The deal creates opportunities for expansion and continued growth among specialist event communities, leveraging complementary capabilities.
Brussels, 3 August 2026 – Easyfairs Belgium NV has completed its acquisition of Xpo Group BV, acquiring 100% of the company’s shares following its public takeover bid. The acquisition brings together two event organisers with complementary sector portfolios, an international presence and a shared approach to creating highly targeted events for clearly defined professional communities. A significant portion of Xpo Group’s business is outside of Belgium, complementing Easyfairs’ existing international activities.
Xpo Group organises 61 events across 17 European countries in sectors including construction and interior design, renewable energy, manufacturing and technology, food, retail, marketing and communication. Its internationally established portfolios include ARCHITECT@WORK, which serves architects and specifiers across 13 European countries, together with the Design Nation series and the Solar Solutions portfolio. The company also operates Kortrijk Xpo in Flanders, hosting both its own events and third-party exhibitions.
Matt Benyon, Group CEO of Easyfairs, said: “The acquisition of Xpo Group represents a significant step in the growth of Easyfairs. It adds an attractive portfolio of established events and creates new opportunities for expansion in Europe and the United States. We see considerable potential to grow the combined portfolio through combining our respective expertise and the development of digital products that extend the value of our brands throughout the year. We are confident that we will see an increase in the combined company’s sales, marketing and operational efficiency.”
Both Easyfairs and Xpo Group are known for organising sector-focused events where exhibitors meet relevant professional audiences and visitors can efficiently discover the suppliers, innovations and expertise most relevant to their needs.
Anne Lafère, Group CEO of Easyfairs, added: “What excites me most about welcoming Xpo Group is how naturally our businesses complement one another. We share strong Belgian entrepreneurial roots, but we have both built successful international businesses by developing specialist event concepts. We create highly focused events where exhibitors meet exactly the right audiences, visitors discover the suppliers that matter most to them and professional communities learn about trends and innovations. Bringing our portfolios together creates exciting opportunities to deliver even greater value for our customers.”
Both companies believe that exhibitions should be easy to participate in and deliver a high return on investment for exhibitors and a high return on time for visitors. This shared commitment to ‘easifying’ the customer experience underpins everything from event formats and stand packages to digital tools and on-site services.
Kenneth Verheyden, CEO of Easyfairs Belgium, commented: “Easyfairs Belgium and Xpo Group have long shared a passion for serving specialist industries, with events in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, food and hospitality and retail. Bringing our teams together creates a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices and learn from one another. By combining the strengths of both organisations, we can continue to develop our people while creating even greater value for our customers and partners.”
Saskia Soete-De Boosere, CEO of Xpo Group, concluded: “It was clear that Easyfairs shared our entrepreneurial mindset and our commitment to building strong specialist communities. Joining the Easyfairs family gives our event brands access to a broader international platform while preserving the qualities that have made them successful. Just as importantly, it creates new opportunities for our colleagues to develop their expertise as part of a larger organisation that shares our values and long-term vision.”
Many events in the combined portfolio take place at venues operated by the two organisations, including Easyfairs’ venues in Belgium, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. The addition of Xpo Group’s portfolio will create further opportunities for collaboration across the venue network.
Easyfairs Belgium announced its intention to launch a voluntary and conditional public takeover bid for Xpo Group on 13 May 2026. After a successful initial offer period with 99.99% of the shareholders accepting to sell, the offer was reopened in accordance with Belgian takeover regulations until 30 July 2026. The transaction was ultimately completed on 31 July 2026, with Easyfairs Belgium acquiring 100% of Xpo Group’s shares.
About Easyfairs
Easyfairs organises and hosts events, bringing communities together to visit the future.
We currently organise 110 event titles in 16 countries (Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) and manage eight event venues in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden (Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen-Brussels North, Namur, Gorinchem, Hardenberg, Malmö and Stockholm).
We are passionate about “easifying” the life of our customers and increasing the return on investment and return on time for professional communities through our all-in formulas, advanced technology and customer-centric approach. Our digital features and initiatives provide these communities with excellent opportunities to network effectively and do business throughout the year.
The Easyfairs Group employs 900 highly committed talents, deploys the best marketing and technology tools and develops brands with a strong appeal to our stakeholder communities.
For the seventh year running, Deloitte conferred “Best Managed Company” status on Easyfairs in 2025.
Visit the future with Easyfairs and find out more on www.easyfairs.com
About Xpo Group
Xpo Group organises and hosts events, creating meaningful connections between people, businesses and communities.
Since 1967, we have been developing strong event concepts and meeting places where inspiring ideas, valuable encounters and business opportunities come together. Today, Xpo Group combines three complementary activities: venue management, event organisation and community building.
We currently organise more than 60 specialised event projects in 17 countries across Europe and welcome more than 8,000 exhibitors and over 400,000 professional visitors annually. Our Kortrijk Xpo venue in Flanders covers 40,000 m².
We are passionate about creating value for our communities by continuously innovating, expanding successful concepts internationally and developing digital tools and platforms that connect exhibitors and visitors throughout the year.
Xpo Group employs more than 150 staff members and reported consolidated revenue of over €56 million and consolidated EBITDA of more than €9.9 million for the 2025 financial year.
Creating meaningful connections is at the heart of everything we do.
Find out more at www.xpogroup.com.
For further information, please contact:
Matt Benyon
Group CEO Easyfairs
Anne Lafère
Group CEO Easyfairs
Kenneth Verheyden
CEO Easyfairs Belgium
kenneth.verheyden@easyfairs.com
Saskia Soete De Boosere
CEO Xpo Group
