Woodland Hills, California: Information Forecast, Inc. (https://infocastinc.com/) (“Infocast”), a market leading organizer of events focused on renewable energy, has been acquired by Clarion Events, Inc (https://us.clarionevents.com/) (“Clarion”), the U.S. division of Clarion Events, UK, a portfolio company of The Blackstone Group (https://www.blackstone.com/). The transaction closed on October 24, 2024.
Calabasas Capital (http://calabasascapital.com/) served as exclusive financial advisor to Infocast, working closely with the company’s management team throughout the sale process. This included providing advisory expertise and managing the marketing, negotiation and due diligence phases of the transaction. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For more than 30 years, Infocast has organized conferences providing up-to-the minute information for active market professionals from some of America’s most dynamic industries. Their carefully curated events, which take place across the U.S., attract sought-after speakers, policy-makers, senior executives, and industry leaders who offer valuable business and industry insights, dealmaking opportunities, and networking opportunities. Infocast produces 15+ events annually, including its flagship event, Solar & Wind Finance & Investment, which is highly regarded as the pre-eminent renewable energy investment conference in North America.
William Meyer, Founder & CEO of Infocast said “We are excited to join the Clarion Events North America portfolio. Their dedication to the customers and industries they serve, alongside their culture of customer centricity and innovation, align with our business focus. We look forward to the opportunities this acquisition will bring.”
He added, “we would also like to thank our investment banking firm, Calabasas Capital led by Managing Director David Bonrouhi, who worked tirelessly to get us a strong deal, and who helped us master the countless details and complexities of the process.”
Clarion Events, Inc. produces 65 events across 12 sectors including trade and enthusiast events and has grown aggressively in the United States with aggressive strategy of acquisition, launch, and innovation. Clarion Events, Inc. has offices in Shelton, CT; Tulsa, OK; and Rochelle Park, NJ.
Liz Irving, President of Clarion Events North America, remarked, “The acquisition of Infocast is a substantial move which strategically aligns both businesses’ strengths and cultures while fortifying our market presence. By combining our resources and expertise, we are poised to unlock significant growth opportunities and deliver unparalleled value to our customers and the industries we serve.”
David Bonrouhi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Calabasas Capital, said “We are grateful to Infocast for selecting Calabasas Capital as its advisor based on our deep understanding of the events industry and the tremendous underlying growth dynamics especially in renewable energy. Infocast’s growth has been significant over the past several years because of its strong leadership. Clarion is particularly well positioned to leverage the terrific business Mr. Meyer and his team, led by Ms. Cindy Kim, President, have built and take it to the next level. We look forward to seeing the company’s continued evolution under this partnership.”
Infocast was represented by the law firm Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth (https://www.stradlinglaw.com/) led by Thomas Harding and Elan Spiegel, as well as the accounting and advisory firms Nasif, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP (https://nhhco.com/) and Lucas Horsfall (https://www.lucashorsfall.com/). Clarion was represented by the law firm Olshan Frome Wolosky (https://www.olshanlaw.com/) and the global accounting, tax and consulting firm RSM (https://www.rsmuk.com/). The official press release can be found here https://us.clarionevents.com/news/clarion-events-announces-acquisition-renewable-energy-eventsorganizer-infocast.
