Easyfairs Buys Out Nordic Live Expo, Latest Move in Events Consolidation Wave

Easyfairs has completed its acquisition of Nordic Live Expo, taking 100% ownership of the Sweden-based organizer as it deepens its footprint across the Nordic region.

The deal gives Easyfairs full control of an organizer with a portfolio of approximately 25 business events, including Stockholm Tech Show, Oslo Tech Show, Energimässan, and Lösningar för Offentlig Sektor. The acquisition expands Easyfairs’ ability to cross-sell exhibitors, share operational resources, and deepen relationships across Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark.

The acquisition reflects a broader shift in how exhibition companies are growing. Rather than launching new trade shows in unfamiliar markets, organizers are increasingly buying established event portfolios with loyal exhibitor bases and local expertise. 

Easyfairs itself has moved on this pattern repeatedly in recent months, acquiring Energy Projects Conference & Expo in December as its first North American deal, then picking up two Paris-based tech events, Food Hotel Tech and Tech for Retail, sjin April.

Informa made the same calculation at a much larger scale in its $940 million purchase of Tarsus Group, a deal built around an already-assembled portfolio of more than 160 event brands rather than new-market entry. 

For companies like Easyfairs, acquisitions offer faster, lower-risk growth while creating stronger regional ecosystems.

Controlling the Value Chain is a Focus

The deal also fits Easyfairs’ broader strategy of controlling more of its value chain. In 2024, the company brought stand-building operations fully in-house, giving it greater control over exhibitor services in addition to its growing portfolio of events.

“This acquisition strengthens our position in the Nordics and gives us an even stronger platform for future growth. We look forward to continuing to support the team’s entrepreneurial ambition to launch events across the Nordic region,” said Henrik Johansson, CEO of Easyfairs Nordic.

The capital behind this run of deals traces back to a 2024 investment from private equity firms Cobepa and Inflexion, reportedly valued at roughly $684 million, which took equal representation alongside founder Eric Everard specifically to fund acquisitions and new launches. CEO Anne Lafère has said the goal is to double the company's size within four to five years, and Easyfairs has typically closed four to five acquisitions a year. The strategy is already showing up in the numbers: the company's most recent full-year results, for 2023-24, showed revenue up 20.8% to about $261 million, with recurring EBITDA up 47.1% to approximately $60 million, which CFO Marc Hellemans credited in part to acquisitions like Coiltech and Southern Manufacturing.

Private Equity Firms Target Events 

The Nordic Live Expo acquisition lands amid another active year for consolidation across the events industry, though not all deals are driven by the same strategy. Private equity firms are assembling larger exhibition platforms, agencies are acquiring specialized capabilities, and organizers are buying regional density through targeted acquisitions.

In May, Apollo Global Management announced it was acquiring Emerald and Questex, and will merge the two companies to create one of North America’s largest events and media platforms. Other recent transactions include Nth Degree’s acquisition of INVNT, EagleTree Capital’s acquisition of Opus Agency, Brands at Work’s acquisition of Chorus, and MC&A’s investment in Imprint Events Group.

In the Nordics, Easyfairs is not alone. LIWLIG Group, an event marketing and brand experience agency,  has also been on an acquisition run, including the January purchase of Nordic Event ApS in Denmark and the earlier addition of Gyro in Norway, signaling that regional event firms are building scale through roll-ups.