Apollo Enters Agreements to Acquire Emerald and Questex
Apollo (APO) announced that Apollo-managed funds have entered into separate definitive agreements to acquire Emerald Holding (EEX) and Questex, with the intention to combine the businesses to create a leading North American B2B experiential events and media platform, in an all-cash transaction. Emerald and Questex together would create a scaled B2B events platform with approximately 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. Under the terms of the agreement with Emerald, Emerald stockholders will receive $5.03 per share in cash, representing a 42.1% premium to Emerald's unaffected share price, and implying an estimated closing enterprise value of approximately $1.5B. The Emerald Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction. Onex, which beneficially owns over 90% of Emerald's outstanding shares, has entered into a support agreement to vote in favor of the transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, Emerald's shares will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange, and Emerald will become a private company. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
