M & A
Event platforms enter next phase of growth
John McGovern,( CEO / owner) and Sandeep Yadav( research analyst)- Grimes McGovern & Associates, examine the next phase of platform growth which, they say, is less about adding assets and more about finding ways to make the existing platforms work harder.
f the first half of 2026
I was about large event platform deals, the second half has so far been about what those platforms can do to continue growing. Earlier in the year, Apollo Global Management combined Emerald and Questex into one platform; Hellman & Friedman acquired Hyve, and Searchlight Capital invested in CloserStill alongside existing owner Providence Equity Partners. As these platforms scale, the strategic focus is increasingly shifting toward unlocking the growth potential within them – using infrastructure, audiences and relationships as a foundation for deeper engagement, broader offerings and new avenues for expansion.
One avenue is using established platforms to enter high-growth specialist sectors. In August, Phoenixbacked Nineteen Group acquired Space-Comm Expo Europe, while Inflexion- and Cobepa-backed Easyfairs acquired The AI Conference. For established organisers, these acquisitions provide an entry point into attractive technical markets, while acquired businesses gain access to resources, relationships and geographic reach. This infrastructure can enable events to scale more rapidly than they might under a smaller strategic buyer.
Hyve’ s strategy is a developed version of this approach. Although the Hyve deal isn’ t expected to close until year-end, the company has already added two new‘ SuperVerticals’ – law and AI – through the acquisition of London-based LegalTechTalk and the addition of AI-focused RAISE Summit,
Above: John McGovern
“ Rather than functioning as a standalone vertical, AI has the potential to become a connective layer across the platform”
MACHINA Summit and Signal Week. The opportunity is more subtle than owning a collection of technology events. AI is a cross-sector technology reshaping industries and creating connections between them. Audiences across existing verticals have an interest in AI, while an AI-focused portfolio can draw on relationships with buyers, sponsors and solution providers across sectors such as Hyve’ s finance, legal and technology portfolio. Rather than functioning as a standalone vertical, AI has the potential to become a connective layer across the platform.
The other opportunity is to extract more value from audiences that are already within the platform. Apollo’ s Emerald and Questex acquisitions closed in July and, in August, were brought together under a new corporate brand, Forge, led by former Questex CEO Paul Miller, who has a track record of scaling multi-vertical platforms. Apollo has stated that Forge brings together Emerald’ s portfolio of trade shows, conferences and commerce solutions with Questex’ s events, media brands and yearround digital engagement capabilities. The strategy is not simply to own more events, but to leverage the underlying audiences, content, data and customer relationships across the portfolio to create year-round engagement, launch new products and broaden monetisation.
Taken together, these developments suggest that the next phase of platform growth is less about adding assets and more about finding ways to make the existing platforms work harder. Scale provides the infrastructure – the opportunity is to use it to capture more value across the ecosystem. EW
n Grimes, McGovern & Associates( GMA) is a leading lower middle-market Mergers & Acquisitions firm advising media, events, and information services businesses globally. www. exhibitionworld. co. uk Issue 5 2026 23