Mark Allen acquires Regen

The Mark Allen Group has acquired from Chester-based Eton Events for an undisclosed sum its prime Regen Exhibition and Conference asset.

Regen is an annual exhibition, conference and networking event, serving the regeneration industry, which normally takes place every year in Liverpool, although 2021 was cancelled as a result of the pandemic. The event has once been held in Cardiff.

The next event, its seventh, under the Mark Allen umbrella, will be held at St George’s Hall, Liverpool, on 2nd and 3rd November 2022.

Regen addresses the issues of urban and rural regeneration, policy and implementation, attracting leading company exhibitors and conference participants engaged in this vital field.

The event is to be managed by MA Business, one of the seven operating companies in the Mark Allen Group, whose MD Jon Benson has a passionate interest in Liverpool and, in particular, its illustrious eponymous football club! Owner and event director Andrew Clark has agreed to help in Regen’s smooth transition to the Mark Allen Group.

Executive chairman Mark Allen said: “Regen presents a golden opportunity for us. The so-called Northern Powerhouse and the government’s levelling up agenda has created an even more crucial interest in the whole area of regeneration. Andrew has done a brilliant job in making Regen a leading forum to examine issues relating to the whole question of regeneration. We now want to take Regen to the next level.”

Ben Allen, the group’s CEO, added: “I am absolutely delighted that Andrew has agreed to help Jon put Regen even further on the map. With Jon Benson - and his team - leading the charge there is no one more suited to ensuring that Regen becomes the byword for regeneration not only in Liverpool but in other parts of the country.”

The final word goes to Andrew Clark, who said: “It has been a privilege to own Regen and to have built the event into the industry’s leading forum for thought leadership in UK regeneration and economic development. I am delighted to remain involved with Mark, Ben, Jon and the entire team in the event organisation, safe in the knowledge that this acquisition will ensure this important event’s continued growth and progression.”