Emerald and Questex Debut Forge, North America’s Largest B2B Events and Media Company

Welcome to the latest edition of Snöcap.

MAJOR news this week: Emerald and Questex have combined under a new corporate brand, Forge, now the largest B2B events and media company in North America and among the largest in the world. The move follows Apollo-managed funds’ acquisition of both companies in July 2026, with Paul Miller leading Forge as chief executive officer alongside a newly appointed board of directors.

Meanwhile, new research from the Events Industry Alliance shows the UK exhibitions industry supported £11.7 billion in total economic output and more than 127,000 jobs in 2025, underlining the sector’s weight in the wider economy as the industry pushes government for a standalone national business events strategy. Read the full stories below.

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Emerald and Questex Debut Forge, North America’s Largest B2B Events and Media Company

Emerald and Questex LLC have combined under a new corporate brand, Forge, now the largest business-to-business events and media company in North America and among the largest worldwide. The launch follows Apollo-managed funds’ acquisition of both companies in July 2026.

Forge becomes the parent brand for the companies’ event and media properties, which keep their existing names. Emerald contributes its trade shows and conferences; Questex adds its events, media brands and year-round digital engagement model.

Paul Miller is chief executive officer of Forge.

“Today marks the beginning of Forge, a company built on the strengths of Emerald and Questex,” Paul said. “Together we are now the largest B2B events and media company in North America, and one of the largest in the world. We’re helping customers see what is ahead and connect with the people who matter most to them, backed by the data, talent and scale to deliver measurable value year-round. Under Apollo Funds’ ownership, we will keep investing in our products, our people and the markets we serve. That’s what it means to move markets.”

Forge’s board of directors includes Paul, representatives of Apollo Funds, and three independent directors:

• Andy Bird, former president of Walt Disney International and former CEO of Pearson
• Lara Boro, former CEO of The Economist Group and former CEO of Informa Intelligence
• Simon Kimble, former CEO and executive chairman of Clarion Events

The Forge brand will roll out across events, websites and customer touchpoints in the coming months.

UK Exhibitions Generated £11.7B in Economic Output and 127K Jobs in 2025: EIA Research

The UK exhibitions industry supported £11.7 billion in total economic output and more than 127,000 jobs in 2025, according to research published by the Events Industry Alliance (EIA), which represents the AEO, AEV and ESSA associations.

The sector includes events such as Farnborough International Airshow, MACH, All-Energy and London Book Fair, spanning aerospace, manufacturing, clean energy and creative industries.

Key findings from the study:

• 1,154 exhibitions took place in the UK in 2025
• Almost 6.8 million visitors and 139,000 exhibitors attended
• Direct spending totaled £5.3bn
• Every £1 spent directly on exhibitions generated an additional £1.23 in the wider economy
• Each exhibitor supported an average of £84,493 in total economic output over the year

The findings follow an inquiry into major events by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, led by Dame Caroline Dinenage, which launched in July 2025 and recommended greater government support for the sector. In August, more than 214 trade associations, venues, organisers and suppliers wrote to Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, calling for the committee’s recommendations to be implemented in full, including a standalone national business events strategy.

Ian Taylor, chief operating officer of NEC and chair of both AEV and EIA, said: “These figures show exhibitions are a significant contributor to the UK economy and industrial strategy. This government has called for growth in every postcode. Business events are primed to support the significant levers currently in place – but cannot be expected to do so without appropriate backing. Events like Farnborough Airshow are fantastic examples of how business events drive investment into UK supply chains around the country, and events like this are happening every single day.”

DWTC Unveils Events Calendar for H2 2026 – GITEX Global, Big 5 Global, Automechanika and more

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has released its events calendar for the second half of 2026, covering exhibitions, conferences and business events from August through December across its two venues, DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) at Expo City.

The calendar spans sectors including tourism, technology, sustainability, healthcare, food and beverage, energy, construction, automotive, education and consumer goods. Flagship events include Arabian Travel Market, Beautyworld, Big 5 Global, Automechanika and GITEX Global.

Mahir Julfar, executive vice president at DWTC, said: “The breadth of our calendar for the remainder of 2026 is significant, bringing together major international events and specialist industry platforms across multiple sectors. For organisers, our priority is to provide the scale, flexibility and support they need to deliver successful events, while creating the right environment for businesses and industries to connect and grow.

