Emerald (EEX) taps Questex CEO Paul Miller to lead company after Apollo-backed merger

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Emerald Holding, Inc. reported an update on its pending merger with a holding company owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management. The Apollo-backed holding company announced that Paul Miller, current CEO of Questex, will lead the combined Emerald and Questex business as chief executive officer upon closing.

Following closing, Emerald’s current president and CEO Hervé Sedky is expected to transition to a senior advisor role to the combined company. The transaction, originally announced on May 9, 2026, remains expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is accompanied by detailed forward-looking statement disclaimers.

Insights

M&A and governance analyst

Filing updates leadership plans for Emerald’s Apollo-backed merger without changing deal terms.

The disclosure clarifies post-closing leadership for the planned combination of Emerald and Questex. Paul Miller, Questex’s CEO, is designated to head the combined platform, while Emerald’s current CEO, Hervé Sedky, will shift into a senior advisor role after closing.

This indicates Apollo’s intention to center management around an operator with deep event and media experience and a history of integrating acquisitions. However, the filing does not alter financial terms or closing expectations; the deal is still targeted for the second half of 2026, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

Forward-looking statement language underscores that completion timing and integration outcomes depend on economic, competitive, governmental, and regulatory factors referenced in Emerald’s existing risk disclosures. Investors will need subsequent transaction updates to see when regulatory clearances are obtained and the merger actually closes.

8-K Event Classification

2 items: 8.01, 9.01

2 items

Item 8.01 Other Events Other

Voluntary disclosure of events the company deems important to shareholders but not covered by other items.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits

Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.

Key Figures

Apollo assets under management: $1.03 trillion Expected closing period: Second half of 2026 Paul Miller industry experience: Over three decades +1 more

4 metrics

Apollo assets under management $1.03 trillion As of March 31, 2026, across Apollo’s platform

Expected closing period Second half of 2026 Targeted completion timing for Emerald–Questex transaction

Paul Miller industry experience Over three decades Experience across events, information services, and media

Questex CEO tenure Since 2018 Period during which Paul Miller led Questex’s transformation

Key Terms

Agreement and Plan of Merger, forward-looking statements, Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, customary closing conditions, +1 more

5 terms

Agreement and Plan of Merger regulatory

"entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Emma Buyer, LLC"

An Agreement and Plan of Merger is a formal document where two companies agree to combine into one, outlining how the process will happen. It’s like a step-by-step plan for merging, and it matters because it shows both sides have agreed on the details before the official transition takes place.

forward-looking statements regulatory

"contains and the Company’s other filings and press releases may contain certain “forward-looking statements”"

Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regulatory

"“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995"

customary closing conditions financial

"subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement"

"Customary closing conditions" are standard rules or checks that must be met before a business deal can be finalized, like making sure all paperwork is in order or that certain approvals are obtained. They matter because they help protect both parties, ensuring everything is in place and reducing the risk of surprises or problems after the deal is closed.

B2B event organizer financial

"Emerald Holding, Inc. is a leading U.S.-based B2B event organizer"

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Understanding 8-K Material Events →

false 0001579214 0001579214 2026-06-24 2026-06-24

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 24, 2026

Emerald Holding, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware		001-38076		42-1775077
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)		(Commission File Number)		(IRS Employer Identification No.)

100 Broadway, 14th Floor
New York, New York		10005
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (949) 226-5700

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share		EEX		New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 8.01 Other Events.

As previously announced, on May 9, 2026, Emerald Holding, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Emerald” or the “Company”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Emma Buyer, LLC (the “Merger Agreement”), a Delaware limited liability company (“Parent”), and Emma Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Emerald, with Emerald surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Merger”). Parent and Merger Sub are newly formed holding companies owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (“Apollo”).

