16th Nov 2010 07:00
16 November 2010
TARSUS GROUP plc
Interim Management Statement
Tarsus Group plc ("Tarsus" or "the Group"), the international business-to-business media group, today publishes its Interim Management Statement covering the period from its Interim Results on 28 July to 15 November 2010.
Trading Performance
Trading for the period has been in line with the Board's expectations. A summary of the more significant developments during the period includes:
Labelling
Labelexpo Americas in September was the most successful show for our customers in the last ten years. Whilst spend by exhibitors was some 7% lower than the previous show, the number of companies taking space remained constant and visitor numbers were up 5%. Strong customer sales generated at the event resulted in a very encouraging re-book rate of 83%, providing Tarsus with a high level of visibility for the next edition in 2012.
Labelexpo South China, an event launched in Guangzhou in October, was profitable at its first edition and complements Labelexpo Asia which takes place in Shanghai in 2011. Labelexpo India, which will take place in New Delhi in December, has also seen strong demand.
Discount Clothing
Our Off-Price clothing exhibition in Las Vegas in August performed well, demonstrating the growth of the discount channel in a challenging economic environment. Revenues were up 10% on the same event last year and forward visibility is strong, with our highest ever re-book rate for the next event in February 2011.
Medical
The Medical division, which comprises 23 events, continued to show double digit growth. This growth is increasingly being driven by the educational component and our recently launched online offerings. The next major event takes place in Las Vegas in December 2010.
Aviation
MEBA, our business jets show, takes place in December 2010 in Dubai. MEBA has established itself as the key event in the region for generating orders in this fast growing sector and bookings remain well ahead of the previous edition. We have recently entered into an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Tourist Authority to run the prestigious Al Ain Aerobatic Show which takes place annually in February.
France
The French portfolio which is heavily second half weighted continues to show signs of stabilisation although recent political disturbances have disrupted attendances at events and may delay recovery.
Financial Position
New committed bank facilities comprising £40 million of both fixed and revolving credit facilities were put in place in September and run to the end of 2013.
Trading cash flows remain strong despite being slightly impacted by delays in the expansion of the Dubai Airport exhibition facility which is scheduled to come on stream in Q1 2011.
Outlook
The improving economic environment is beginning to impact positively on our portfolio of events in the US and the emerging markets. France has traditionally benefited later in the cycle and the second half weighting of our portfolio in 2011 should be helpful.
We remain committed to our long term strategy of increasing our exposure to emerging markets (Project 50/13) through organic initiatives and selective bolt-on acquisitions.
Tarsus Group plc:
Douglas Emslie, Group Managing Director 020 8846 2700
Ashley Milton, Group Finance Director 020 8846 2700
Media:
Madano Partnership
Matthew Moth 020 7593 4000
Investors/Analysts:
Scott Harris
Stephen Scott, Jeremy Wiseman 020 7653 0030
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