SMG announces acquisition of Financial Services Expo (FSE)

20 March 2020

Shard Media Group (SMG) has today completed its first acquisition: of event company Financial Services Expo (FSE).

Shard Media Group is the parent company of Credit Strategy, Reward Strategy, and Turnaround, Restructuring & Insolvency News and is owned by partners, Luke Broadhurst (CEO), Nick Miller (Chairman) and Douglas Wright (CFO).

Shard Media Group is renowned for its premium digital content, plus high-end events such as Credit Week and its Parliamentary Reception, the Women in Credit Awards, the Credit Summit and other flagship conferences such as the Lending Summit and Collections & Vulnerability Summit.

The purchase of the independent Financial Services Expo will strengthen its event programme further, broadening its offering to lenders, the mortgage community and all professionals working in the sales and distribution of financial products.

Financial Services Expo (FSE) was launched in 2013 by James Prosser, formerly of Clarion and Incisive Media. Prosser has spent the past seven years developing FSE into the UK’s foremost mortgage and protection exhibitions with events in London, Manchester, Scotland and East Midlands.

The aim now is to build on this and expand it to a wider range of lenders and advisers.

Broadhurst and Prosser had worked together at Incisive Media in the 2000s, publishing Mortgage Solutions, Your Mortgage and Your Money as Managing Director and Commercial Director respectively. They were also pivotal in the development of the highly successful British Mortgage Awards and the Equity Release Awards - now successfully continued by AE3 Media.

Shard Media Group’s leading brand Credit Strategy, which marks its 21st year in 2020, hosts a number of industry events including the Lending Summit and the Lending Awards, which share many synergies with FSE. These will form the main area for collaboration and development.

However, FSE will retain its unique independence and Credit Strategy aims to work in co-operation with other media groups, to ensure FSE reaches the broadest audience. The vision is to expand the Expo beyond mortgages to include other sectors, in order to share the best ideas, innovation and new thinking across different sectors.

All four Financial Services Expos under Shard Media Group will take place this Autumn 2020. This will enable Shard Media Group to truly build on the opportunities available while taking a responsible approach to the issues surrounding the Corona virus and COVID-19. FSE London will take place on 16 Sept, FSE Manchester on 22 September, FSE Midlands on 8 October and FSE Scotland is TBC. In 2021 the Manchester and Scottish Expos will once again take place in the spring.

Luke Broadhurst, CEO of Shard Media Group, said: “I have heard time and again that since the credit and banking crises of 2007-2009, that the industry wants more innovation. James and FSE provided something different and we aim to build on this further; for the first time bringing the mortgage market together with car finance, alternative finance and a wider variety of loan types.

“Each sector of the market has areas that it excels in and sharing this knowledge can only improve expertise and business practice for everyone. I can’t wait to work together as we develop FSE, in conjunction with the Lending Summit and Lending Awards, to bring innovation and excitement to a sector which richly deserves it.”

James Prosser, MD of FSE Media Ltd, said: “I’m proud to have launched and developed FSE over the past seven years but now is the time to take it to the next level. The Shard Media Group directors have the perfect blend of knowledge of the mortgage and wider financial services market; a pedigree in media, conferences and exhibitions combined with business expertise. This in-depth knowledge and experience will make the FSE events some of the leading and most valuable events available to lenders, brokers and all financial services professionals. Our customers deserve it and personally I can’t wait to work with Luke again to bring genuine innovation and excitement to this richly deserving industry.”

Robert Sinclair, CEO of the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries (AMI), said: “I’ve known Luke and James for many years and can immediately recognise the perfect blend they and their media brands provide, for the benefit of UK mortgage distributors, brokers and lenders. Innovation is always welcome in media serving the mortgage market, and I look forward to working with Luke and James as they develop their offerings for the good of all.”

Nick Miller, Chairman of Shard Media Group, said: “This is the first acquisition for SMG and while it has been completed at a time of caution due to COVID-19, we have tracked FSE and James for over three years. FSE and Credit Strategy are stronger together and we look forward to building a base for the further growth of the group both organically and by acquisition. We’re especially pleased that James retains significant equity in FSE Media as we look to develop and grow together”.