Finance firm advises major deal in global events industry

The corporate finance team in the Midlands office of national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm Crowe has provided financial due diligence and transaction support to a major acquisition in the events industry.

Andy Kay (pictured), corporate finance partner, and his team, including Phoebe Turner, corporate finance director and Nick Martin, corporate finance manager, advised the directors of The Human Network, the parent company of independent events agency Identity, in the purchase of creative agency The Smyle Group.

The Smyle Group delivers live events, digital and physical experiences and content for brands. Its divisions include NJ Live (gaming), The Sports Presentation Company (fan engagement), Dreamlike State (on screen content), and Powered by Humans (employee engagement).

Andy Kay said: “The acquisition of The Smyle Group by The Human Network unites all of the above agencies with the agencies of Identity and Identity Sports.

“Collectively, the group has worked on projects including the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Spotify’s Wrapped Live, the London New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza and the highly sustainable pavilion for Meta at the World Economic Forum, Davos.

“We were pleased to advise the directors of The Human Network on the next step in their growth.”
The Human Network and Identity head of M&A, Mike Prior, said the move means The Human Network is now the largest independently owned group of experiential and creative agencies.

“We share a connected passion to drive human experience through everything we do. By uniting our strengths, we have created a formidable force that will enable us to deliver unparalleled service, creativity, and value to our clients, while creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment where our employees can thrive.”

With a combined team of over 250 professionals and a presence in eight countries across EMEA and United States, The Human Network offers unparalleled resources, creativity, expertise, and capabilities in event planning, production, and execution, catering to a diverse range of clients and industries and governments worldwide .

Mike Prior said: “Andy, Phoebe and their team at Crowe, provided a first class service to The Human Network, clearly setting out the risk areas for us, while offering practical and pragmatic solutions to issues as they presented themselves during the process. They have become an integral part of our M&A process and we would not hesitate to engage again with Crowe going forward.”

Legal advice to The Smyle Group was provided by Stephenson Harwood, with Thursfields Solicitors acting for The Human Network.