Hyve Group powers global industry communities by running events and building online platforms that connect ecosystems. Its core products are in-person events, digital platforms, and facilitated meetings that bring together different players in an industry to share knowledge, network, and collaborate. These offerings work by linking live experiences with online tools and structured, productive meetings, so attendees can access content, connections, and collaboration across channels. Hyve differentiates itself by delivering an integrated omnichannel approach that binds communities through both live events and digital platforms, rather than focusing on a single format, enabling continuous engagement across an industry. The company’s goal is to help individuals flourish, enable companies to grow, and let communities thrive so industries can pioneer and the world moves forward.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Acquired
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Founded
1991
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Events M&A jumped 31%. Here's what buyers want now. Events M&A jumped 31% in the first half of 2026, with 47 transactions and some of the industry's biggest deals in years, with buyers looking increasingly beyond the size of an event to the quality of the audience it brings together. Traditional tradeshows still command the highest multiples, according to the latest Collingwood Market Report. But hosted-buyer programs, one-to-one meetings and confexes are attracting a premium as investors put more value on access to decision-makers, year-round relationships and the data those relationships generate. The first half included the acquisitions of Emerald and Questex, which were combined as Forge, as well as CloserStill Media and Hyve Group, all private equity-backed. Collingwood estimates Emerald traded at roughly 11 times EBITDA, CloserStill at 13.5 times and Hyve at 14.5 times, although the latter two multiples weren't publicly disclosed. Larger, better-capitalized platforms are already putting that money to work: Hyve acquired five businesses through the end of August, and Forge agreed to buy Becker's Healthcare last week. Audience quality. In Collingwood's survey, 83% of respondents said they were looking to acquire or invest in confexes, followed by tradeshows at 65%, conferences at 48% and hosted-buyer or one-to-one events at 35%. Conferences that bring together C-suite executives and other decision-makers are particularly attractive. Content that can keep attendees engaged after the event is over is similarly desirable. "Value within the model is moving from scale to audience quality," according to the report. And buyers are looking closely at whether those people come back. Person-level retention, strong rebooking, community and proprietary data capture are positives; high churn and low rebooking are not. The longer that relationship lasts, the more organizers can learn about their audiences and build proprietary data. The use of AI can also improve matchmaking, content and personalization; attendee behavior can generate intent and market intelligence; and events themselves can become data-collection tools. AI advantage. There's another reason investors like events right now: They're relatively hard for AI to replace. The private equity buyers behind the Emerald/Questex, CloserStill and Hyve deals all cited that resilience as part of their investment thesis, according to Collingwood. One strategic buyer interviewed for the report put it simply: "You can't send a bot to meet your customers." That's increasingly important as AI becomes what Collingwood calls an "investment gate": Before getting to growth, retention or margins, buyers want to know whether AI could disrupt the market or business model. Events businesses that can turn their customer relationships into proprietary information have an additional advantage. InfraXmedia is one example. The digital infrastructure company is roughly 70% events, according to the report, and the vendor data generated through those events was critical to buyer interest when Bowmark Capital invested in the company earlier this year. That's also helping multi-model companies. Events can create relationships and data, media can identify intent, and subscriptions and memberships can turn those relationships into recurring revenue. When the pieces work together, Collingwood says a business can command an "Events-plus" valuation, or even start to look more like an information business.
