Urban Expositions, a Clarion Events Company, has acquired LeftField Media, the company formed by former Reed Exhibitions executive Greg Topalian. Leftfield Media owns Washington, D.C. convention Awesome Con, which it acquired last year (see “Leftfield Media Acquires Awesome Con”) and Play Fair, the consumer show that was run in conjunction with New York Toy Fair earlier this year (see “Play Fair Report, Pics”).  Play Fair is moving to the Fall in 2017, as a standalone event at the Javits Center. 

The acquisition buys out the ownership shares of Leftfield co-founders Britton Jones, Mac Brighton, and Sharon Enright of Business Journals Inc. and leaves Topalian as President and minority owner of Leftfield.  At the time of the founding of Leftfield in 2014, Topalian told ICv2 that he expected the company to be backed by an events company as a free-standing company, not a division of the backer (see “Greg Topalian Founds Leftfield Media”).  It took two years, but that is the structure of the company now.    

Clarion Events is a large event company founded in the UK, with roots back to 1947.  It runs 200 events in 35 countries, and has offices in nine countries, including the UK and U.S.  Leftfield will gain increased capital and infrastructure, which will allow it to announce new events and the expansion of its current shows in the near future.  The acquisition expands Urban Expositions’ expertise and market reach in B2C events.