B and its five trade-show brands, while Informa agreed to buy Clarion EventsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → for £2.24bn. Finelight itself has been scaling through dealmaking — buying Tungsten Publishing in 2025 and securing a September refinancing — making this a step in an actively funded growth strategy rather than a one-off.
Read more: exhibitionnews.uk
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
