Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information by Segment

The tables below present information about the Company’s reportable segments for the years ended December 31 (in thousands).

	Research		Conferences		Consulting		Consolidated
2020
Revenues	$	3,602,892	$	120,140	$	376,371	$	4,099,403
Gross contribution	2,597,852		57,302		115,744		2,770,898
Corporate and other expenses							(2,280,748)
Operating income							$	490,150
2019
Revenues	$	3,374,548	$	476,869	$	393,904	$	4,245,321
Gross contribution	$	2,351,720	$	241,757	$	118,450	$	2,711,927
Corporate and other expenses							$	(2,341,840)
Operating income							$	370,087

	Research		Conferences		Consulting		Other (1)		Consolidated
2018
Revenues	$	3,105,764	$	410,461	$	353,667	$	105,562	$	3,975,454
Gross contribution	2,144,097		207,260		102,541		65,075		2,518,973
Corporate and other expenses									(2,259,258)
Operating income									$	259,715

(1)    During 2018, the Company divested all of the non-core businesses that comprised its Other segment and moved a small residual product from the Other segment into the Research business and, as a result, no operating activity has been recorded in the Other segment in 2019 or 2020. Note 2 — Acquisitions and Divestitures provides additional information regarding the Company’s 2018 divestitures.

Schedule of Reconciliation of Segment Gross Contribution to Net Income

The table below provides a reconciliation of total segment gross contribution to net income for the years ended December 31 (in thousands).

	2020		2019		2018
Total segment gross contribution	$	2,770,898	$	2,711,927	$	2,518,973
Costs and expenses:
Cost of services and product development - unallocated (1)	16,519		17,174		12,319
Selling, general and administrative	2,038,963		2,103,424		1,884,141
Depreciation and amortization	218,984		211,779		255,601
Acquisition and integration charges	6,282		9,463		107,197
Operating income	490,150		370,087		259,715
Interest expense and other, net	(119,203)		(92,273)		(124,041)
(Loss) gain from divested operations	—		(2,075)		45,447
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(44,814)		—		—
Less: Provision for income taxes	59,388		42,449		58,665
Net income	$	266,745	$	233,290	$	122,456

(1)The unallocated amounts consist of certain bonus and fringe costs recorded in consolidated Cost of services and product development that are not allocated to segment expense. The Company’s policy is to allocate bonuses to segments at 100% of a segment employee’s target bonus. Amounts above or below 100% are absorbed by corporate.

Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets by Geographical Areas

Disaggregated revenue information by reportable segment for the three years ended December 31, 2020 is presented in Note 9 — Revenue and Related Matters. Long-lived asset information by geographic location as of December 31 is summarized in the table below (in thousands).

	2020		2019
Long-lived assets (1):
United States and Canada	$	820,973	$	867,974
Europe, Middle East and Africa	265,782		242,729
Other International	153,609		159,037
Total long-lived assets	$	1,240,364	$	1,269,740

(1)Excludes goodwill and intangible assets for all dates.