Press Release - INSIDER INFORMATION: Roularta becomes 100% owner of the Dutch trade fairs 50Plus Beurs and Gezondheidsbeurs

Senior Publications Nederland (SPN), the Dutch 100% subsidiary of Roularta Media Group (RMG), has signed an agreement to acquire Alexander van de Kerkhof’s 50% stake in 50+ Beurs & Festival BV at the beginning of 2022, subject to several conditions precedent. SPN has had a 50% share in 50+ Beurs & Festival since 2005.

50+ Beurs & Festival BV is the organiser of trade fairs that focus on active over-50s and health. The 50Plus Beurs has existed for 28 years. It is held at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht every September. With 550 stands and 100,000 visitors, it is one of the largest events for active over-50s in the world. The 50Plus Beurs is dedicated to providing instructive information, entertainment and offers.

The Nationale Gezondheidsbeurs (National Health Fair) is also an annual fair, held at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht in February. It attracts 45,000 visitors per year. The Nationale Gezondheidsbeurs is aimed at people who have (or want to have) a healthy lifestyle. Visitors can meet and be inspired by experts, influencers, coaches and authors in the field of health. There are also many workshops that they can join.

In addition, 50+ Beurs & Festival BV organises concerts, such as Christmas concerts.

Because of Covid-19, there are no trade fairs in 2021. However they are being scheduled for 2022.

As a result of this transaction, SPN will strengthen its commitment to the growing community of over-50s and its 360° strategy for them.

Dirk Oeyen, the CEO of Roularta Media Nederland, explains: “We reach the entire community of over-50s with Plus Magazine, Plus Gezond, plusonline.nl, gezondheidsnet.nl, Plus Puzzels, etadoro.nl (online classes), cruises & travel and the trade fairs 50Plus Beurs and the Gezondheidsbeurs, and we are the only player in the Netherlands who can do this. Full control of the trade fairs gives us the opportunity to build a unique, indispensable and complete platform for the over-50s on which all our own media channels interact.”

This transaction is expected to have a positive impact on Roularta Media Group's results from 2022 onwards, given that the expected turnover and EBITDA of 50+ Beurs & Festival BV will be included in the consolidated figures from January 2022. On 25 March 2021, when the 100% acquisition of SPN took place, only 50% of 50+ Beurs & Festival BV’s net result was included in the EBITDA and previously, before the 100% acquisition of SPN, only 25%. 50+ Beurs & Festival BV’s revenue in 2019 (the last year in which the trade fairs and concerts were held before Covid-19) was 5.5 million euros.

RMG is a Belgian-based, listed multimedia group. It is the market leader in magazine brands (general, business news, sports news, and women, lifestyle and professional brands, in Dutch and French), in local media in Flanders (Sunday newspapers, free door-to-door newspapers and lifestyle magazines, location-based advertising online and on TV screens, networking events etc.), in provincial newspapers (Krant van West-Vlaanderen) and in financial and business newspapers (De Tijd, L’Echo). In Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, RMG is the market leader in media for the over-50s. Roularta Printing Services provides RMG with the largest offset printing company in Belgium. This is where quality newspapers, magazines and catalogues for the Belgian and foreign markets are printed.