WITH its acquisition of the annual exhibition Dental Showcase, the Mark Allen Group (MAG), becomes the biggest media player in dentistry in the UK.
George Warman Publications (GWP), part of the Mark Allen Group, has acquired Dental Showcase from the British Dentist Industry Association (BDIA) for an undisclosed sum. The country’s leading dental trade exhibition, which has existed since the 1930s, will join a company that includes the leading brands Dental Update, The Dentist and Dental Nursing.
Under the terms of the deal, the BDIA has agreed to licence its name to Dental Showcase, for an initial period of five years.
This is the second acquisition that the Mark Allen Group (MAG), which has enjoyed a record year, has made in a matter of months. In July, MAG acquired from Industry Dynamics a cluster of three international conferences involved in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food and packaging.
Mark Allen, chairman of MAG, said: “This is a significant coup for the group. After we bought GWP last November we were very keen to add an exhibition to GWP’s dental portfolio. We took the idea to the BDIA and were delighted to emerge victorious after a competitive pitch.”
Stuart Thompson, managing director of GWP, added: “This is great news for us and for the dental profession. I am delighted that we will continue to enjoy a strong professional relationship with the BDIA, of which body we are proud to be members.”
The commercial arm of Dental Showcase will be run from GWP’s Guildford offices under Stuart Thompson’s control, although all the logistical arrangements will be organised from MAG’s Herne Hill offices, where the group’s Events team (MA Exhibitions) is base under the leadership of director Ed Tranter.
Ben Allen, the chief executive officer of MAG, explained: “Dental Showcase is a major part of our strategy in developing our Events business, which has been going from strength to strength over the last few years. In Stuart and Ed, we have two highly talented people. They and their teams will deliver Dental Showcase to very highest standards and they will ensure that Dental Showcase remains the major exhibition for dentists in the country.”
BDIA president, Mike Cann, said: “Dental Showcase and exhibitors will benefit greatly from this new arrangement, providing fresh initiatives to maintain the show’s position as the market leader. Working in partnership with George Warman and the Mark Allen group is the perfect solution. They run exhibitions and events across diverse sectors and I believe their experience and expertise will make BDIA Dental Showcase an event that will be the envy of most.”