In a statement from Hopscotch this morning, the firm said the three parties were in “exclusive negotiations” to form the alliance, through which Hopscotch Groupe and Comexposium would each have a minority stake in Sopexa. Hopscotch, which is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, employs 540 people through its own branded agencies and specialist shops including Sagarmatha, Human to Human, and Le Public Système PR. It generated turnover of €150m (£126.1m, $166.7m) in 2015.
Sopexa, which specialises in food and lifestyle PR, owns 26 agencies across the world, employing 280 people in around 60 countries. Comexposium organises more than 170 b2b and b2c events globally in industries such as food, agriculture, fashion, construction and transport, with offices in 30 countries.