ISMG takes a majority stake in tech events specialists QG Media

Striving to expand its global presence as a pioneer in B2B conferences for cyber security stakeholders, QG Media says it has sealed a partnership with US-based Information Security Media Group (ISMG), the world’s largest media organisation dedicated to Information Security educational content which has acquired a majority stake in QG Media. The move cements ISMG’s leading position in the information security market. Based in London, QG Media was founded in 2011 by Kudsia Kaker and Ravi Manji, with the goal of providing cutting-edge content through technology focused events, delivering business intelligence for conference attendees and exhibition partners. This strategic partnership with ISMG represents a new chapter for QG Media on a path towards expanding its product offering and reaching into new countries. “We started as two people with the dream of contributing to the ever-evolving and extremely volatile landscape of cyber security, and thanks to the commitment of our team and the loyalty of our clients, we established a strong portfolio of conferences and exhibitions that is ready to grow with ISMG,” said Kudsia Kaker, co-founder and global programme director, QG Media. Ravi Manji, co-founder and executive director at QG Media adds: “We step into this partnership confident that it will allow QG Media to leverage its understanding of global markets and broaden its reach to new regions”. The partnership will extend the reach of the CyberSeries globally to additional regions outside of Europe, and further strengthen their position in critical infrastructure security and operational technology (OT) security with increased offerings to the growing global communities of CS4CA and ManuSec. “ISMG has demonstrated a deep focus on cybersecurity education from its very inception, and with this acquisition, we continue our commitment to that vision,” said Sanjay Kalra, CEO, ISMG. “The rising importance of OT security and QG’s super-specialisation in this space make this union a natural fit. We are confident that the addition of QG’s events portfolio and capabilities to ISMG’s line-up will enhance our ability to serve the global IT and cyber security ecosystem tremendously.” Anna John from Mayfield Mergers provided legal and financial services alongside Lee & Thompson LLP to QG Media on this transaction.