There’s major consolidation news in the B2B event space this week, as the private equity firm Apollo announced that Apollo Funds would acquire both Emerald and Questex and subsequently combine the companies’ B2B event portfolios. That equates to some 160 events across what Apollo describes as complementary vertical markets, a combination of the exhibitions Emerald is known for and the varied events and digital engagement lineup that is currently part of Questex.
Emerald stockholders will receive $5.03 per share, which is about a 42 percent premium to the company’s latest share price and equates to a $1.5 billion deal. Emerald will become a private company, joining Questex under Apollo’s private ownership.
Apollo is one of the nation’s largest private-equity firms, with a vast portfolio that includes the Venetian Las Vegas and The Travel Corporation.
B2B Events for Numerous Sectors
Both Emerald and Questex serve a variety of industries. Emerald identifies its markets as design & construction; food, pharma & health care; gift, home & general merchandise; industrial & marketing; luxury; action sports; and tech, advertising & marketing. The company is known for large exhibitions such as the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and the CEDIA Expo, which serves the AV integration market.
Questex defines its markets as life sciences, health & wellness; living, which includes residential and operational real estate, hospitality and destination-related sectors; and entertainment & infrastructure, which counts media, event design, networks and telecom among the sectors in that category. The company is known for such events as the Be + Well | Beauty and Wellness Show.
Betting on B2B Events
The deal demonstrates Apollo’s confidence in the events sector as well as an appetite for the mountains of data and subsequent insights that should result from such a merger. “As AI and digital tools rapidly expand the ways professionals connect and share information, they are simultaneously elevating the value of trusted, in-person gatherings, where industries come together to do business, build relationships and make consequential decisions,” said Shahid Bosan, managing director at Apollo.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
Originally on North Star Meetings Group
Photo Credit: AspctStyle for Adobe Stock
