EMAP Petersen, Inc. Acquires Liberty Productions
11 May 1999
EMAP Petersen, Inc. Acquires Liberty Productions -- Largest Auto Show Management Company in the World Joins the Publisher of
MOTOR TREND and HOT ROD --
NEW YORK, May 10 -- EMAP Petersen, Inc., the largest special
interest magazine publisher in the U.S. with over 160 publications and over
100 trade and consumer events including extensive auto titles and auto shows,
announced today that it has acquired Liberty Management Corporation and it's
subsidiary Liberty Productions, Inc., the world's leading new model auto show
management company and one of the largest consumer show management companies
in the U.S.
Liberty (http://www.autoshowusa.com), based in Harrisburg, PA, produces
new model "International Auto Shows" across the nation including the
California International Auto Show in Anaheim, the Florida International New
Car Show in Tampa, the Central Florida International Auto Show in Orlando, the
Arizona International Auto Show in Phoenix, the San Diego International Auto
Show and the Utah International Auto Expo in Salt Lake City. Liberty also
produces shows in regional markets such as the Virginia International Auto
Show in Richmond, the International Auto Show of the Eastern Shore in Ocean
City, Maryland, the Portland International Auto Show in Portland, Oregon, the
Pennsylvania Auto Show in Harrisburg, the Northeast International Auto Show in
Providence, Rhode Island and the Greater Milwaukee Auto Show in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. The 1999 model year shows had over 3.4 million people in
attendance.
James D. Dunning Jr., Chairman and CEO of EMAP Petersen, Inc., said, "We
are impressed with the way in which Liberty has developed and mastered an
efficient auto show production template and plan to continue to expand the
number of shows Liberty produces in key markets. We feel Liberty's extensive
production capabilities will add to Petersen's strong events division. For
1999, we have more than 100 automotive, outdoor, sport and consumer
electronics events scheduled including Hot Rod Magazine's Power Tours,
Discover Diving & Adventure Travel Expositions, the Ducks Unlimited Great
Outdoors Festival, HI-FI '99 and the Gravity Games Festivals."
Robert D. Lilley, Liberty's Founder and President added, "Petersen is so
well respected in the industry that I feel they will help us take the auto
shows to a whole new level. For the dealers and the associations, I can think
of no better company than Petersen, through magazines such as MOTOR TREND and
HOT ROD, to help increase the overall exposure for our clients and attendance
at our shows. I look forward to continue working with the dealers and
associations as we move forward into the next model year international auto
shows."
John Dianna, President of Petersen's Performance Automotive Group added,
"The Liberty acquisition not only fits our long-term strategy, but provides an
additional interactive medium that is wholly consumer driven. Our future
growth plans are now enhanced by the integration of the Liberty shows and our
key magazine brands such as Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Truck Trends, Four Wheeler,
4 Wheel & Off-Road, Super Street and Max Speed. In addition to our magazines
and their respective consumers benefiting, we will also provide the automotive
and truck industries enhanced strategic packages that complement our marketing
solutions plans. These are exciting times for our Group as we accelerate into
the 21st Century."
Petersen also recently announced the acquisition of Frank Hawley's Drag
Racing School, the country's leading drag racing school offering an extensive
curriculum in drag racing with more than 5,000 graduates.
EMAP Petersen, Inc. (http://www.petersenco.com) is a wholly owned
subsidiary of EMAP plc (http://www.emap.com), one of the largest magazine
publishing companies in the world with 603 magazines, more than
6,000 employees worldwide, annual revenues of approximately US$1.7 billion and
a market capitalization of over US$5 billion. In the U.S. Petersen's
160 publications deliver nearly 87 million readers, including nearly
64 million adults and over 22 million teens. Petersen's internationally
recognized magazines include MOTOR TREND, HOT ROD, TEEN, SPORT, SLAM, SURFER,
SNOWBOARDER, POWDER, SKATEBOARDER, HUNTING, SKIN DIVER, PHOTOGRAPHIC,
MOTORCYCLIST and 4-WHEEL & OFF-ROAD. In addition to these titles, Petersen
has more than 100 trade and consumer events, including the GRAVITY GAMES TM,
which is the first in a series to be aired on NBC Network in October 1999.
EMAP's titles in the U.K. include MORE, FHM, BLISS, SMASH HITS, YOURS, NEW
WOMAN, CAR, MOTORCYCLE NEWS, PERFORMANCE BIKES and Q, and TELE STAR, MODES &
TRAVAUX, TOP SANTE, L'AUTO JOURNAL and AUTO PLUS in France. Petersen is
headquartered in Los Angeles and New York. EMAP plc is publicly traded on the
London Stock Exchange.
