The Group launched the next phase of its “Quickening the Pace” strategy
at the start of 2018.
Quickening the Pace
Launched in 2013, this strategy had one over-riding ambition: to accelerate the pace of financial returns to shareholders. This was to be achieved through two initiatives. First, by driving organic growth from the existing portfolio through replicating those events and by increasing buyer attendance. Second, by making strategic acquisitions in selected high-growth geographies.
To execute the strategy Tarsus re-shaped its portfolio significantly and moved into fast-growing economies. In addition to the US and China – the world’s largest exhibition markets – the Group’s selected territories now comprise Mexico, South East Asia, Turkey and the Middle East (principally the UAE).
There has also been a fundamental shift in the shape of Tarsus’ business, in terms of where it operates, the business verticals that it serves and the overall scale
of the Group.
Between 2013 and 2017, the first phase of the strategy, the number of events held was grown from 65 to 153 through a combination of acquisition and new launches.
The next phase
2018 saw the launch of the next phase of the Quickening the Pace strategy – “QTP2: Driving Scale and Momentum”. The Group will deepen its presence in higher growth markets; look to maximise the scale of existing events; and acquire new platforms for growth. A key part of this will be continued investment in the Tarsus replication programme, which spreads the success of the Group’s leading brands around the world.
The Group will continue to take an entrepreneurial approach towards developing its portfolio. Around the world, exhibition markets are consolidating, with high-quality assets in great demand. In this context, Tarsus’ flexibility and willingness to work in partnership with vendors is increasingly seen by the Group as a point of differentiation from our
competitors.
Tarsus will also continue to focus relentlessly on improving the experiences of its exhibitors and buyers. Everything depends on the user experience; the front line leads directly to the bottom line. Therefore attracting high-quality buyers will continue to be a priority – and with an industry-leading record in buyer growth, the Group is confident it can continue to drive up volumes.
Measuring success