Blackstone exits Clarion to Informa for £2.2 billion

Informa, the events group that runs SuperReturn, has agreed to buy Clarion from Blackstone for an enterprise value of £2.2 billion, about $3 billion. The deal follows an aborted attempt to sell the business, after Blackstone launched a sale process last year targeting £2 billion. Informa announced the deal alongside plans to separate its academic business, Taylor & Francis.

Blackstone bought Clarion from Providence Equity Partners in 2017 for a reported £600 million. The deal values Clarion at an 11.1x multiple of its expected 2027 EBITDA and it is expected to generate revenue above £575 million for calendar 2027. It is Informa's largest acquisition since its £3.9 billion takeover of UBM in 2018 and will be partly financed through a £940 million equity placement.

The sale had initially drawn interest from CVC, KKR, PAI Partners, Ardian and Hillhouse Investment, according to Reuters. PitchBook data show strategic buyers accounted for 42.5% of UK PE exits by count in the first half of 2026, down from 59.5% in 2025.