Forum Media Group

What Forum Media Group does

Forum Media Group is a privately held, family-controlled international B2B media company headquartered in Merching, Bavaria, founded in 1988 by Ronald Herkert. Operating across 11 countries and four continents with more than 1,000 employees, the group organizes its business around three pillars: Information (specialist publications, magazines, loose-leaf works, books, online platforms, and premium memberships), Education (professional training via AKADEMIE HERKERT and Gemba Academy), and Solutions (customized services). Its portfolio spans 14+ professional domains — management, HR, occupational safety, data protection, law, finance, marketing, healthcare, construction, public administration, and others — and is delivered through wholly-owned subsidiaries including FORUM VERLAG HERKERT, FORUM Zeitschriften und Spezialmedien, Spitta, Trade Press Media Group, Kenilworth Media, Gemba Academy, FORUM MEDIA Slovenija, Nakladatelství FORUM, and WEKA Österreich.

The company runs a sales-led go-to-market anchored by an in-house telephone marketing operation that generates approximately €3M annually and accounts for roughly one-quarter of total order intake, supplemented by direct field sales, trade shows, events, and digital platforms. Revenue is a mix of recurring subscriptions, transaction-based event and training fees, and professional services; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customer base is broad-based B2B across multiple verticals, with named enterprise training customers (Starbucks, FedEx, John Deere) reached through the Gemba Academy franchise. Self-disclosed annual revenue exceeds €120M.

The group has executed a sustained acquisition program — at least nine deals since 2013 — and has recently extended its technology footprint with two AI products: BaurechtGPT, a construction-law chatbot launched in 2024 by FORUM VERLAG HERKERT, and an AI billing assistant for dental practices developed by Spitta. Both are generative AI / knowledge-retrieval solutions applied to specialist content libraries rather than proprietary foundation models. Leadership rests with Managing Directors Magdalena Balanicka and Katrin Krauß-Herkert, with founder Ronald Herkert serving as Chairman of the Advisory Board.

Name

Forum Media Group

Legal name

FORUM MEDIA GROUP GMBH

Website

https://forum-media.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Forum Media Group is a Germany-based, privately held international B2B media company operating across 11 countries, providing specialist publications, professional training, and customized information solutions across 14+ industry verticals including construction, healthcare, HR, finance, and public administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Professional Media and Training Services

NAICS

Information (51), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Digital Archives, Libraries & Institutional Access Platforms (MPAJAMAJ), Interest-Based Communities & Forums (BPAMABAC)

Keywords

• B2B professional media
• Specialist publishing
• Professional training services
• Trade media subscriptions
• Corporate education

Headquarters

HQ city

Merching

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Publishing Products: Traditional and digital publishing including magazines, loose-leaf collections, books, online platforms, and premium memberships
2. Events and Awards: Seminars, awards programs, trade shows, and events generating revenue through attendance fees and sponsorships
3. Digital Products: Online platforms, podcasts, videos, apps, and digital subscriptions
4. Telephone Marketing Services: B2B telephone marketing and sales services generating significant order intake, with the department celebrating its 20th anniversary and generating 3 million EUR annually
5. Training and Education: Professional training programs through AKADEMIE HERKERT and Gemba Academy including certifications

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forum Media Group is a B2B media company that supplies decision-makers with specialist information, professional development and customised solutions. Its portfolio includes specialist magazines, loose-leaf collections and books, online platforms, premium memberships, podcasts, videos and apps, alongside professional training via AKADEMIE HERKERT and Gemba Academy, and events such as seminars, awards and trade shows across fourteen professional domains (management, HR, occupational safety, data protection, law, finance, marketing, construction, healthcare, public administration and more).

Product overview

Forum Media Group operates as a diversified B2B media company offering a platform-plus-portfolio architecture with multiple specialized products. The core offerings include professional information products (specialist publications, books, online platforms, premium memberships), professional education (seminars, conferences, training programs via AKADEMIE HERKERT), and solutions (customized services). Key products include BaurechtGPT (AI chatbot for construction law), Spitta (dental sector information and the AI billing assistant), Gemba Academy (Lean/Six Sigma training in the US), and long-standing brands like Der Facility Manager magazine. The portfolio spans 14 professional domains including management, HR, occupational safety, data protection, law, finance, construction, healthcare, and public administration, with presence across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BaurechtGPT: AI chatbot for construction law issues developed by FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH
• AI billing assistant
• Der Facility Manager
• Bücherwurm-Challenge
• Trainers' Day
• Eye of the Wind

