Events organiser UBM unlikely to do big deals in 2015 after record 2014

(Adds Interim CEO comments, adds details, share movement)

By Noor Zainab Hussain

Feb 27 (Reuters) - UBM Plc (LSE: UBM.L - news) , which organises the world's largest fashion convention, MAGIC, said it was unlikely to make big acquisitions in 2015 as it digests Advanstar Communications, its biggest ever acquisition in a record deal-making year for the company.

The $972 million acquisition of trade show organiser Advanstar last year capped off a five year spree in which UBM bought 53 companies, most of which were "bolt-on" deals, a strategy which Interim Chief Executive Robert Gray plans to stick to this year.

"We're not likely to do anything big, not likely to do our record year in terms of acquisitions," Gray said.

"We have a nice cash flow to be able to fund bolt-ons. We do have 50-75 million pounds a year and we do have a pipeline, so I suspect we'll do some of those."

That number is slightly higher than the 25-50 million pounds UBM earmarked in November to invest annually for the next three to five years as part of its "Events First" strategy.

Gray said while mid-sized and large deals fit UBM's "Events First (Other OTC: FSTC - news) " strategy, the company had a good pipeline of attractive bolt-on acquisitions.

UBM runs more than 400 events in over 30 different countries and some of its well-known shows include beauty event Cosmoprof Asia, the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair and the U.S. tech security conference, BlackHat.

The company said on Friday that the integration of Advanstar is on track, with both trading and synergies in line with expectations.

UBM said trading in the first two months of the year has been "good", and performance of large events so far, including MAGIC in Las Vegas, had been in line with expectations.

The company, founded in 1918 as United Newspapers to acquire the Daily Chronicle and Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, said it expected 2015 operating margin before costs for its events business to be broadly in line with last year.

Group adjusted operating profit fell 3.5 percent to 179.8 million pounds in the year ended Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) . 31. Revenue fell 6 percent to 746.3 million pounds

Continuing revenue from its events business, which accounts for nearly 60 percent of sales, fell 2.6 percent.

However, that compared with a 19 percent rise in revenue at rival Informa Plc (Other OTC: IFJPY - news) 's global exhibitions business last year.

UBM shares were marginally higher at 539.5 pence at 1047 GMT. (Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi and Savio D'Souza)