CloserStill Media, the producer of market-leading business events, exhibitions and conferences, has acquired a majority stake in Partnership Network Events (PNE) Ltd. Terms are not disclosed.
PNE produce market leading hosted-buyer events and conferences across Healthcare, Education and Public Sector sectors in the UK, US and Middle East, and has quickly established itself as one of the fastest growing businesses globally in the hosted buyer events space since their launch in January 2018. The investment in PNE complements both CloserStill’s existing Healthcare and Learning portfolios in Europe as well as strengthens the growing CloserStill’s hosted buyer portfolio businesses across Europe and North America.
Founder and CEO, Jack Jacob and COO, Dean Finnegan, will continue to lead the 50-strong PNE team from their Sussex based office.
Jacob commented on the new partnership with CloserStill Media:
“This is a huge moment for us and the sectors we serve, we are absolutely delighted to be partnering with CloserStill Media, a company that shares the same entrepreneurial values and ethos we do. Like us, they have a successful track record and passion for launching new products whilst also taking a refreshing approach to growing established events whilst ensuring quality is heightened. PNE is a real kitchen table start up success story, and it fills me with immense pride that we are now going into this next phase of PNE’s growth within the CloserStill group. Dean, the wider team and I have worked incredibly hard over the past seven years to get to this already remarkable point. This exciting partnership will help our team to establish PNE as the global leader in the hosted buyer space and reach new heights with product diversification, enabling our growth to skyrocket.”
Commenting on the acquisition, CloserStill Media CEO Gareth Bowhill said:
“We are thrilled to welcome PNE into the CloserStill group. This partnership is built upon a shared strategic focus on delivering high-value, content-driven events that nurture professional communities in markets undergoing significant innovation. PNE’s expertise in curating exclusive, senior-level gatherings in healthcare, education, and the public sector perfectly complements our extensive experience in growing successful B2B communities across key industries.
By combining PNE’s specialised approach with our global infrastructures, existing portfolio and proven track record, we expect to achieve enhanced growth as well as creating significant positive impact across the vital sectors that PNE serves.”
Novistra, led by Ash Mittel, advised PNE on the transaction.
