From Platform Plays to Niche Bolt-Ons: B2B Events M&A Shows Strong Activity

May 2026 was an important month for large-platform B2B events M&A. On May 1st, Searchlight Capital Partners announced their investment in CloserStill Media, alongside existing backer Providence Equity Partners. Ten days later, Apollo announced separate agreements to acquire Emerald Holding and Questex, with the intention of combining the two businesses into a leading North American B2B platform. In June, Hellman & Friedman just agreed to acquire Hyve Group from Providence Equity Partners and Searchlight Capital Partners in a deal reported to be worth $1.8 billion. The pick up in activity with large platforms is finally here with these 3 significant deals announced.  This bodes well for the bolt-on market as well since these new owners will likely have M&A as part of their growth strategy.

Messe Stuttgart acquired Cable & Wire Fair events & media assets from Tulip 3P Media. Messe Stuttgart already has a strong international industrial-focused portfolio and this gives them a foothold in one of India’s fastest-growing industrial sectors.

In a single vertical deal from Australia, Retail Global – a B2B events and media company best known for its flagship Retail Fest event on the Gold Coast – has acquired Power Retail. The deal brings together Retail Global’s community and events expertise with Power Retail’s ecommerce media and events brands. 

INSTORE, a trade media brand serving independent jewelers, has acquired the JA New York trade shows from Emerald Holding, Inc. The deal marks INSTORE’s expansion beyond media into live events, adding a new revenue stream and a physical home for its community – the first show under new ownership will take place in October 2026 at the Javits Center in New York.

Matthijs Braakman, CEO of SmartWork Media, commented to GMA: “This acquisition is exactly the kind of strategic move that defines our vision for SmartWork Media. The JA New York shows are iconic properties that deepen our footprint in key markets and accelerate our expansion into the events space. While modest in scale relative to recent market activity, this deal is a reminder that smart M&A opportunities exist at every level – and we look forward to growing our events portfolio further, both through acquisition and organically.” 

AqKva, a Norwegian organizer of conferences for the aquaculture industry, acquired full ownership of HavExpo, a Norwegian aquaculture trade fair, by purchasing the stake previously held by Sotra Sportsklubb.

San Diego based Vistage Worldwide, a leading provider of CEO member events, peer advisory, executive coaching, and leadership development services, acquired TEC Canada, its Canadian executive peer-group, events and coaching network. Both organizations include member events and speaker programs within their offerings, though both are primarily membership businesses.

Austin, Texas-based Novi Labs, an AI-driven energy intelligence and analytics platform acquired Houston-based RBN Energy -an events, market intelligence, analytics, consulting, education, and subscription research covering natural gas, NGLs, LNG, crude oil, refined products, petrochemicals, and related infrastructure markets. While not primarily an events business, RBN produces a flagship conference called GasCon.

On the B2C events side, Marketplace Events acquired the Travel & Adventure Shows, a portfolio of 10 consumer travel expos in major U.S. cities. The deal is notable for its scale but is largely a B2C events transaction rather than a B2B trade show acquisition. 

From billion-dollar platforms to targeted niche events, the month’s activity underscores the confidence in the events sector and the strategic value of B2B communities.