Forge buys Becker’s Healthcare to build out its B2B events empire

What's the deal? Forge has agreed to acquire Becker’s HealthcareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → from Pamlico CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, adding the Chicago-based publisher to its B2B events and media business. Financial terms were not disclosed.

What's the endgame? The purchase includes Becker’s full portfolio: 16 annual conferences, more than a dozen digital publications, newsletters, podcasts, and executive communities. Its digital products reach more than 1.5 million healthcare leaders, and its events draw over 15,000 attendees a year.

Forge plans to fold Becker’s into its Fierce HealthcareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Life Sciences portfolio. The combined business will run more than 35 live events across hospitals, health systems, payers, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals.

Why now? Forge was formed after Apollo FundsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → acquired and combined Emerald and QuestexDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in July 2026. The Becker’s deal extends that consolidation into healthcare, giving Forge a larger base of specialized audiences, events, and first-party data.

“Becker’s sets the agenda for the business of healthcare,” Forge chief executive officer Paul Miller said. Combined with Fierce, he said, the company will be able to “serve healthcare decisionmakers across the full continuum of care.”

Who's involved? Becker’s was founded by Scott Becker and has been led by president and CEO Jessica Cole since 2010, growing into a significant healthcare-focused B2B publishing and events business under her tenure.

The signal: The deal reflects a wider push to consolidate specialized trade media and events, where executive information and networking have grown more valuable. First-party data on hard-to-reach industry buyers is becoming the prize.

Read more: citybiz.co

Image credit: Jason Lander