On June 24, 2026, in connection with the Merger, Apollo issued a press release. A copy of the press release is attached to this report as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by reference. Consummation of the Merger is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary closing conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.		Description
99.1		Apollo Press Release dated June 24, 2026.
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains and the Company’s other filings and press releases may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “expects”, “will”, “may”, and other similar expressions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K includes statements regarding the proposed transactions described herein, including the proposed Merger. These statements are based on the current expectations of the Company’s management as of the date hereof, and although they are believed to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and not guaranteed. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and other factors outside of the Company’s control that may cause its business, industry, strategy, financing activities and the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction to differ materially. See “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the Company’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings for a discussion of factors that may affect the Company’s business performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

						EMERALD HOLDING, INC.
Date: June 24, 2026				By:		/s/ Hervé Sedky
				Name:		Hervé Sedky
				Title:		President & Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 99.1

Paul Miller to Lead Combined Emerald and Questex Business as Chief Executive Officer

Visionary Events and Media Operator to Drive Organic Growth and Unlock Full Value of New, Scaled,

Leading B2B Events Platform

Emerald President and CEO Hervé Sedky to Serve as Senior Advisor Upon Close

NEW YORK, June 24, 2026 – The holding company formed to acquire Emerald Holding, Inc. (NYSE: EEX) (“Emerald”) and Questex, LLC (“Questex”) in connection with the previously announced acquisitions by Apollo-managed funds (the “Apollo Funds”) today announced that Paul Miller, current Chief Executive Officer of Questex, will lead the combined company as CEO, effective upon closing of the transaction.

Following the close of the transaction, Hervé Sedky will transition from his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Emerald to serve as a senior advisor to the combined company.

Mr. Miller brings over three decades of experience across the events, information services, and media industries and a track record of increasing revenue streams, scaling multi-vertical platforms, and driving growth across cycles. Since becoming CEO of Questex in 2018, he has transformed and expanded the company’s portfolio across industries, including hospitality, travel, healthcare, life sciences, beauty, and technology, achieving remarkable growth in revenue and profit. With deep operational expertise and experience, including successfully integrating acquisitions and expanding innovative customer engagement capabilities powered by first-party data, Mr. Miller is well positioned to bring Emerald and Questex together to drive continued organic growth, pursue strategic acquisitions and realize the full value of the combined business.

“Paul is an experienced operator who shares our vision for building a scaled, customer-centric platform at the forefront of the B2B events industry,” said Shahid Bosan, Managing Director at Apollo. “We are confident in his ability to unite these two organizations to create a distinct platform that is well-positioned for sustained growth and long-term value creation.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the combined company and work alongside such a talented group of employees across both Emerald and Questex,” said Mr. Miller. “As we embark on this next chapter, my focus will be on bringing together the strengths of both organizations to create a scaled, highly complementary platform that is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for trusted, in-person gatherings, leveraging the strength of both companies’ customer relationships and engagement capabilities to continue to deliver value for all our respective stakeholders.”

“Leading Emerald and building a portfolio of market-leading brands alongside an extraordinary team has been one of the defining privileges of my career,” said Mr. Sedky. “This combination creates a stronger platform – one defined by greater scale, deep expertise, expanded capabilities, and a shared commitment to delivering meaningful value for our customers, exhibitors, and partners. I look forward to working with Paul and the rest of the leadership team as we build on that foundation and guide both companies into this next chapter.”

Transaction Update

The previously announced transaction is still expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

About Paul Miller

Paul Miller currently serves as CEO of Questex, where he has shaped the company’s growth strategy and advanced its position as a next-generation information services company across core markets with events at the center and year-round engagement driving deep data to produce better outcomes for customers. Prior to joining Questex in 2018, Mr. Miller served as President of Informa’s Industry & Infrastructure Intelligence where he brought a high level of innovation and creativity to help customers achieve superior ROI on marketing investments. Earlier in his career, he served as President of Penton’s Industry Group and held a variety of leadership positions at UBM, including CEO of UBM Tech, where he led the business’s event expansion into international markets as well as growing digital content and services. Mr. Miller is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

