Emap splits business in three after strategic review

Business-to-business publisher and events organiser Emap has split its company into three separate, autonomous divisions, after weeks of speculation about the future of the 65-year-old group.

The company's events, data and publishing businesses will now operate independently of each other, and the parent company has changed its name to Top Right Group.

The events division is now rebranded i2i. The data business has a new name, 4C, and only the business publishing division retains the Emap name.

Journalism.co.uk reported last month that Emap was preparing to leave its headquarters in central London and that it had been looking to downsize for some time.

The changes are the result of a strategic review led by new chief executive Duncan Painter, who joined from BSkyB last autumn.

Painter later told the Telegraph: "Since I have arrived I have had at least 20 firms come to visit me. At the end of the day, we are owned by private equity investors, so if someone turns up and offers a fortune, sure we would sell it to them."

Guardian Media Group and private equity firm Apax bought Emap's business-to-business division for £1bn in 2007. The consumer arm was sold to Bauer.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).