Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Successful sustainable building exhibition Ecobuild has been sold for up to £51m to media group UBM.
Ecobuild’s owner, International Business Events Ltd, will receive an initial £31m for the exhibition plus a performance-related £20m over the next 12 months.
The Ecobuild team – including managing director, David Wood, event director Moira Edwards, and sales director, Michael Costain – will continue to manage the event when it transfers to UBM’s offices at the beginning of August. Michael Costain will become event director for Ecobuild 2013.
UBM Built Environment CEO, Adrian Barrick, said: “I am delighted that we are joining forces with Ecobuild. It is a fantastic event, and just what both the industry and government needs in order to drive forward the sustainable construction agenda, the strategic importance of which was highlighted in the recent Low Carbon Construction Action Plan launched by Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk.”
This year’s show at London’s Excel Centre attracted 55,000 visitors and generated revenues of £9.4 million. Ecobuild 2012 will take place from March 20-22. Over 1,500 exhibitors and more than 60,000 visitors are expected to attend, with the event’s footprint continuing to grow by an anticipated 25% to occupy 80,000 square metres.