About Apollo

Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2026, Apollo had approximately $1.03 trillion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

About Emerald

Emerald Holding, Inc. is a leading U.S.-based B2B event organizer, empowering businesses year-round by expanding meaningful connections, developing influential content, and delivering powerful commerce-driven solutions. As the owner and operator of a curated portfolio of B2B events spanning trade shows, conferences, B2C showcases and a scaled Executive Peer Network platform. Emerald also delivers dynamic solutions across leading industries through its robust content and e-commerce marketplace. Emerald is a trusted partner for its thousands of customers, predominantly small and medium-sized businesses, playing a pivotal role in driving ongoing commerce through streamlined buying, selling, and networking opportunities. Powered by an experienced, talented and deeply engaged team, Emerald is fostering impactful engagement and delivering unparalleled market access with a commitment to driving business growth 365 days a year. For more: http://www.emeraldx.com.

About Questex

Questex fuels exceptional business connections—where every buyer and seller interaction matters. Through live events enriched with data insights and active year-round digital communities, we deliver measurable results. It happens here.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information may be identified by such terms as “believes”, “expects”, “will”, “may”, and other similar expressions. In particular, the forward-looking information contained in this press release includes statements regarding the proposed transaction described herein, including the proposed timing and steps contemplated in respect of the proposed transaction and approvals with respect thereto. These statements are based on the current expectations as of the date hereof, and although they are believed to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and not guaranteed. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and other factors outside of Emerald’s control that may cause its business, industry, strategy, financing activities and the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction to differ materially. See “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in Emerald’s most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings for a discussion of factors that may affect Emerald’s business performance. Emerald undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts

Noah Gunn

Global Head of Investor Relations

(212) 822-0540

IR@apollo.com

Joanna Rose

Global Head of Corporate Communications

(212) 822-0491

Communications@apollo.com

FAQ

What does Emerald Holding (EEX) announce about its merger with Apollo-backed funds?

Emerald confirms its pending merger with a holding company owned by Apollo-managed funds remains on track for the second half of 2026. The update focuses on leadership plans for the combined Emerald–Questex business and reiterates that closing is subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

Who will lead the combined Emerald and Questex company after the transaction closes?

Paul Miller, current Chief Executive Officer of Questex, will lead the combined Emerald and Questex company as CEO upon closing. The announcement highlights his three decades of events and media experience, including transforming Questex’s portfolio and integrating acquisitions to grow revenue and profit across multiple industries.

What role will current Emerald CEO Hervé Sedky have after the merger closes?

After the merger closes, current Emerald president and CEO Hervé Sedky will serve as a senior advisor to the combined company. The filing emphasizes his role in building Emerald’s portfolio and notes he will support Paul Miller and the leadership team through the next chapter of the business.

When is Emerald’s merger with the Apollo-backed holding company expected to close?

The transaction involving Emerald and the Apollo-backed holding company is still expected to be completed in the second half of 2026. This timing remains subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals, as emphasized in the transaction update and associated forward-looking statements language.

What risks and uncertainties are highlighted regarding Emerald’s proposed merger?

The disclosure notes that the proposed merger involves risks related to economic, competitive, governmental and other factors outside Emerald’s control. These factors could affect Emerald’s business, strategy, financing activities and the parties’ ability to complete the transaction, as further detailed in its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q risk factors.

How large is Apollo’s asset management platform referenced in the Emerald (EEX) filing?

The content notes that Apollo had approximately $1.03 trillion of assets under management as of March 31, 2026. This figure reflects the scale of Apollo’s global alternative asset management and retirement services businesses that are backing the holding company acquiring Emerald and Questex.

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

4 documents

Press Releases

• EX-99.1 EX-99.1 12.6 KB

Other Documents

• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION SCHEMA 3.1 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION LABEL LINKBASE 17.6 KB
• EX-101 XBRL TAXONOMY EXTENSION PRESENTATION LINKBASE 11.0 KB