Alibaba's Accio launches AI 'Exhibition Agent' across leading trade shows in the UK and Europe. 04 Sep, 2026, 08:08 GMT New partnerships with Hyve Group, Business Show Media and Raccoon Media Group will integrate intelligent sourcing and navigation into flagship events including Autumn Fair & Glee, ISPO, White & Private Label Expo and The London Business Show LONDON, Sept. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Accio, Alibaba.com's agentic AI platform for businesses, today announced it has been appointed as the Official Agentic AI Partner for three premier exhibition organisers: Hyve Group, Business Show Media and Raccoon Media Group. The collaboration will deploy Accio's 'Exhibition Agent' across six flagship European trade shows spanning retail, home & gift, garden, business services, private label and sporting goods. Accio is Alibaba.com's agentic AI platform for SMEs and solo founders providing a pre-configured agentic business team that manages the entire SME lifecycle end to end, from market analysis, design and sourcing to store optimisation and inventory monitoring. Globally, more than 10+ million SMEs already use Accio to run their businesses. It requires no code or setup and automates complex tasks such as sourcing, supplier research, procurement and marketing that would otherwise consume hours of manual effort. By embedding this capability directly into official exhibitor directories and floor plans, the Exhibition Agent transforms raw supplier lists into actionable visit plans, ranked matches and post-event procurement workflows, all within a single conversation thread. This expansion follows the successful pilot of Accio as the Official Agentic AI Partner of Smart Manufacturing Week in June 2026, where the technology supported over 13,000 visitors and 430+ exhibitors at the NEC Birmingham in the UK. From Navigation to Negotiation Unlike traditional trade show apps that offer static maps, the Exhibition Agent acts as an active sourcing partner. Using natural language, buyers can find booths, compare suppliers against their criteria, then hand off to negotiation or logistics agents to draft RFQs and calculate landed costs. Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director at Hyve Group said: "Our role as an organiser is to make it as easy as possible for buyers to discover the right products, brands and opportunities, and to make every moment they spend at our shows count. As our events continue to grow in scale and international reach, we need to evolve the way we help visitors navigate that wealth of choice. Partnering with Accio brings a new generation of AI-powered sourcing and planning technology directly into the Autumn Fair, Spring Fair and Glee experience. It will give buyers a more intuitive way to discover relevant exhibitors, plan their time and build smarter routes around the show, while helping our exhibitors become more visible to buyers actively looking for what they offer. We're excited to be bringing this next-generation technology to our community and to see how it transforms the way people experience our shows." "Partnering with Alibaba.com's Accio on the Exhibition Agent marks a genuinely new chapter for ISPO in Amsterdam", said Soraya Gadelrab, Joint MD, ISPO. "Bringing this kind of AI-powered navigation and real-time supplier matching to the show floor is exactly the kind of innovation our exhibitors and buyers need as sourcing gets more complex. We believe this sets a new benchmark for what a modern trade fair experience can look like." The solution addresses the cognitive overload faced by buyers at major events. With thousands of SKUs and hundreds of exhibitors, the Agent compresses weeks of pre-event research into minutes, ensuring every booth visit is pre-validated and relevant. Seamless Integration for Exhibitors and Buyers The partnership leverages Accio's newly launched native mobile app. Designed for on-the-go utility, it allows buyers to invoke the Exhibition Agent via voice or image search directly from the show floor. Key capabilities include: * Exhibitor-First Sourcing: Searches official directories first, returning ranked matches with booth locations and relevance explanations * Intelligent Route Planning: Groups matched exhibitors by zone to optimise walking routes and maximise time on the floor * Visual Sourcing: Allows buyers to upload product photos on the spot to find exact matches among exhibiting suppliers * End-to-End Workflow: Seamlessly