Tarsus Group made two recent acquisitions – the remaining 50 percent of China-based Hubei Tarsus Hope’s portfolio of medical events it was in a joint venture on and buying the entirety of the Masters of Pediatric Dermatology (MOPD) event.  

Hubei Hope Exhibition was the first acquisition made in 2008 by Tarsus in China as a 50/50 joint venture that included several B2B exhibitions - Chengdu Dental Show and the biannual Zhengzhou Medical and Dental Show - across the fast-growing regions of Central and Western China.

“China is one of the world’s largest exhibition markets and is of great strategic importance to Tarsus Group; even more so on the back of Covid-19 with so many territories not yet operational it has been fantastic for us to run seven shows there in quick succession recently,” said Tarsus Group CEO Douglas Emslie.

He added, “We are delighted to have further strengthened our position in China with this acquisition; there are notable synergies between these medical and dental shows and others within portfolio and we look forward to further growing the events.”

In spite of the significant impact of Covid-19 on the events industry globally, China is one of the few territories, which successfully has resumed live business events in recent months.

Having been postponed from earlier in the year, the Hubei Tarsus Hope medical and dental events went ahead in August and witnessed strong turnouts and positive customer feedback.

With many B2B events forced online in the wake of the pandemic, the successful running of in-person events in China underlines the resilience of the exhibitions industry there, as well as the ongoing strength of the domestic market whilst also giving hope to the global industry of a burgeoning recovery ahead.

In addition to the Hubei Tarsus Hope operation, the group also holds interests in a number of leading Chinese exhibitions such as Music China, Hometex, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry and Tuning Fair (AAITF), Touch China, China Aid and SIUF The International Brand Underwear Fair.

Recognizing the ongoing growth and importance of dermatology, and in particular the expansion opportunities presented by the pediatric dermatology market, Tarsus now has acquired the full rights to the Masters of Pediatric Dermatology (MOPD) brand and event and will continue to work with MOPD founder and chair, Dr. Lawrence A. Schachner, M.D., going forward.

“I’m so pleased to be continuing to work with Tarsus Medical on the MOPD brand, events and educational content,” said Dr. Schachner.

He added, “I believe that extending our relationship and the additional investment represented by this collaboration will provide the infrastructure needed to develop critical resources for the growing pediatric dermatology market.”

The Tarsus Medical portfolio currently boasts a number of key brands, including Cardiometabolic Health Congress (CMHC), A4M|MMI, Painweek and LivDerm.

LivDerm, the leading medical education hub dedicated to revolutionizing dermatology education, will incorporate both MOPD and the South Beach Symposium, along with innovative and integrated education across the dermatology spectrum for practicing clinicians.

The pediatric dermatology market, particularly in the US, is one that is characterised by ever-increasing demand coupled with a shortage of certified dermatologists.

The critical need for pediatric dermatology is evidenced by extended wait times for appointments and the growing demand for practitioners meaning that increased training pathways, career development and educational opportunities in the field are much-needed.

Workforce expansion and continuing medical education will be vital to ensuring timelier patient care, while also supporting research and education in this emerging field.

In addition to growing the MOPD event, which takes place annually alongside the South Beach Symposium, giving practitioners access to a broad dermatology curriculum, the Tarsus Medical division also will focus on initiatives that will help to meet the demand for certification and education in pediatric dermatology through standalone education events, CME courses and focused meetings with local dermatology chapters, both in-person and online.

“I’m incredibly proud of our medical division and the hugely successful business we have built serving various therapeutic areas – it’s an area where we are continuing to see plenty of traction and growth, even in the wake of Covid-19,” Emslie said.

He added, “This deal is of significant strategic importance to us and the future development of the portfolio as it presents even more opportunities to build the well-respected MOPD brand and related events – enabling us to better support the dermatology community.”

The MOPD Symposium will take place February 4-5, 2021, both in-person and virtually, allowing all attendees to participate in educational sessions and networking engagements with industry colleagues.

The 2021 MOPD Symposium will allow attendees to understand the latest treatment approaches, protocols, procedures and tools needed to support children with dermatologic conditions and provide more personalised care for this specific population of younger patients.