CMP Media Acquires More Tech Shows

At a time when many show producers are interested in dumping their tech holdings, CMP Media is building up an arsenal of emerging technology shows.

The Manhasset, N.Y.-based United Business Media subsidiary started in August with the $27 million acquisition of Light Reading, a producer of five online publications, a webinar series and 19 annual telecom events. Three months later, it picked up Seattle-based Black Hat, a producer of information security conferences in Asia, Europe and the United States, for $10 million.

This month, CMP scored a double win, acquiring the 7-year-old Shorecliff Communications for $12.3 million and MediaLive Intl.'s 20 technology events for $65 million. The Mission Viejo, Calif.-based Shorecliff puts on Broadband Wireless World, RFID World, TelcoTV and other emerging technology events. The San Francisco-based MediaLive produces Interop, VoiceCon and the Collaborative Technologies Conference.

"We were serious about events, but we wanted to get more serious about events," said Fritz Nelson, senior vice president and group director of CMP Media's enterprise group. "Our customers were telling us they were going to spend more of their money on face-to-face. We are working on making those opportunities available."

Eric Faurot, the senior vice president who oversaw MediaLive's technology shows, and Hiroyuki Sugano, who oversaw MediaLive's Japanese operations, will join CMP Media, along with their staffs. Shorecliff President Tim Downs and his 18 employees are also being picked up by CMP Media.

Now that the technology events have been sold, MediaLive's only asset is its Wingate Studios software group, which employs 50 people, mostly in Utah. MediaLive CEO Bob Priest-Heck said he will stay on to oversee recapitalization or disposition of Wingate, then leave to spend more time with his family.

"I'm incredibly open-minded about what's next, but right now I'm focused on what I have to do for MediaLive," he said.

Priest-Heck, who became CEO when the former Key3Media Group emerged from bankruptcy, said MediaLive was approached repeatedly by potential buyers, but had been negotiating with CMP for several months. "CMP is an incredible buyer for these brands. By adding these touch points along with the other acquisitions, they're very well-positioned to help connect sellers with buyers," he said.

Prior to the recent acquisitions, CMP Media operated 100 Web sites, 43 magazines and 24 technology events. Call Center Demo & Conference, set for Feb. 6–8 at the Hilton Austin (Texas) Downtown; the Game Developers Conference, set for March 20–24 at the San Jose (Calif.) McEnery Convention Center; and the Los Angeles and New York versions of Digital Video Expo are among its most well-known.

CMP Media provided the educational content for Pulver's recent IP4IT in Las Vegas and was also the producer of the now-defunct TECHXNY, held each fall at New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Among the other UBM units are CMP Information, which produces events and magazines in the United Kingdom, and CMP Asia, which produces magazines and events in Asia.

Downs said CMP's ownership will allow better growth prospects for its emerging technology shows, particularly in the international arena. "We endorsed the idea of selling to an integrated tradeshow exhibition and media company. The companies involved in these spaces require a high level of education and we think we can deliver more to them under CMP," Downs said. "All of our shows are so global in nature. We think there's a lot more resources that CMP can bring."

RFID World is set for Feb. 27–March 1 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas; Broadband Wireless World will take place April 26–28 at Caesars Palace Event Center in Las Vegas; the Tower Technology Summit is set for April 5–7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center; and TelcoTV is slated for Nov. 7–9 at the Gaylord Texan.

The last TelcoTV, held at the San Diego Convention Center, drew 2,300 attendees interested in Internet television and featured 180 exhibitors. RFID attracts a similar number of attendees and exhibitors.

"RFID and TelcoTV are the hottest things going," Downs said, adding that there has been a lot of interest in Shorecliff since the company was put on the market last summer.

Nelson said CMP Media will strive to grow the acquired events and capitalize on synergies with CMP publications while at the same time keeping the strong brands intact. "There are a lot of amazing synergistic points not only from a business standpoint, but from the types of events and audiences," he said. "We certainly expect to help grow these events. What I want to make sure of is we don't screw them up."