hands off from discovery to negotiation, compliance checks and logistics coordination without leaving the app * Master Agenda at a Glance: Lets visitors preview all key forums and events ahead of the show, and lock in must-attend sessions so they never miss a key industry insight or networking opportunity For exhibitors, the integration offers enhanced discoverability, surfacing their profiles to qualified buyers who are actively searching for their specific product categories. The Exhibition Agent is scheduled for full on-site deployment at Hyve Group's Autumn Fair, Spring Fair and Glee in Birmingham, Business Show Media's London Business Show and White & Private Label Expo in London, and Raccoon Media Group's ISPO in Amsterdam. The Accio app is available for free download on the iOS App Store and Google Play. Attendees of partner trade shows can access the Exhibition Agent features immediately upon registration or via on-site QR codes. Notes to Editors The partnership portfolio | Organiser | Event | Dates | Venue | Category | | Hyve Group | Autumn Fair | 6-9 Sep 2026 | NEC Birmingham, UK | Home, Gift & Garden | | Hyve Group | Glee | 8-10 Sep 2026 | NEC Birmingham, UK | Garden, Leisure & Pet | | Raccoon Media Group | ISPO | 3-5 Nov 2026 | RAI Amsterdam, NL | Sporting Goods, Winter & Outdoor | | Business Show Media | London Business Show | 11-12 Nov 2026 | ExCeL London, UK | SME & Entrepreneurship | | Business Show Media | White & Private Label Expo | 11-12 Nov 2026 | ExCeL London, UK | Private Label & Retail | | Hyve Group | Spring Fair | 7-10 Feb 2027 | NEC Birmingham, UK | Home, Gift & Fashion | About Alibaba.com Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering various aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. About Accio Accio is Alibaba.com's plug-and-play enterprise AI agent designed to support the operational needs of SMEs worldwide. It deploys specialised agents to execute complex tasks - from product design and sourcing to negotiation and CRM - handled in one continuous conversation. About Hyve Group Hyve Group is a leading international owner and operator of B2B events, connecting buyers and suppliers across key industries including retail, food, and manufacturing. About Business Show Media Business Show Media is a global exhibition organiser delivering industry-leading business events across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. Its portfolio includes The Business Show World Series, White & Private Label Expo, The International Franchise Show and B2B Marketing Expo US. Business Show Media connects entrepreneurs, business leaders and suppliers across multiple sectors, creating platforms for growth, innovation and international trade. About Raccoon Media Group Raccoon Media Group specialises in niche B2B exhibitions and media platforms, serving sectors such as sporting goods, leisure, and specialized retail.
Hyve Group has acquired Chain of Events, the company behind RAISE Summit, Paris Blockchain Week and MACHINA, to drive international expansion and enhance networking capabilities at these events. The acquisition will help Chain of Events expand its event formats into new markets, particularly the United States and Europe. Founders Charlie Meraud and Michael Amar will continue focusing on industry content and executive relationships whilst leveraging Hyve's technology to scale curated meetings between attendees. RAISE Summit could more than double in size next year, whilst MACHINA may expand three to four times its current footprint. The events will run alongside Hyve's Fintech Meetup during the week of 6 July 2027. The founders plan to hire across different geographies and maximise synergies with Hyve Group.
UK-based international events organiser Hyve has acquired RAISE Summit, Machina Summit and Signal Week (formerly Paris Blockchain Week). The acquisitions establish a new AI "super vertical" for Hyve whilst strengthening its position in fintech, according to CEO Mark Shashoua. The three events were founded by Michael Amar, Charlie Meraud, Henri Delahaye and Hadrien de Cournon. In 2026, RAISE Summit attracted 9,000 attendees from 90 countries, whilst Signal Week welcomed over 10,000 attendees from more than 100 countries. The acquisitions follow Hyve's recent purchases of LegalTechTalk and Virtuosi League and come after the company launched Ascend30, its value creation plan through to 2030. The events will join Hyve's Acquisitions and Best Practice division.
