Apollo to buy Emerald, Questex in $1.5bn deal

(Sharecast News) - Apollo Global Management said on Monday that it has agreed to buy live events organisers Emerald and Questex for $1.5bn in cash, with the intention of combining the two to create "a leading North American B2B experiential events and media platform". Apollo said publicly-trade Emerald and privately-held Questex would create a scaled B2B events platform with around 160 events across complementary end markets, combining Emerald's "category-leading" exhibitions with Questex's "differentiated events portfolio" and 365-day digital engagement model.

The combined business is expected to be well-positioned to drive organic growth and serve as a strategic partner of choice for founders and operators in the large and fragmented B2B events landscape, it said.

Shahid Bosan, managing director at Apollo, said: "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.

"Bringing together Emerald and Questex would create a scaled, highly complementary platform that is well positioned to capture that demand. We believe the combined business will benefit from the strength of both organisations' teams, differentiated content, deep customer relationships, and proven 365-day engagement model, giving the platform a distinct ability to serve its communities year-round and drive sustained growth."