Mark Allen Group Acquires Leading Travel Retail Media Company, The Moodie Davitt Report
In a major development for the global travel retail and airport commercial revenues sector, Mark Allen Group has acquired The Moodie Davitt Report, the leading media, events, and business intelligence company in the industry.
Co-owners Martin Moodie and Dermot Davitt, who are highly respected in the field, will continue to manage the business alongside their experienced senior management and high-quality teams across editorial, sales, events, and administration. They will be supported by Mark Allen Group’s expertise in publishing and events, as well as the company’s scale.
Founded by Martin Moodie in 2002, The Moodie Davitt Report has established itself as the go-to source for all aspects of the global industry eco-system, covering everything from travel retail to dining and advertising to foreign exchange. The company also owns and runs three major annual global events: The Trinity Forum, The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference & Awards, and The Moodies Social & Digital Media Awards. In addition, The Moodie Davitt Report is a partner and manager of numerous other industry events around the world.
The acquisition will see Sixth Continent Holdings and The Moodie Davitt Report become part of Mark Allen Group’s new division, MA Travel Retail. Mark Allen Group has a strong presence in airports and aviation, with titles such as Ground Handling International and Aircraft Interiors International, and will be seeking synergies across the titles.
Mark Allen Group’s Executive Chairman, Mark Allen, expressed his excitement about the acquisition, stating, “It is exceptionally rare to find such a brilliant business as this. Over recent years, the company has enjoyed exceptional growth. Extraordinarily, it even made a very good profit in 2020, the height of the pandemic, when other similar publishing and events businesses were floundering.”
CEO Ben Allen added, “Not only is this a fantastic opportunity for us, but we have in Martin and Dermot two superstars who care passionately about the business and who will stay with us to develop it even further.”
The Moodie Davitt Report’s Founder and Chairman Martin Moodie expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, saying, “I have poured my heart and soul into this business over the past 22 years, and I am thrilled that this agreement with another family company will both protect and grow that legacy. Together we will take the business to exciting new heights.”
President Dermot Davitt added, “We are delighted to begin this latest chapter in our journey with such a respected publishing and events house as Mark Allen Group. With their support, we aim to stretch our market leadership through our unrivalled industry relationships, our innovation drive, and a relentless focus on delivering the highest-quality business intelligence and events to our loyal audience.”
For further information, please contact:
Mark Allen Group: mark.allen@markallengroup.com
ben.allen@markallengroup.com
The Moodie Davitt Report: martin@moodiedavittreport.com
dermot@moodiedavittreport.com
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.