Haymarket buys Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing

Haymarket Media Group has acquired Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing from Centaur Media.

The M&A deal strengthens Haymarket Media Group’s market-leading position in the marcomms sector as the company already owns titles including Campaign, PRWeek, Performance Marketing World and newly launched In.Comms.

Kevin Costello, the chief executive of Haymarket Media Group, described Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing as “highly respected brands” that “align perfectly” with the group’s commitment to serving specialist audiences.

Marketing Week, Creative Review, and Festival of Marketing will sit within Haymarket’s Business Media (HBM) division and continue to operate as a separate business unit for an initial period.

Claire Rance, the managing director of Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing, will continue to lead the brands.

Rance will report to Donna Murphy, the deputy managing director of HBM, which houses all of Haymarket's B2B titles across sectors, including marcomms, medical and energy and environment.

Marketing Week and Creative Review, founded in 1978 and 1980 respectively, are two of the most established UK editorial brands in marcomms. Festival of Marketing launched in 2013.

Rance said: “We are delighted to be joining Haymarket Media Group. This acquisition represents an exciting opportunity to combine the strengths of our joint businesses across the marcomms industry. Together, I hope to enhance the offering of these heritage brands, broaden their impact, and continue delivering exceptional content and lasting value to our audiences.” 

Haymarket has covered the marcomms sector for more than half a century, launching Campaign in 1968 and acquiring PRWeek in 1988 – four years after its debut.

Murphy said: “Today’s news is a testament to our ambition and our commitment to the marcomms industry. We are incredibly excited to work with Claire and the team. These brands have a strong heritage, and we look forward to building on their success and welcoming them into the Haymarket fold. Together, I am confident we will create truly exciting content and game-changing events for our clients and audiences.”

Costello said: “I am delighted to welcome Marketing Week, Creative Review, and the Festival of Marketing into our portfolio. These highly respected brands provide market-leading insights and analysis for their communities and align perfectly with our commitment to serving specialist audiences globally. Our combined skills and influence in the sector makes for a very exciting future working together.”

Haymarket Media Group added: “The acquisition sees the start of a gradual integration phase for Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing.”

Haymarket was founded in 1957 and owns more than 70 brands, including Third Sector, ENDS Report, What Car?, MyCME and Asian Investor, with offices in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore and India.

“This acquisition reinforces the company's position as a leader in specialist media, enhancing its ability to serve marketing and creative professionals with unparalleled insights, events and remarkable content,” the company said. 

Centaur Media was founded in 1981 and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The group began a strategic review at the end of 2024 and has agreed to sell a number of its assets, including Mark Ritson’s MiniMBA to Brave Bison in May, Oystercatchers to management in July and The Lawyer to Legal Benchmarking in September.