There’s now a name attached to the newly combined Emerald and Questex business.
Forge debuted this week as the new corporate brand uniting Emerald and Questex LLC, following the July 2026 completion of Apollo-managed funds’ acquisition of both companies. The company is positioning itself as a global B2B events and media platform built around live events, digital media, data and year-round communities.
According to the announcement, Forge will sit above the individual event and media brands, which the company said will continue operating under their existing names. In other words, this is not a renaming of CEDIA Expo, KBIS or other Emerald/Questex properties. It is the new parent-company identity for the combined platform. The Forge name, according to the company, is meant to reflect the act of bringing distinct strengths together “through pressure and precision” to create something stronger. Its new brand promise is “Moving Markets.”
As previously announced, Paul Miller, the former CEO of Questex, will lead Forge as its chief executive officer. Miller was named to lead the combined Emerald and Questex business in June, ahead of Apollo’s completion of the acquisitions in July.
“Today marks the beginning of Forge, a company built on the strengths of Emerald and Questex,” Miller said in the announcement. “Together we are now the largest B2B events and media company in North America, and one of the largest in the world.”
Miller added that the company will focus on helping customers connect with key audiences and deliver measurable value year-round through data, talent, and scale.
The announcement is the latest step in a process that began publicly in May, when Apollo announced plans to acquire Emerald Holding, Inc. and Questex LLC in separate transactions and combine them into a single B2B experiential events and media platform. At the time, Apollo said Emerald stockholders would receive $5.03 per share in cash, and that Emerald would become a private company after the deal closed.
Connected Design previously noted that the Emerald transaction landed after months of industry speculation about a potential sale. That earlier coverage also raised questions about what new ownership could mean for CEDIA Expo, which has been looking for renewed energy in recent years amid industry chatter around attendance, exhibitor participation, and the broader role of the CEDIA association in the event’s future.
A new name and branding does not answer all of those questions. But it does signal the broader strategic direction: a larger platform, more cross-company resources, and a stated emphasis on keeping engagement with customers alive before, during, and after events.
The company also announced its newly appointed Board of Directors. Along with Miller and representatives of Apollo Funds, the independent directors include 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; and Simon Kimble, former CEO and executive chairman of Clarion Events.
That power-packed board will help guide Forge’s long-term strategy as the company invests in its portfolio and expands the markets it serves.
Under Apollo Funds’ ownership, Forge said it will continue investing in people, products, and technology. The Forge brand will begin appearing across events, websites and customer touchpoints over the coming weeks and months (maybe as soon as CEDIA Expo in just under two weeks here?).
For the connected home and design industries, the thing to watch now is whether that investment translates into visible improvements at the show level. CEDIA Expo remains a key gathering point for the custom integration channel, and KBIS continues to sit at the center of the kitchen and bath design world. If Forge’s year-round engagement strategy brings fresh energy, better digital tools, and stronger market connections to those properties, the rebrand could amount to more than a new logo above the door.
For now, Forge is the new name behind some very familiar industry platforms.
