Snöcap August 15, 2025

Emerald Holding Inc. has acquired Generis Group, a Toronto-based company that organizes business-to-business executive summits.

The company purchased 100% of Generis' equity interest. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Generis operates 17 annual events — 11 in the United States and six in Europe — that connect senior executives in supply chain, manufacturing, packaging, digital transformation and life sciences industries. The acquisition will bring Emerald's total executive summit portfolio to more than 50 events annually.

"This acquisition is a step in expanding Emerald's presence in delivering executive-level experiences across the U.S. and Europe," said Hervé Sedky, CEO and president of Emerald.

Founded in 2014 by Francesco Scalzo, Jason Cheddie and Nadim Allidina, Generis hosts summits that feature panel discussions and one-to-one meeting formats designed to facilitate business connections among participants.

"We believe Emerald's expertise will empower Generis to scale our impact and reach new heights," said Scalzo, CEO of Generis.

The Association of Event Venues released the 2025 edition of its event industry guide Tuesday, marking the 18th year of publication for the resource.

The eGuide provides information on event operation and management for venue, organizer, exhibitor and supplier companies in the United Kingdom. The association updates the publication annually.

The 2025 edition contains 13 reviewed sections and adds a new section titled "Dangerous Exhibits." The association plans to release an updated version in December that will include sections on safeguarding and child protection, and medical provision.

"An amount of work goes into the maintenance of the eGuide so that members across all aspects of the event industry can create a safe space for colleagues and visitors," said Alden Arnold, head of commercial and projects at AEV.

The Association of Event Venues worked with the Association of Event Organisers and Event Supplier and Services Association to form a cross-association working group called "eGuide User." The group aims to identify common applications of regulations across UK venues.

The Association of the German Trade Fair Industry has released its annual "Trends 2025/2026" publication, outlining seven key observations about the country's trade fair sector and projecting continued international growth.

The trade fair business will remain international despite global challenges, according to the fourth annual edition of AUMA Trends, subtitled "Change is our constant companion."

Germany hosted 192 trade fairs in the first half of 2025, with 130 additional events scheduled before year-end, AUMA reported. The figures represent growth compared to previous events, with exhibiting companies increasing nearly 1% to more than 116,000 and visitors rising more than 3% to almost 7 million.

Stand space rentals increased nearly 2% to more than 4.2m square meters. Trade fairs in security and disaster control, medical technology and construction showed particularly strong development.

"Despite crises, cost pressure and competition: in the midst of global upheaval, the German trade fair industry is proving that trade fairs will remain central places for economic exchange and the joint shaping of markets in the future," said Jörn Holtmeier, AUMA managing director.

The publication addresses industry transformation concerning sustainability and the feasibility of EU directives.

At least 117 trade fairs are scheduled for the second half of 2025, including Gamescom in Cologne from Aug. 20-24 and the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf from Aug. 29-Sept. 7. A total of 309 trade fairs are planned for the year, including more than a dozen new events.

Nineteen Group opened its Boston office this week as part of the company's expansion into Americas operations.

The company recently appointed Justin Childs as COO for its Americas operation. Mary Larkin oversaw the office setup process, including location selection and facility preparation.

Jonathan Lacey visited the Boston office as the location's first official guest, the company said.

The office opening represents Nineteen Group's entry into the U.S. market and broader Americas region.

Details about the office's operations and staffing plans were not immediately available.