Midlands advisers act on sale of pop culture firm

MCM Comic Con

Midlands-based corporate finance firm, Springboard has advised on the sale of a leading pop culture events business.

The firm, which has offices in Birmingham and Nottingham, acted for the shareholders of MCM Comic Con on its sale to ReedPOP.

MCM Comic Con was co-founded by Bryan Cooney who premiered the show in 2002 as the London Expo. The next few years saw London Expo grow and flourish.

In 2004, it rebranded as London MCM Expo – the ‘MCM’ standing for ‘Movies, Comics, Media’; and in 2005, it took the first steps that would transform it from a niche collectors’ and autograph event into a comic convention, with the addition of dedicated comics and anime areas plus film and TV content.

In recent years, MCM has spread its wings, launching events across the UK and Europe.

ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organiser. ReedPOP is devoted exclusively to organising and managing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and working with premium brands in the pop culture world on major events.

Lance Fensterman, Global Head of ReedPOP, said: “For nearly a decade I’ve watched with great admiration as the MCM brand grew in size, scale and quality, as well as in the hearts and minds of UK fans.

“The addition of the MCM brand extends the reach and influence of the ReedPOP portfolio and further solidifies our place as the number one producer of fan events across the globe. We cannot wait to work with the MCM team to build even bigger and better events for fans in the UK.”

MCM was advised on the sale by Springboard partner Simon Ward and assistant director James Bailey.

Mr Ward said: “Bryan is an outstanding entrepreneur who has built a great business that rightly attracted interest from a number of global players. That MCM will now be part of the largest exhibition business in the world is an outstanding achievement.”

Mr Cooney said: “Springboard were integral to ensuring this transaction was completed on the right terms for myself and my business.”

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