VNU stays together - for now

News from various sources over the weekend - including this from Reuters - that the massive private equity bid form the Valco consortium for VNU looks as though it is now going through. So, it looks as though, for the time being at least, the guys building the VNU Exhibitions and publishing businesses in Asia are all still part of the same, happy family. That probably gives them as much as two years to relax and do business before the fun starts all over again.

While we're on the topic of my friends at VNU Exhibitions, this link to pictures (many of them!) from their Millionaire Fair looks like a lot of fun.

Update: Another piece of VNU news landing on my desk today - not sure if it's related. Jimé Essink, the CEO of VNU Exhibitions Asia, will be moving back to the Netherlands to take over as CEO of VNU Exhibitions Europe. The current incumbent, Dick Molmans, is moving on to become CEO of Sanoma Uitgevers , one of the Netherlands' larger consumer media companies. Essink will continue to have overall responsibility for VNU's Asian activities from his Utrecht base.