Stillwell Partners has sold Advertising Week to Emerald Holding, Inc.

June 2022 — Stillwell Partners has sold Advertising Week, a premier global event and thought leadership platform focused on marketing, media, technology and culture, to Emerald Holding, Inc., an operator of business-to-business events. This acquisition signifies another step forward in Emerald’s 365-customer engagement strategy of delivering connected, best-in-class experiences through seamlessly integrating in-person events, content and commerce.

Advertising Week (AW) is the premier global event and thought leadership platform focused on marketing, media, technology and culture. Founded in 2004 in New York, AW’s award-winning global event franchise includes AWNewYork (NYC), AWEurope (London), AWAsia (Tokyo), AWLATAM (Mexico City), AWAPAC (Sydney) and AWAfrica (Johannesburg, coming 2023). In addition to live and virtual events, the year-round global content platform also contains best-in-class e-learning from the world’s leading practitioners (AWLearn), original audio, video and editorial content (AW360) and proprietary event technology (AWLabs).

Emerald’s talented and experienced team grows its customers’ businesses 365 days a year through connections, content and commerce. It expands connections that drive new business opportunities, product discovery and relationships with over 140 annual events, matchmaking and lead-gen services. The firm creates content to ensure that its customers are on the cutting edge of their industries and are continually developing their skills, and it powers commerce through efficient year-round buying and selling. Emerald does all this by seamlessly integrating in-person and digital platforms and channels. The company is immersed in the industries it serves and committed to supporting the communities in which it operates. As true partners, Emerald creates experiences that inspire, amaze and deliver breakthrough results.

Stillwell Partners is a global boutique consultancy focused on the confluence of experience, education and engagement, and is best known as the founding organizer of Advertising Week.

Our role in the transaction

Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips’ TMT team in New York acted as the exclusive financial advisor to the seller, Stillwell Partners, in this transaction.