IPC Media is in talks with several major organisers about licensing
its brands for future events. The move follows the decision by new owner
AOL Time Warner to shut the publisher's events and exhibitions arm IPC
Live, nine months after it was launched (Marketing Event, March).
As licenser, IPC would act as the brand behind an event but would not be
responsible for the organisation. The company is reviewing what will
happen to those events already developed and is looking at ideas for
future brand extensions.
IPC Media group strategy director Julian Drinkall said: "In the current
market it's difficult to make large-scale consumer events work. We are
keen to find other organisers to work in partnership deals with us to
license our brands - we still want IPC brands to have a presence in the
mass consumer event market."
IPC Live was set up in February last year. Its long-term strategy
included events such as The Woman and Home Experience, The Gorgeous
Roadshow (presented by Now, 19 and Hair) and The Woman & Evans Feel Good
Roadshow, which ran in September. The Inspired Roadshow, by Essentials
and Family Circle, was due to run alongside The Woman & Evans show but
had been postponed until the spring (Marketing Event, October).
The company is trying to redeploy staff affected by the closure.
Former IPC director of events Stephanie Grice took voluntary
redundancy.
"I feel passionately about exhibitions and events and I have many
options that I shall be considering early in the year to make my return
to the industry," she said.