UBM Scores Twice

United Business Media, one of the most active tradeshow buyers this year, was at it again earlier this month ... and then again.

The London-based firm announced Oct. 6 that its subsidiary CMP Information (CMPi) in separate transactions had purchased the Care Show, a semiannual British nursing and home care tradeshow, from Wave Exhibitions, and the Netherlands-based Air Traffic Control Maastricht Conference from Jane's Information Group.

On Oct. 9 the firm revealed that another subsidiary, CMP Technology, had acquired the Austin Game Initiative, producer of the Austin, Texas-based Austin Game Conference and other events, from Sherman Ventures for $1.15 million. Westport, Conn.-based Corporate Solutions represented Austin Game Initiative in the transaction.

For the Care Show, UBM paid £450,000 ($563,413) and will pay a performance-based deferred payment of up to £350,000 ($438,234) over the next year. The firm paid £126,000 ($157,763) for the ATC conference.

The Care Show and Air Traffic Control conference complement existing properties in UBM's portfolio.

The semiannual Care Show complements CMPi's Caring Business publication and Web site. The show in March in Bournemouth, England, attracted more than 150 exhibitors and 2,000 visitors.

Former owner Wave Exhibitions expects the Oct. 25–26 show in Birmingham, England, to feature 160 exhibitors and attract 2,500 visitors. Wave Exhibitions will manage this week's show, the largest edition of the event the group has organized, said Lorne Cheetham, the firm's show director. The first Care Show took place in 2004.

The Air Traffic Control conference has run alongside London-based CMPi's ATC Maastricht Exhibition for the last 16 years. The events will next take place Feb. 13–15 at the Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre in Maastricht, Netherlands.

CMP Technology, based in Manhasset, N.Y., added the Austin Game Initiative to its Game Group portfolio, which already includes the Game Developers Conference, GDC Mobile, GDC London, GDC Russia, several summits, and online and print products.

CMP Technology Senior Vice President Philip Chapnick said the Austin Game Initiative was "an ideal acquisition to round out our portfolio in the game development space." He said the firm would have the ability to further expand its offerings to the growing game development community, particularly in online and casual games.

CMP Technology doesn't plan to change the Austin Game Conference much, Chapnick said, adding, "We'll be looking at what we can do to enhance it. We didn't buy it to change it radically."

The Austin Game Conference includes three smaller conferences: the Game Writers Conference, Game Audio Conference and Casual Games Conference.

The fourth annual Austin Game Conference took place Sept. 6–8 at the Austin Convention Center and attracted 2,400 attendees to approximately 125 exhibitors occupying 44,000 square feet.

And although the show attracted attendees from more than 20 countries this year, 40 percent of its attendees were from the Austin area, said Sherman Ventures President Christopher Sherman.

The first Austin Game Conference in 2003 drew 800 attendees and attracted 1,400 and 2,000 visitors in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

The show's growth is "superb," Chapnick said. "The organizers have paid attention to their clients."

Sherman said CMP Technology would be able to "facilitate the growth of the event without sacrificing what we deliver to our loyal attendees and sponsors." Austin-based Sherman Ventures operates the Texas Entrepreneur Initiative and is a partner in Beauty Show Management.

CMP Technology will produce the Austin Game Conference next year as scheduled, Sept. 5–7 at the ACC.

The group's 20-year-old Game Developers Conference is another fast-growing event. The company announced last month that it would more than double the event's showfloor in its next occurrence, March 5–9 at San Francisco's Moscone Center and Moscone West.

UBM spokesman Peter Bancroft said the early October acquisitions aren't the end of the company's buying and selling spree.

"We're becoming progressively a much more focused business-to-business media group," he said. "There is a considerable evolution of the organization in the last 18 months."

UBM in September sold CMP Entertainment Media to the private equity firm Wicks Group of Companies, through its affiliate NewBay Media. The company purchased MediaLive Intl.'s technology events and Shorecliff Communications in January, Natl. Venue Show in April and Commonwealth Business Media and Thames Gateway Forum in July.