Montgomery Group advances its growth ambitions through the acquisition of Halldale Group and expands into the aviation and safety training sector

Montgomery Group advances its growth ambitions through the acquisition of Halldale Group and expands into the aviation and safety training sector

Montgomery Group has announced an investment in Halldale Group, a leading global media and events business serving the aviation training, simulation and safety community.

Founded more than 30 years ago by CEO Andy Smith, Halldale Group is best known for its flagship events World Aviation Training Summit (WATS) in Orlando, Florida, European Aviation Training Summit (EATS) in Cascais, Portugal, and Asia Pacific Aviation Training Summit (APATS) in Bangkok, Thailand in 2026.

The business also manages respected publications including Civil Aviation Training (CAT) and Military Simulation & Training (MS&T) Magazines as well as online communities. With this portfolio, Halldale Group has built a strong global reputation as a trusted platform promoting simulation and training providers while connecting senior decision-makers across civil aviation, defence and advanced training sectors.

The move marks a significant strategic step for Montgomery Group, expanding its international reach and reinforcing its commitment to specialist, high-value B2B communities. Halldale Group will continue to operate under its existing brand, with its senior leadership team, including CEO Andy Smith remaining in place.

Andy Smith, Founder and CEO of Halldale Group, said: “Halldale has always been built around serving a highly specialist global community and promoting best practices in training, creating meaningful connections across safety critical enterprises. Joining Montgomery Group gives our business the scale, expertise and long-term backing to accelerate its growth, invest further in its events and media brands, and continue delivering value to aviation, military and safety critical training operations worldwide.”

Damion Angus, Chairman and CEO of Montgomery Group, said: “Halldale Group is an outstanding business with a clear purpose, strong brands and a deeply engaged international community. This investment aligns perfectly with Montgomery Group’s strategy of developing strong niche sectors in high growth markets and working with market-leading B2B platforms that sit at the heart of their industries. We are delighted to welcome the Halldale team to the Group and look forward to supporting the next phase of their development.”

Halldale Group’s portfolio complements Montgomery Group’s existing global events and media businesses and facilitates its plans to develop new event formats with alternative revenue streams. The addition of Halldale brings new sector expertise and further strengthens its presence in, Europe and Asia-Pacific as well as creating a new base from which to develop a larger footprint in North America.

Both companies share a focus on long-term value creation, community-led growth and delivering high-quality content and experiences for professional audiences.

The transaction was advised by Collingwood.

Halldale Group

Founded in 1992, Halldale Group is a global media and events business serving the aviation training, simulation and safety community.

The company connects senior decision-makers across civil aviation, defence and advanced training through a portfolio of international events, publications and digital platforms.

Halldale Group’s flagship events include the World Aviation Training Summit (WATS) in North America, the European Aviation Training Summit (EATS) and the Asia Pacific Aviation Training Summit (APATS), which together bring together airline and business jet operators, training organisations, regulators, manufacturers and technology providers from around the world.

Its media portfolio includes long-established industry publications such as CAT (Civil Aviation Training) and Military Simulation & Training (MST), providing analysis, insight and expert commentary on the global simulation and training market.

About Montgomery Group

Montgomery Group is one of the world’s longest established global events and media companies, with a legacy dating back to 1895. The Group specialises in creating, managing and delivering market-leading exhibitions, conferences and networking platforms across a diverse range of sectors including food, drink & hospitality, art & design, technology, industrial and specialist markets, connecting communities and creating opportunities for businesses worldwide.

Headquartered in London and operating in over 15 countries, Montgomery Group delivers more than 50 major events annually, powered by a team of seasoned professionals committed to innovation, collaboration and long-term value creation for exhibitors, visitors and partners.

The company’s purpose is “to serve our world, nurturing relationships and developing opportunities,” a mission reflected in its commitment to building meaningful industry communities and enabling business growth through high-quality event experiences.