Informa agrees £2.24bn deal for ICE organiser Clarion
The world's biggest gaming trade show is changing hands. UK events group Informa has agreed to acquire Clarion Events, the organiser of ICE, in a deal worth £2.24bn.
The numbers
The price is around 11 times Clarion's expected EBITDA. Informa says the multiple falls to about 9 after £50m of planned cost savings, and to about 8 if an expected £25m rise in operating profit is included. The deal will be funded with a dedicated loan and a share placing of around £940m, and is expected to close at the end of the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
- Deal value: £2.24bn.
- ICE 2027 runs in Barcelona from 18 to 20 January under Informa ownership.
- Clarion CEO Lisa Hannant joins Informa's leadership team.
More than one show
ICE moved from London's ExCeL to Barcelona in 2025. Clarion also runs DSEI, IFA Berlin and Distributec. Informa CEO Stephen A. Carter said the deal strengthens the group's B2B events business.
Why players should care
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Source: SBC News, 6 October 2026. This article is a short summary of the original report.