Our history

We started building ‘what’s next’ a long time ago.

Since our inception as a newspaper publisher in 1887, we’ve been on quite the journey. We’ve watched technology take leaps and seen industries change overnight. But with every product we’ve created, and every industry we’ve served, we’ve always been at the heart of what’s next. And always will be.

2024
  • Appointment of Philip Thomas as Chief Executive, Ascential plc
  • Sale of Flywheel Digital
2023
  • Reorganisation of Ascential plc to serve our two key industries – Marketing and Financial Technology – through two divisions: LIONS, led by Simon Cook, and Money20/20, led by Tracey Davies
  • Announcement of Money20/20 Asia, taking place in Bangkok in 2024
  • Launch of Twentyfold, powered by Money20/20
  • 70th anniversary of Cannes Lions
  • Acquisition of Contagious
  • Launch of unified digital commerce brand Flywheel
  • Results of strategic review
2022
  • Acquisition of Sellics – integrated into Perpetua
  • Acquisition of Intrepid
  • Conducted strategic review
2021
  • Sale of MediaLink
  • Acquisition of WhyteSpyder
  • Acquisition of 4K Miles
  • Acquisition of OneSpace
  • Acquisition of Perpetua
  • Sale of Groundsure and DeHavilland, the last of our BEP brands
2020
  • Acquisition of Yimian Data
  • Acquisition of Indigitous
  • Acquisition of Mining Searches UK
  • Sale of Glenigan
  • Acquisition of X Target
  • Acquisition of Intellibrand 
2018
  • Launch of Cannes Lions’ The Work
  • Launch of Edge by Ascential
  • Acquisition of Brand View
  • Acquisition of WARC
  • Sale of Exhibitions business
  • Acquisition of Flywheel Digital
2017
  • Sale of RWM
  • Acquisition of Clavis Insight
  • Sale of MEED
  • Sale of 11 heritage brands to Metropolis
  • Acquisition of MediaLink
  • Sale of HSJ to Wilmington
  • 13 heritage magazine brands separated and held for sale
2016
  • Launch of Money20/20 Europe
  • Acquisition of One Click Retail
  • Creation of Ascential Events
  • WGSN unites all its services onto one platform and upgrades retail analytics service, WGSN INstock
  • Ascential plc lists on the London Stock Exchange
2015
  • Top Right Group rebrands to Ascential focused on two segments: exhibitions and festivals and information services
  • Launch of Retail Week Prospect, a data intelligence tool for the retail technology sector
  • Acquisition of Retail Net Group and integration with PlanetRetail, achieving greater coverage in North America
  • New WGSN JV with China Textile Information Center to better serve and increase the number of WGSN customers in this pivotal market
2014
  • Group revenues surpass £300m for the first time in our history. FY14 Group revenues were £312.7m and adjusted EBITDA was £85.3m, up from £271.4m and £69m respectively in FY13
  • Acquisition of Money20/20, the leading event in payments and financial services innovation
  • Launch of HSJ Intelligence – a data intelligence tool for the healthcare sector
  • Launch of Lions Health – a new festival serving the healthcare communications industry
2013
  • Appointment of Mandy Gradden as Chief Financial Officer
  • Acquisition of Stylesight and launch of new WGSN.com – combining the best of WGSN and Stylesight
  • Acquisition of Educar
  • Acquisition of Mindset and opening of Brazil office
  • Launch of WGSN INstock
2012
  • Rebrands as Top Right Group in 2012 to reflect the structural changes and the organisation’s long-term growth and high performance aspirations
  • Reorganised into agile operating companies, each positioned for sustainable top-line growth, with new leadership and separate business strategies
  • Sale of CAP Motor Research
  • Acquisition of CWIEME (Coil Winding Exhibitions)
  • £37m transformation programme with investment in strong product and content creation, technology overhaul and introduction of new systems, including world-class sales and marketing platforms
2011

Duncan Painter joins as the new CEO from BSkyB plc

2008
  • On 29 January, EMAP plc completes the sale of its radio, television and consumer media businesses to German company Bauer
  • In March, funds advised by Apax Partners and Guardian Media Group acquire EMAP plc's B2B business and take the business into private ownership
2007
  • EMAP Australia sold to ACP Magazines
  • Strategic review announced after receiving a number of unsolicited proposals to purchase parts of the company
  • Groundsure purchased
  • PlanetRetail purchased
2006

EMAP sells its French division to Italy's Arnoldo Mondadori Editore

2005
  • WGSN is purchased
  • Scottish Radio Holdings is acquired
2004
  • Acquisition of Cannes Lions
2001
  • Petersen Publishing sold
1998
  • Petersen Publishing purchased in the U.S.
1996
  • EMAP plc agrees to sell its 65 newspaper titles, including the 300-year-old Stamford Mercury, to Johnston Press for £111 million
  • Glenigan, provider of leads and information for the construction industry, purchased
1947
  • Under the direction of 'Pat' Winfrey, the family's newspaper titles are consolidated to form the East Midland Allied Press (EMAP)
1887
  • Sir Richard Winfrey (1858-1944) purchases the Spalding Guardian and later purchases the Lynn News and the Peterborough Advertiser; he also starts the North Cambs Echo. During World War II Winfrey's newspaper interests begin to be passed over to his son, Richard Pattinson (‘Pat’) Winfrey (1902–1985)