Nielsen Expositions will keep its headquarters in Orange County and pursue strategic acquisitions under Toronto-based private equity firm Onex Corp., which paid $950 million for the trade-show producer this month.
“San Juan Capistrano will remain the corporate and global headquarters for the business for the foreseeable future,” said David Loechner, who is set to stay on as chief executive of Nielsen Expositions, part of Netherlands-based information and analytics company Nielsen Holdings NV, which is best known for its namesake television-ratings business.
65 Shows, Competitors
The company’s expositions unit organizes more than 65 business-to-business trade shows and conference events in the U.S. each year. Its competitors include Santa Monica-based Advanstar Communications Inc. and Reed Exhibitions in the U.K.
Nielsen Expositions has about 60 employees in San Juan Capistrano and another 180 or so in three other offices around the U.S.
The company said it’s expecting no changes to staffing or management structure as a result of the Onex deal, which is expected to close in about a month.
Nielsen Expositions registered pretax income of $97 million last year on $183 million in revenue.
The trade-show business has deep roots in OC. It grew from the Action Sports Retailer and Outdoor Retailer trade shows, which were founded in Laguna Beach in the early 1980s.
“The business later became part of Nielsen through a series of acquisitions and has grown into a large portfolio over time,” said Loechner, a longtime Laguna Beach resident.
The company eventually moved to a larger facility in San Juan Capistrano.
The semiannual Action Sports Retailer show was the biggest of its kind on the West Coast at one time and a major marketing event for local apparel companies inspired by skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding. The show held that position for about two decades but began to slip, partly due to changes in the industry and the recent recession. Nielsen Expositions, eliminated the show in 2010.
Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer remains a major draw, with a semiannual schedule. It attracts more than 20,000 people to each of its seasonal shows and was recently named among the fastest-growing trade shows in the U.S. by attendance.
The event features the latest technical outerwear and footwear, along with other gadgets for outdoor-gear markets, such as camping, hiking, ice climbing and snowshoeing.
Nielsen Expositions produces shows in a number of other industries, ranging from interior design and high-end jewelry to professional photography and the U.S. military.
The roster of shows it now organizes across the country includes the Interbike Expo, the Imprinted Sportswear Show and the Health & Fitness Business Expo. The Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show was added to the Nielsen Expositions fold earlier this year.
“Nielsen Expositions will continue to pursue a mix of organic growth and targeted acquisitions,” Loechner said.
Onex
He added that the company is counting on Onex’s “successful track record in executing … corporate carve-outs and building those divisions into industry-leading businesses.”
Onex is no stranger to Orange County.
It bought Foothill Ranch-based nursing home operator Skilled Healthcare Group Inc. in 2005 for about $630 million.
It also, until recently, has held a 50% stake in Anaheim-based RSI Home Products Inc., a manufacturer of kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Ron Simon, founder of RSI Home Products and its holding company, RSI Holding LLC, recently paid $323 million to buy out Onex and gain full ownership of his company.
