Travel Weekly Group buys Kingley Event Management

Travel Weekly Group, the parent company of Caterer and Hotelkeeper, has acquired Kingley Event Management and its portfolio of events including the British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame.

Past inductees into the British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame include hoteliers Kurt Ritter, the former president and chief executive of Rezidor, and Gabriel Escarrer Julia, the founder and chairman of Melia Hotels International.

The agreement completes the acquisition of Kingley following the purchase of the Agent Achievement Awards in 2012, and extends the Travel Weekly Group event portfolio to more than 50 events a year.

As part of the deal, Travel Weekly Group, the leading business-to-business travel and hospitality publisher, will acquire travel industry digital news publisher e-tid.com and its database of 11,000 recipients.

Duncan Horton, chief executive of Travel Weekly Group, said: "Travel Weekly Group is the natural home for the British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame.

"Our flagship titles Travel Weekly and Caterer and Hotelkeeper are both clear leaders in their respective sectors, and their long-standing credibility will only add further distinction to the event and those who are inducted each year.

"The acquisition of e-tid.com will continue to enhance our digital position as we look to define niche audiences and deliver tailor-made news services across all our brands.

"We are showing excellent year-on-year growth across print, digital and event lines, and the purchase of Kingley Event Management and e-tid.com will only serve to bolster our market-leading proposition".

Michael East, managing director of Kingley and e-tid.com, said: "Our events and the e-tid newsletter have both been very successful businesses over the years and I know that they will fit very well within the Travel Weekly Group."

The Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame will take place at The Savoy hotel in London on 24 April 2014.