Ascential
Ascential was a British-headquartered international information-services company focused on marketing, events, intelligence and financial technology.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Ascential was a British-headquartered business information and events group that developed from East Midland Allied Press, commonly known as EMAP, into a portfolio of specialist services for companies operating in the digital economy. Its activities ultimately centred on two broad areas: marketing-related information and experiences, and financial-technology events and intelligence. The group supplied data, research, advisory services, professional events and specialist business content rather than consumer products. The company's roots were in regional newspapers. Richard Winfrey built a newspaper business in eastern England during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, acquiring or establishing titles including the Spalding Guardian, the Lynn News, the Peterborough Advertiser and the North Cambs Echo. In 1947, under the direction of his son Richard Pattinson Winfrey, the family's newspaper interests were consolidated with related printing operations as East Midland Allied Press. The resulting company later used the EMAP name. EMAP diversified beyond local newspapers by using its printing capacity for specialist publications. Angling Times, launched in 1953, was an early magazine success, and the company acquired Motor Cycle News in 1956. During the 1970s and 1980s, EMAP expanded substantially, helped by the leadership partnership of Robin Miller and David Arculus. In the 1990s it entered trade publishing through acquisitions from Maxwell Communication and Thomson, while also restructuring its regional newspaper portfolio. The newspaper division was sold to Johnston Press in 1996. The group continued to broaden its media and communications interests during the 2000s. It acquired Scottish Radio Holdings in 2005, sold its French division in 2006 and disposed of its Australian consumer-magazine operation in 2007. In 2008, its radio, television and consumer-media businesses were sold to Bauer for £1.14 billion. The remaining business was acquired by Eden Bidco, a vehicle associated with Apax and the Guardian Media Group. A major strategic reorganisation followed. In 2012, the company adopted the name Top Right Group and separated its magazines, events and database activities into distinct businesses. The database operation became 4C Group, while the events business became I2i Events Group. The EMAP name continued for the magazine operation for a time, but the company later moved its remaining magazine titles toward digital-only publishing. Media Business Insight, including titles such as Broadcast, Shots and Screen International, was sold in 2015. Top Right Group rebranded as Ascential in December 2015. The new identity reflected a shift away from the historical newspaper and magazine structure toward specialist business information, data, advisory and events. Ascential completed an initial public offering valued at approximately £800 million in February 2016 and traded on the London Stock Exchange for the following years. Guardian Media Group sold its remaining Ascential shares during 2016 and 2017. The company also rationalised its publishing heritage. In June 2017, it sold a collection of business-to-business titles and related heritage brands to Metropolis International, including the rights to the EMAP name. This left Ascential increasingly focused on information services connected with marketing, digital commerce and financial technology. Its portfolio was organised around specialist knowledge, professional communities and large-scale industry events. In July 2024, Informa agreed to acquire Ascential for approximately £1.2 billion. The transaction received court sanction in October 2024, enabling completion. Following the acquisition, Ascential ceased to be an independently listed company, while its businesses and brands became part of Informa's wider information-services portfolio. The Ascential name therefore represents both a modern corporate identity and the successor to a publishing group whose orig…
History
Ascential's history begins with the newspaper interests assembled by Richard Winfrey in eastern England. Winfrey acquired the Spalding Guardian, the Lynn News and the Peterborough Advertiser, and established the North Cambs Echo. The newspapers also served as vehicles for his political campaigning and advocacy of agricultural interests. During the Second World War, control of the family publishing interests began passing to his son, Richard Pattinson Winfrey. In 1947, the family's newspapers and associated printing operations were consolidated under the name East Midland Allied Press, or EMAP. The consolidation brought together the Northamptonshire Printing and Publishing Company, the Peterborough Advertiser Company, the West Norfolk and King's Lynn Newspaper Company, and commercial printing activities in Rushden, King's Lynn and Bury St Edmunds. EMAP subsequently used spare press capacity to enter specialist magazine publishing. Angling Times was launched in 1953, and Motor Cycle News was acquired from its founder in 1956. EMAP expanded significantly during the late 1970s under Robin Miller and David Arculus. During the early 1990s, the group entered trade publishing by acquiring titles from Maxwell Communication and Thomson. It later sold its 65 newspaper titles, including the Stamford Mercury, to Johnston Press in 1996. This disposal marked a significant move away from its regional-newspaper origins. The group continued to diversify in the 2000s. Scottish Radio Holdings was acquired in 2005, while the French division was sold to Arnoldo Mondadori Editore in 2006. EMAP disposed of its Australian consumer-magazine business to ACP Magazines in 2007. In January 2008, the radio, television and consumer-media businesses were sold to Bauer for £1.14 billion. The remaining company was acquired by Eden Bidco, a vehicle connected with Apax and the Guardian Media Group. In 2012, the company announced that it would become Top Right Group and separate its magazines, events and data operations. The magazine operation retained the EMAP name temporarily, the database business became 4C Group and the events operation became I2i Events Group. The group subsequently moved its magazine titles to digital-only formats and sold Media Business Insight in 2015. Top Right Group adopted the Ascential name in December 2015. The rebrand accompanied a strategic transition from legacy publishing toward business information, data, advisory services and professional events. Ascential floated on the London Stock Exchange in February 2016 through an approximately £800 million initial public offering. Guardian Media Group disposed of its Ascential shareholding during 2016 and 2017. In June 2017, Ascential sold heritage business-to-business brands to Metropolis International, including rights to the EMAP name. The transaction further separated the modern Ascential business from its historic publishing identity. The company thereafter described its activities through marketing and financial-technology information services, serving organisations in the digital economy through intelligence, events and advisory products. In July 2024, Informa agreed to acquire Ascential for approximately £1.2 billion. The court sanctioned the arrangement in October 2024, permitting completion. The transaction ended Ascential's period as an independently listed company and placed its activities within Informa's international information and events group.