UFI reveals strong state of events despite Middle Eastern conflict. UFI has shown positive industry results in the latest edition of its Global Exhibition Barometer. It revealed that 90% of companies outside of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have seen minimal negative impact from the current situation in the Middle East. A total of 27% of global exhibition businesses also expect annual revenue growth of more than 5%. Your other top headlines include: * Hyve enters partnership with ExpoPlatform to provide tech-charged meeting experiences * Informa announces the appointment of new chair-elect * RX reveals a change in leadership of its branch in France Read on for more event industry news. Events industry sees little impact from Middle East conflict - UFI. A total of 90% of international event companies have seen little to no impact due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to an UFI study. The findings were published in the association's latest Global Exhibition Barometer report. More than half - 55% - of businesses in the GCC have experienced a strong negative effect. Chris Skeith OBE, CEO at UFI, said: "Our barometer indicates that there is no real evidence of a significant knock-on effect from the current Middle East disruption outside the GCC and positive trends remain around the world, despite concerns about the state of national economies in some locations." The report also revealed that 27% of companies expect annual revenue growth above 5%. This further bolsters industry-wide growth despite geopolitical and economic challenges. Respondents maintained that the main issue concerning the industry continues to be the state of economies in home markets - this has not changed within the last six months. Hyve enters partnership with ExpoPlatform to provide tech-charged meeting experiences. ExpoPlatform has been appointed to support tech-enriched meeting experiences across a number of Hyve's events. The move involves structured meeting formats across flagship shows including Shoptalk Europe, Shoptalk Spring, Shoptalk Fall, Shoptalk Luxe, Groceryshop, POSSIBLE Miami, Fintech Meetup, Bett and CWIEME. Hyve facilitated more than 160,000 meetings in the last year - cementing the organiser as a pioneer in a meetings-first approach to events - which this new partnership aims to take to the next level. Richard Hilsley, CTO of Hyve, said: "Creating valuable connections is central to the experience ExpoPlatform Ltd want to deliver across its events and is one of its key drivers of customer value. "Having the right technology to support this plays an important role in enabling these connections and offering a seamless process for its attendees, exhibitors and buyers. "We're pleased to be working with the team at ExpoPlatform to support that." Video Player Tanya Pinchuk, CEO of ExpoPlatform, added: "Hyve is setting the pace for meeting-first event design. "ExpoPlatform Ltd is thrilled to partner with Hyve, its platform powering a meeting program of this scale, matching thousands of buyers and sellers and supporting one of the most advanced meeting operations in its industry. "But its platform does far more than matchmaking and meeting scheduling. ExpoPlatform Ltd support the whole event ecosystem - from session and speaker management to wayfinding, TableTalks, exhibitor listings and the marketplace - all delivered through a seamless web and app experience. "We are looking forward to continuing to assist Hyve in turning every edition into real value for their attendees, with a system that keeps getting smarter show to show." This latest announcement comes after it was revealed the global business events group Hyve has been sold to private equity firm Hellman & Friedman for about $1.8 billion. The group climbed from fifteenth to number eight in the latest STAX global ranking of exhibition organisers by revenue - a signal that meeting-led growth is reshaping event economics. Informa announces the appointment of new chair-elect. Global leader in B2B events Informa has announced the appointment of its new chair-elect. Tom Gloccer will succeed the previous chair of the board John Rishton. This decision comes after a selection process that began at the beginning of the year. Tom said: "Informa is a market leader in B2B, with tremendous potential for continuing growth and expansion and I very much look forward to working with the Board, Chief Executive Stephen Carter and his leadership team to make the most of these opportunities." He brings with him extensive experience having served on the boards of multiple leading global companies. Tom is currently the lead independent director for Merck & Co Inc and Morgan Stanley. He also served as chief executive of Reuters Group plc / Thomson Reuters Corp for over a decade. RX reveals a change in leadership of its branch in France. RX has announced that Michel Filzi will step down as president of RX France and retire in early 2027. He will be stepping away after a successful 27 years with the global event organizer. Filippo Rean will take over leadership of the French branch from Michel in September. Hugh Jones, CEO of RX, said: "The future of its industry will be defined by its ability to combine the power of face-to-face events with data, digital capabilities and deeper customer engagement. "Filippo is exceptionally well placed to lead RX France through that next chapter and unlock new opportunities for growth." He currently serves as the managing director of the RX France hub and will report directly to Hugh. Filippo joined the organisation in 2010 when he led MIPIM and has since held leadership roles across many of RX's leading brands. The organiser now seeks to leverage his proven track record of driving growth and revenue for the France subsidiary. That is your full Week in Events news. Book a demo with ExpoPlatform today to apply advanced tech solutions at your next event.