The UK hospitality media, research and events group has further deepened its relationship with Allegra Group by acquiring The London Coffee Festival
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The London Coffee Festival attracted more than 24,000 visitors in 2022 | Photo credit: Allegra Events
UK-based William Reed has acquired The London Coffee Festival from Allegra Group.
In a press statement, William Reed said it would continue working with Allegra to develop the London Coffee Festival (LCF) and Coffee Masters brands, adding that the event would be staying at the iconic Truman Brewery.
The hospitality media, research and events group said the acquisition would enable it to build on LCF’s unrivalled access and knowledge of the UK hospitality and retail markets by opening access to targeted channels for exhibitors and sponsors.
William Reed manages a portfolio of 24 hospitality-focused media, research and events brands including The Grocer, Big Hospitality, MCA and FoodEx. It also has a stake in Allegra’s World Coffee Portal.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for William Reed as it allows us to build on the success that Allegra have created in the London Coffee Festival. It is the perfect balance to the UK Food Shows and Big Hospitality Expo and we very much look forward to working with the Coffee sector to further enhance their access to some of the markets that the Coffee Festival doesn’t currently maximise. Also, the unique style of the Festival will allow us to learn from them how to do things differently, we can’t wait to get started,” said Andrew Reed, MD Exhibitions at William Reed.
“I am very proud of what we have created at Allegra and I am pleased that we have been able to pass the baton onto William Reed who I think are perfectly placed to take the festival to the next level. This will also free up our time to be able to focus on future plans for the coffee industry that we have around the world,” said Jeffrey Young, Founder and CEO of Allegra Group.
First launching in 2011, The London Coffee Festival has grown into one of the world’s leading coffee and hospitality events. More than 24,000 attended LCF in 2022, edging towards its pre-pandemic level of around 30,000 visitors.