Chris Hughes, Columnist

Bad News If You Make Conference Goodie Bags

Informa's takeover of UBM looks pricey, given it will probably have to rely on boosting revenue.

January 16, 2018 at 7:07 PM UTC

Updated on

January 17, 2018 at 8:03 AM UTC

Chris Hughes is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals. Previously, he worked for Reuters Breakingviews, the Financial Times and the Independent newspaper.

Key Speakers At The Superreturn Conference — Photographer: Michele Tantussi/Bloomberg

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Conferences can often seem deeply repetitive. The same goes for takeovers in the industry. British events organizer Informa Plc said on Tuesday it's having a go at buying rival UBM Plc, a decade after merger talks between the two broke down.

The attraction is the chance to plug gaps in each other's programs and global footprint -- and have a shot at challenging Relx Group Plc's claim to be the world's leading events company.