Continuing its growth trajectory, Marketplace Events, a U.S.-based show organizer that specializes in the home and garden industry, has acquired six events from Southern Shows and plans to expand its operations in North Carolina by opening two offices there. Southern will continue to run several home shows slated for early 2017 to ease the transition, officials say, and some key Southern staff will join Marketplace Events to continue serving as a show manager for at least one of the events.
Marketplace Events was acquired last January by Sentinel Capital Partners, a private equity firm, for an undisclosed sum. Since then, Marketplace Events has substantially deepened its show portfolio in the home and holiday show market by acquiring 13 shows in 2016, which brought the company’s total number of events to 57. Southern Shows will retain some of its portfolio, including an 11-show Women’s Show Series and the Southern Farm Show.
“We are excited to expand our presence in North Carolina and to continue the Southern Shows tradition of providing high-quality, dynamic events for exhibitors and consumers in these markets,” said Marketplace Events CEO Tom Baugh. “Acquiring what is arguably the most successful holiday show in the country, the Southern Christmas Show, to anchor our rapidly expanding North American holiday show portfolio, is a unique opportunity to accelerate growth.”
