CHICAGO — M&A activity is heating up in the live events industry, with some of the industry’s largest deals taking place within a two-month window.
But what does all the activity mean for the professionals working in the industry? Trade Show Executive (TSE) breaks down what deals have been made so far this year, what their impact is expected to be, and what it all says about where the industry is heading.
Deals and Impacts
Since the start of 2026, TSE has tracked 14 major acquisition deals in the trade show space, and that list is not exhaustive. We’ve broken those announcements out by month below:
January
- Messe Muenchen acquires Tradeshow Logic
The Impact: This German-based organizer, which also owns the Messe Muenchen trade-fair center in Munich, successfully expanded its North American footprint while bringing Tradeshow Logic into its business as a subsidiary and operating platform in the U.S. Tradeshow Logic will continue servicing its current clients, while executing Messe Muenchen’s events in the U.S.
- Diversified acquires Marine Money
The Impact: This deal adds ship finance events and publications into the Diversified Commercial Marine portfolio, which includes the International WorkBoat Show, Pacific Marine Expo, National Fisherman and WorkBoat Magazine.
- One Rock Capital Partners acquires a majority stake in AFR Furniture**
The Impact: Private equity’s interest in the events industry extends beyond show organizers, and increasingly is focused on contractors and service providers, like AFR Furniture Rentals, which welcomed new investment partners from One Rock Capital Partners.
February
- International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) acquires Exhibitor Group
The Impact: One of the industry’s largest associations has taken ownership of Exhibitor Group, the producer of EXHIBITORLIVE and publisher of EXHIBITOR Magazine. The deal aims to better connect the entire events ecosystem with expanded access, influence and opportunity across a network of both organizers and exhibitors. This will also include the co-location of IAEE’s annual Expo! Expo! event and EXHIBITORLIVE starting in 2028 in Las Vegas.
March
- Smithbucklin acquires McKinley Advisors
The Impact: Smithbucklin, an event management company which owns the event-focused agency 360 Live Media, acquired McKinley Advisors, an award-winning association consultancy with expertise in research, governance, strategy and business transformation. The move will help expand Smithbucklin’s portfolio while enabling the company to better address the modern challenges that associations face today.
April
- Easyfairs acquires two event assets: Food Hotel Tech and Tech for Retail
The Impact: This Brussels-based organizer strengthened its position in France as well as expanded its technology portfolio with the acquisition of Tech for Retail and Food Hotel Tech. The deal reflects Easyfairs’ goal of expanding the technology portfolio as tech and data become an essential part of the retail and hospitality industries.
- AVIXA acquires Lightapalooza
The Impact: AVIXA, the association that owns and produces InfoComm, acquired residential lighting conference and trade show Lightapalooza. The two events will be co-located in 2027 in Orlando, and the deal represents the trend of organizers leaning into high-value adjacent industries for further growth.
May
- Texas Restaurant Show acquires Texas Bar & Nightclub Convention
The Impact: The Texas Restaurant Association’s Texas Restaurant Show, which was recognized as a TSE Fastest 50 show for its 2025 edition, will integrate the Texas Bar & Nightclub Convention into its show floor, transitioning it into a Bar and Nightclub Showcase within the flagship event. The move aims to unite two highly aligned audiences under one roof while creating a platform that better reflects the way the industry operates.
- CloserStill Media is acquired by Providence Equity Partners and Searchlight Capital***
The Impact: This acquisition, which was valued at an estimated $1.8 billion, gives PE firms Searchlight Capital Partners and Providence Equity Partners co-control over the London-based CloserStill Media. The firms also co-owned Hyve Group until its 2026 sale to Hellman & Friedman.
- Apollo Global Management acquires two major organizers: Emerald and Questex**
The Impact: In this deal, which was estimated to be valued at $2 billion, Apollo plans to combine the Questex and Emerald businesses into one experiential events and media platform. It was recently announced that Questex CEO Paul Miller will lead the combined business in the CEO role, while Emerald President and CEO, Hervé Sedy, will continue in a senior advisor role.
In the announcement of this acquisition, Apollo specifically stated the rise of AI and other digital tools is elevating the value of “trusted, in-person gatherings, where industries come together to do business, build relationships and make consequential decisions.”
June
- Hellman & Friedman acquire Hyve Group**
The Impact: In another major deal for the events industry, Hellman & Friedman acquired Hyve Group for an estimated $1.8 billion. The fast-growing Hyve Group had posted three consecutive years of double-digit organic revenue growth prior to the sale and an EBITDA greater than $100 million. Hyve Group was previously owned by PE firms Providence Equity Partners and Searchlight Capital Partners.
- Hyve Group acquires Virtuosi League**
The Impact: Hyve’s focus on investing in premier, founder-driven businesses in growing industries was clear in its acquisition of Virtuosi Leage, a leadership, learning and community platform for C-suite marketing professionals. The deal builds on Hyve’s established presence in the sector with its event POSSIBLE, which it acquired in 2024.
- LSC acquires PharmaSource and CDMO Live
The Impact: LSC’s acquisition of PharamSource and CDMO Live, both of which are leading brands in the biopharma outsourcing sector, will combine the businesses’ assets into a new events division within LSC that merges editorial expertise with greater scale and resources.
July
- Hyve Group acquires LegalTechTalk**
The Impact: In its second acquisition of 2026, and eighth since 2024, Hyve Group has made its entry into the legal sector with the acquisition of LegalTechTalk, an event for legal technology and transformation. This deal reflects Hyve’s focus on fast-growing, disruptive end-markets, as AI reshapes the legal sector. The event hit its three-year mark in June 2026, with an edition that welcomed more than 5,500 attendees from 70 countries. With support from Hyve’s Global Ventures launch team, LegalTechTalk will launch in the U.S. in Miami Beach at the end of 2027.
Read More from Hyve CEO Mark Shashoua
** PE Alert
The Big Picture: What It Means
It’s clear that the interest of private equity in the industry emphasizes the value of face-to-face events provided in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world, and the resources and scale these firms can provide can be instrumental as the complexity of events and experiential marketing demands grow.
But while PE investment helps to bring significant resources to businesses in the events industry, it also brings with it higher expectations around margins and profits.
Aside from PE investment driving acquisitions, some organizers are unlocking new growth at their shows by acquiring assets in adjacent verticals to create new co-locations and showcases within a show. These kinds of moves are especially successful in sectors where lines between product categories and specialties have begun to blur.
According to a recent presentation from Plural Strategy’s Director, Alexander Easdale, at the recent ESCA Summer Educational Conference, for investors, assets that serve an attractive end market and live within a fast-growing sector are valued highly. The potential of the asset’s growth and the scalability of its profit centers are also important considerations as well. In terms of what trends are being seen, recent M&A activity has really been focused on end-to-end experiential providers.
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