The story behind the Tarsus name and logo
Tarsus' is an ancient southern Turkish city dating back to the 8th century B.C. Tarsus has been an important city and a centre for social, agricultural and economic activity throughout its history and was visited on separate occasions by Caesar and Cleopatra when it was under the Roman rule.
The Company logo reads TRZ, which is Tarsus in Aramaic letters and can be found on Tarsian coins dating back from the 4th century B.C.
The history of Tarsus is a fusion of Christianity and Islam and the city is documented in both the Bible and the Koran. In the Christian faith Tarsus is renowned for being the birthplace of the Apostle St Paul. The Koran contains the tale of Seven Sleepers - seven Christian soldiers and their dog who hid in a cave to escape oppression and massacre by pagans during the rule of the Roman Emperor T. Decius (A.D 240-251). The men slept, sealed in their hiding place, for 309 years before waking. This legend enjoyed popularity during the Middle Ages in both Muslim and Christian faiths because it affirmed the resurrection of the dead. The cave believed to have sheltered the seven men is located 15km west of Tarsus and it is now a destination for both Muslim and Christian pilgrims.
Neville Buch, Chairman, decided to give the new company the name 'Tarsus' when he heard about the city and its interesting history on his visit to Istanbul, shortly after acquiring a significant interest in the company, then called BBB Design Group plc.
A brief history of the Group
May 2011 Tarsus acquires a stake in IFO, a leading Turkish organizing company with events in the Lift industry, Signage industry and Recycling industry
June 2010 Tarsus wins the prestigious AEO's Marketing Campaign of the Year Award with its Labelexpo Europe 2009 show, making it the first company ever to have twice been awarded this accolade.
April 2010 Tarsus opens new office in Abu Dhabi
March 2009 Signed deal with Halldale to launch aerospace training show (ADTS) in Dubai in March 2010. Also launched MRO Middle East in partnership with Aviation Week
January 2009 Douglas Emslie, Tarsus Group MD, appointed as new Chairman of the Association of Event Organisers (AEO)
May 2008 Tarsus wins the prestigious AEO's Marketing Campaign of the Year Award with its Labelexpo Europe 2007 show.
March 2008 Tarsus acquires 50 per cent of the share capital of Hubei Hope Exhibition Company Limited ("Hope"). Hope is one of the leading exhibition organisers in Central and Western China and owns a portfolio of 27 exhibitions in three sectors: medical equipment, industrial equipment and leisure.
February 2008 MCII (Tarsus' medical events & conferences group) expands into the Middle East region with the launch of Dubai Congress on Anti-aging & Aesthetic Medicine (DCAAAM).
November 2007 Tarsus Group announces the acquisition of The WR Kern Organisation Limited, the UK based holding company of Fairs and Exhibitions Ltd (F&E). F&E is the owner and organiser of 8 events in the three principal industry sectors in the Middle East region: aviation (includes the Dubai Airshow, Middle East Business Aviation, Aircraft Interiors Middle East, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Middle East, Aerospace & Defence Training Show), printing and packaging (Gulf Print, Gulf Pack) and education (Gulf Education Supplies).
September 2007 Tarsus Group acquires Mumbai-based Label Expositions Private Limited, the owner of the India Label Show.
November 2006 Acquisition of Medical Conferences International Inc. (MCII), a leading organiser of medical sector exhibitions and conferences in the US anti-aging market.
July 2006 Caroo Media, the online media division of Tarsus, expands its business into the United States. As part of this North American expansion, it also acquires www.tsnn.com, the leading online resource for the exhibition industry.
June 2006 Tarsus establishes a major new strategic partnership with the Shanghai Modern International Exhibition Company. The Chinese partners are a subsidiary of the Shanghai World Expo Group, organisers of the World Expo event.
January 2006 Tarsus acquires DH Publishing Limited.
August 2005 Tarsus opens new office in Shanghai, China.
June 2005 Launch of two new packaging events in the USA - Packaging Containers & Materials Expo 2006 and The Packaging Summit Conference 2006, to run alongside the Packaging Services Expo, and a Packaging Services Summit in Europe.
May 2005 Tarsus Group plc acquires two French exhibition businesses, Mobile Office and Heavent.
November 2004 Labelexpo expands into Japan.
September 2004 Launch of BITTM, the Beijing International Travel & Tourism Market, later re-named to COTTM (China Outbound Travel & Tourism Market).
July 2004 Acquisitions of Solutions Linux exhibition in France, from Infopromotions SA, and Groupe Solutions SA.
December 2003 Joint venture agreement signed with Label Expositions Private Limited to run future editions of the India Label Show.
June 2003 Exhibition Bulletin sold to the Expomedia Group.
May 2001 Joint venture agreement with Advanstar Communications Inc.The joint venture owns the market leading exhibitions, magazine, directory, and websites for the converging CRM markets in France.
March 2001 Acquisition, through Tarsus Touchstone Ltd, of the Employment Week exhibition and conference.
January 2001 Acquisition of Planèteclient.com, the owner and publisher of an electronic newsletter and internet portal for professionals in the fast growing field of Customer Relationship Management in France.
November 2000 Acquisition of TSNN, the leading internet portal for the exhibition industry in the USA.
May 2000 Acquisition of leading French integrated media company, Groupe MM.
February 2000 Acquisition of Martex Communicators plc, a leading B2B internet company.
October 1999 First acquisition in the USA, the Wisconsin-based Off-Price Specialist Center. The company operates four annual trade shows, two in Las Vegas one in New York, a magazine and a website.
December 1998 Acquisition of Exhibition Bulletin and Exhibition Bulletin Yearbook, the world directory for the international expo-media business.
May 1998 Tarsus Group plc formed. Tarsus Group plc listed on the London Stock Exchange. Acquisition of Labelex Group of Companies, owners of the Labelexpo exhibitions and Labels & Labeling Magazine.
