CloserStill expands its international Learning Technologies portfolio

Acquisitions of leading corporate learning events in France and Singapore, as its London event sees strong attendance growth and record exhibitor rebooking

(London, March 22, 2017): CLOSERSTILL MEDIA is accelerating its international push for its world leading Learning Technologies event brand, the dominant conference and exhibition serving the corporate learning and development sector, with acquisitions in Europe and Asia.

Learning Technologies, an annual event held at London Olympia and Europe’s fastest growing and best attended workplace L&D event saw almost 10,500 attendees and post a 91% exhibitor rebooking for its recent 2017 event held in February.

In Singapore, CloserStill has announced the acquisition of LEARNTech Asia from Kydon Holdings for an undisclosed sum.  CloserStill, recently ranked No 10 in the Sunday Times International FastTrack 200 of the UK’s fastest growing exporters, will incorporate LEARNTech Asia into its launch of Learning Technologies Asia conference and exhibition to be held on November 8th and 9th 2017 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. 

Kydon founder and CEO, David Yeo, who will continue to be involved in an advisory capacity for Learning Technologies Asia with CloserStill, added: “We are proud of the LEARNTech Asia conference and we are delighted to team up with the organiser of the biggest event in Europe for our sector.  CloserStill have ambitious plans for the Singapore event, which will play an important role in driving growth in the corporate learning sector across the region.”

Meanwhile in Europe, CloserStill has also announced the acquisition of the iLearning Forum, France’s premier learning technologies event, for an undisclosed sum.  The annual event for the French corporate learning market takes place in Paris each January, which is has an attendance of around 4,000 L&D professionals.  The iLearning Forum will be incorporated into Learning Technologies France.

iLearning Forum co-founder Sally Ann Moore, who will continue to be involved in shaping the education agenda for Learning Technologies France with CloserStill, added: ““For years I have thought that Learning Technologies London was the best eLearning show on earth, it’s also the biggest. So today is like a dream come true – thanks to this deal with CloserStill Media, our Paris event can benefit from all the know-how, quality, resources and skill that has made Learning Technologies so brilliant. Thanks to this investment our joint French event will become world class very quickly”.

CloserStill’s Director of the Learning Technologies portfolio, Mark Penton added: “We have a highly respected brand in this exciting educational technologies sector and we have global ambitions for the Learning Technologies events, supported by our 10,000-strong membership of our digital Learning and Skills Group.  We are excited about the sector’s growth in Asia and across Europe and we are committed to investing in further global expansion opportunities.”

ENDS