“With DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre operating as complementary venues, we have the capacity to accommodate a particularly active period ahead, including several large-scale events within a concentrated calendar. This expanded venue capacity allows us to respond to the needs of organisers, support events as they grow and welcome a greater diversity of industries and audiences across Dubai. Ultimately, it is about ensuring that every event has the platform to deliver meaningful value for the organisers, participants and the wider business community.”

By month:

• August: Dubai Sports World and Modesh World close out (both through Aug. 25), alongside Middle East Event Show (Aug. 18-19), JPEX Entertainment Exhibition (Aug. 20-23) and healthcare events including DIHAD and DUPHAT.
• September: Middle East Energy opens the month (Sept. 1-3), followed by Arabian Travel Market (Sept. 14-17), GISEC at DEC (Sept. 16-18) and GOTECH (Sept. 29-Oct. 1), among others.
• October: Beautyworld Dubai (Oct. 6-8), Airport Show (Oct. 12-14), WETEX (Oct. 20-22) and Dubai AI Festival (Oct. 26-27) headline DWTC, while DEC hosts CABSAT, World Tour and Jewellery, Gem & Technology in Dubai.
• November: Big 5 Global and related construction events run Nov. 23-26 at DWTC. Automechanika Dubai (Nov. 10-12) and World Art Dubai (Nov. 19-22) take place at DEC.
• December: GITEX Global, described as the world’s largest technology show, runs Dec. 8-11 at DEC. DWTC hosts Jewellery & Bride Arabia, the GITEX Global Summit and MEBAA Show Dubai.

Raccoon Media Group Launches GamePlan Sports Events Marketplace

Raccoon Media Group has launched GamePlan, a hosted buyer marketplace for the business of sport, comprising four annual events: BrandMatch, E.L.I.T.E., MATCH Indoor and Sports Venue Summit.

By the numbers:

• Global sports industry: more than $417 billion in 2025
• Sponsorship spend: projected to exceed $156bn by 2032
• GamePlan buying power: more than $1.65bn annually
• 235+ qualified hosted buyers, 4,000+ curated meetings across the calendar

Patrick Higgins, GamePlan founder and president, said: “GamePlan brings the right people into the right rooms, with pre-qualified meetings, focused networking and real commercial intent. It’s about real outcomes.”

Mike Seaman, CEO of Raccoon Media Group, said: “GamePlan is an important part of our broader strategy to grow Raccoon’s presence in the US and deepen our position across the global sports industry.”

Under the hosted buyer model, attendees are prequalified for budget, authority, need and intent before arrival, with one-to-one meetings scheduled in advance.

Snöball Spotlights Peer-to-Peer Marketing as MEES 2026 Concludes

The 2026 edition of the Middle East Event Show (MEES) concluded at Dubai World Trade Centre on August 19, bringing together event professionals, suppliers, technology providers and industry leaders from across the region. The two-day show featured more than 100 exhibitors and 60 speakers, with discussions spanning technology, AI, sustainability, creativity, talent and the evolving business of events.

For Snöball, the show provided an opportunity to put a growing area of event marketing in the spotlight: peer-to-peer marketing.

Represented by Tony Melis and Saad Tawfiq at Booth E9, the Snöball team met with event professionals from across the Middle East to discuss how organizers can turn their existing audiences into active promoters. Conversations focused on how attendees, speakers, exhibitors and other event participants can extend an event’s reach through their own networks and channels.

The conversations come as the Middle East continues to develop as an important market for business events, exhibitions and MICE activity. For organizers operating in an increasingly competitive environment, finding ways to make existing audiences work harder as part of the marketing strategy is becoming increasingly relevant.

Snöball also showcased its approach to peer-to-peer marketing alongside its growing event technology ecosystem. Its recent integration with Visit by GES, for example, enables attendees to share their event participation across 17+ channels directly through the registration experience, helping organizers turn registrations into additional opportunities for visibility and reach.

MEES 2026 provided a valuable setting for those conversations, connecting Snöball with event professionals looking at new ways to engage audiences and grow their events.

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