Spencer West Advises on the sale of This is Beyond Group to Emerald X Group

Spencer West has advised the owners of This is Beyond Limited, a globally recognised leader in luxury B2B travel events, and its subsidiaries on the sale of the group to UK subsidiary of Emerald X LLC whose parent is NYSE-listed Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE:EEX).

Founded more than 20 years ago, London-based This is Beyond has redefined the luxury travel landscape by delivering immersive, high-impact B2B events across five continents.

The management team and its Founder, Serge Dive, are continuing with the business post-completion whilst the deal provides the Emerald X with greater global reach and decades of know-how from the senior management team. The transaction obtained regulatory approval in one of the event jurisdictions in late April and closed on 2 May 2025.

The Spencer West team was led by Corporate Partner Jonathan Ebsworth, who coordinated a cross-practice group across the UK and South Africa to deliver comprehensive legal support throughout the transaction.

“We were delighted to support Serge Dive and his senior management team on this landmark transaction,” Jonathan said.

“The business has built a phenomenal international brand in the luxury travel space, and Emerald’s acquisition is a natural next step in its global growth journey.

“This was a highly collaborative effort across multiple jurisdictions and practice areas – a prime example of Spencer West’s cross-border, cross-discipline capabilities and commitment to client-focused outcomes.”

Serge Dive, CEO and Founder of This is Beyond, commended the efforts of the Spencer West team.

“This was more than a transaction – it was about finding the right partner to continue our mission of creating inspired communities through exceptional experiences,” Serge said.

“Jonathan and the Spencer West team were outstanding – combining deep expertise with sound commercial advice. They gave us complete confidence at every step of the journey.”

The Spencer West team led by Jonathan Ebsworth included Thomas Allen (Corporate Associate), James Watts and Phoebe-Jean Grainger-Williams (Corporate Paralegals), James Klein (Private Equity), Sue Farrow (Incentives), Mark Tan (Tax), Richard Eccles (Competition), Jowanna Conboye and Andrew Ailwood (IP), Anne Mannix (Employment), Kristy Gouldsmith (Data Protection), and Sanusha Govender and Panashe Chifamba (Corporate, South Africa).