Informa, the parent company of the Monaco Yacht Show has just confirmed the acquisition of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show along with four other US yacht shows for $133 million from Active Interest Media.



The acquisition sees Informa getting the FLIBS as well as the Yachts Miami Beach, the Palm Beach International Boat Show along with the St. Petersburg Power and Sailboat Show and the Suncoast Boat Show in Sarasota. Informa, a public company listed in London with a market cap of £5.5 billion had acquired the Monaco Yacht Show along with IIR Holdings in June 2005 in a transaction totaling $1.4 billion.
Arguably the most significant yachting event in the United States, the FLIBS gathers 100,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors bringing over 1,200 boats each November to Fort Lauderdale. With the transaction, Informa's exhibition business has become the largest part of its holding company by revenue and profits. In 2015, the group posted total revenues of £1,2 billion and £219 million of profits before tax.

Active Interest Media was founded in 2002 by Efrem Zimbalist III, grandson of Efrem Zimbalist a famed violinist originally from Russia. Apart from running these boat shows, the company also hosts equestrian events and action-sports events following its acquisition of Warren Miller Entertainment.