- 2024
Informa acquires Ascential
[1]Informa agrees to acquire Ascential for approximately £1.2 billion, with court sanction granted in October.
- 2017
EMAP heritage brands are sold
[1]Metropolis International acquires heritage business-to-business titles and rights to the EMAP name.
- 2016
Ascential lists on the London Stock Exchange
[1]The company completes an initial public offering valued at approximately £800 million.
- 2015
The company becomes Ascential
[1]Top Right Group adopts the Ascential identity as it shifts toward specialist information and events.
- 2012
Top Right Group restructuring is announced
[1]The company separates its magazine, database and events activities into more distinct businesses.
- 2008
Consumer media and broadcasting businesses are sold
[1]EMAP sells its radio, television and consumer-media businesses to Bauer, leaving a more focused company under new ownership.
- 2005
Scottish Radio Holdings is acquired
[1]EMAP broadens its media interests through the acquisition of Scottish Radio Holdings.
- 1996
Regional newspaper portfolio is sold
[1]EMAP sells 65 newspapers, including the Stamford Mercury, to Johnston Press for £111 million.
- 1956
Motor Cycle News is acquired
[1]EMAP expands its specialist publishing portfolio by acquiring Motor Cycle News.
- 1953
Angling Times is launched
[1]EMAP enters specialist magazine publishing with the launch of Angling Times.
Products and positioning
A specialist provider of information, intelligence, advisory services and professional events for marketing, digital commerce and financial-technology businesses.
Business intelligence and advisory
Marketing information services
A core Ascential activity focused on information, intelligence and advisory support for marketing and digital-economy organisations. The category reflects the company's move away from traditional publishing toward specialist data and decision-support services.
Professional events and business information
Financial-technology events and intelligence
Ascential operated services for the financial-technology sector, combining industry events with information and intelligence aimed at professional audiences and businesses in the digital economy.
Business-to-business publishing · 1953
Specialist business publishing
The company's historical publishing operations included specialist magazines, trade titles and digital business content. Much of this heritage was later separated, converted to digital formats or sold as Ascential concentrated on information services and events.
Brand decisions
2024
Acquisition by InformaM&ABackground
Ascential operated as a listed specialist information and events company, while Informa was expanding its international information-services portfolio.
Action taken
Informa agreed to acquire Ascential for approximately £1.2 billion. Court sanction was obtained in October 2024.
Aftermath
The transaction ended Ascential's independent listed-company status and brought its operations into the Informa Group.
Agreed acquisition value. Approximately £1.2 billion (2024)
2015
Rebrand from Top Right Group to AscentialStrategyBackground
The company was moving from a diversified media structure toward specialist information, intelligence, advisory and events businesses.
Action taken
Top Right Group adopted the Ascential name.
Aftermath
The new identity supported the company's repositioning around marketing and financial-technology services for the digital economy.
2012
Creation of separate magazine, database and events businessesStrategyBackground
The group sought to clarify its structure and distinguish its traditional publishing activities from newer data and events operations.
Action taken
The company adopted the Top Right Group name and separated the magazines, database and events activities into distinct businesses.
Aftermath
The database business became 4C Group and the events operation became I2i Events Group, providing the organisational basis for the later Ascential rebrand.
2008
Sale of EMAP Radio and consumer mediaM&ABackground
EMAP reviewed the structure of its businesses after receiving proposals concerning parts of the group.
Action taken
The radio, television and consumer-media businesses were sold to Bauer.
Aftermath
The remaining company was taken over by Eden Bidco, associated with Apax and the Guardian Media Group, and later reorganised into a more specialised information and events group.
Sale value. £1.14 billion (2008)
1996
Exit from regional newspapersStrategyBackground
EMAP had developed from a regional newspaper group but was increasingly diversifying into specialist publishing, broadcasting and business media.
Action taken
The company sold 65 newspaper titles, including the Stamford Mercury, to Johnston Press.
Aftermath
The transaction accelerated EMAP's shift away from its historic local-newspaper base.
Sale value. £111 million (1996)
Recent events
Ascential agrees to sell DeHavilland[2]
Reported:
Ascential agreed to sell the DeHavilland brand to Bridgepoint in a deal valued at £15 million; the sale marked the conclusion of its divestment of the Built Environment & Policy division.
Ascential acquires Yimian Data[3]
Reported:
Ascential acquired Yimian Data and integrated it as a division of Edge by Ascential. Yimian Data was renamed Yimian by Ascential after the acquisition.
Sources3 sources
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