Products and services

• Specialist Publications (Magazines, Journals, Loose-leaf Works) Subscription-based print and digital specialist publications (magazines, loose-leaf works, journals) covering fourteen professional domains, targeted at B2B decision-makers and practitioners.
• Professional Books Professional books covering management, law, finance and related business topics, sold as part of Forum Media Group's information portfolio.
• Online Platforms Web-based professional information platforms delivering sector-specific content and tools across the group's industry verticals, sold via subscription and access fees.
• Premium Memberships Recurring subscription-based membership products that bundle exclusive professional content, resources and member-only benefits for B2B customers.
• Seminars and Conferences Event-based professional training, networking and certification programmes across Forum Media Group's sector verticals, monetised through attendance and sponsorship fees.
• Podcasts and Videos Audio and video content distributed across Forum Media Group's platforms, delivering professional information and industry insights to B2B audiences.
• AKADEMIE HERKERT Professional training academy under FORUM VERLAG HERKERT offering seminars, conferences and certification programmes for B2B professionals.
• Der Facility Manager Renowned specialist magazine serving facility management professionals, maintained as a long-standing Forum Media Group brand.
• BaurechtGPT AI-powered chatbot developed by FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH that answers construction-law questions with precise, legally compliant responses, serving construction-industry professionals.
• AI Billing Assistant (Spitta) AI-powered billing assistant developed by Spitta that automates and optimises billing workflows for dental practices.
• Gemba Academy Training Online, in-house and expert-coaching Lean, Six Sigma and continuous-improvement training programme operated by Gemba Academy LLC (a Forum Media Group subsidiary serving over 3,000 customers including Starbucks, FedEx and John Deere).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over €120 million annual revenue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kenilworth Media, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Canadian B2B media subsidiary headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario that acquired two US publications: Pool and Spa News (PSN) and Aquatics International.
• WEKA ÖsterreichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Austrian acquisition expanding FORUM's presence in the Austrian market as part of strategic expansion efforts.
• International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians (IYFR)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2025Rotarian sailing club partnership connected to the 'Eye of the Wind' ship. Joint donation to 'Bunter Kreis' Augsburg of €620 (€5 per participant from 124 FORUM employees in company run).
• Musikverein MerchingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2025Financial contribution to the spring concert of the local music association under the motto 'Stars & Starlets'.
• Maria-Theresia-Gymnasium Augsburg (MTG)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2025School partnership including €1,000 donation for chemistry experiments (RedOx reactions and sparklers). Planning project seminar in mathematics with FORUM providing project management and marketing expertise.
• Tafel FriedbergminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Local food bank supported through €500 advertisement purchase on new refrigerated vehicle. The food bank serves 250 beneficiaries with 140 food bank cards.
• TSV MerchingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2024Sports club partnership with sponsorship of youth teams and advertising board placement at the soccer pitch. FORUM supports the club's youth work and community engagement.
• Trade Press Media Group (TPMG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024US-based market-leading B2B media company headquartered in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin that acquired Meetings Today brand.
• Rotary Club Augsburg-FuggerstadtminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2024Collaboration on reading competition for elementary school children. Winners of the Bookworm Challenge qualify for the Rotary reading competition.
• Spitta GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Acquired dental information and training provider based in southern Germany through management buy-out. Strengthens healthcare sector portfolio.
• Bunter Kreis AugsburgminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2023Charitable foundation supported through donations from FORUM's Family & Friends Friday event. The foundation operates the Ziegelhof therapy center with animal-assisted therapy for families with severely ill children.
• Gemba Academy LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023US-based continuing education provider acquired with majority shares, specializing in Lean and Six Sigma training. Founders Ron Pereira, Kevin Meyer, and Jon Miller remain as managers and minority shareholders. Serves over 3,000 customers including Starbucks, FedEx, and John Deere.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa plc: Global B2B events, intelligence, and publishing group; through Taylor & Francis and Informa Markets it competes with Forum's training-academy and conference product set (Meetings Today acquisition placed Forum more directly against Informa's events portfolio).
• Springer Nature: Global academic and professional publisher with significant B2B information and conference operations, including the Adis and Springer Healthcare portfolios that compete with Forum's healthcare and professional development offerings.
• Wolters Kluwer: A global professional information services firm providing compliance, legal, tax, and healthcare information products and software — overlaps directly with Forum's compliance, legal, healthcare, and training portfolios at much larger scale.
• RELX (Reed Elsevier): RELX's LexisNexis and Elsevier segments deliver premium professional information, analytics, and decision tools globally, providing a benchmark for the long-term SaaS-ification trajectory Forum's content portfolio could follow.

Emerging players

• Behr's Verlag / DEKRA Media subsidiaries: Mid-sized German B2B publishers (e.g., Behr's for hospitality, food, HR; DEKRA-aligned titles for occupational safety) operating niche trade magazines and digital platforms — competitors in specific Forum verticals such as HR, food, and workplace safety.

Direct peers

• Vogel Communications Group: Vogel is a German-headquartered B2B media group publishing trade magazines, digital platforms, and events across IT, automotive, industry, and electronics — directly comparable to Forum's multi-vertical B2B specialist publishing model in the DACH market.
• WEKA Group: WEKA is a German B2B information, education, and solutions provider covering compliance, HR, construction, IT, and management — the closest direct competitor to Forum's three-pillar strategy, which is why Forum's 2025 acquisition of WEKA Österreich is strategically telling.
• Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden / part of Springer Nature DE: German-language Springer trade and professional media arm producing B2B magazines, online platforms, and events across automotive, electronics, and construction — directly comparable to Forum's portfolio format.
• Haymarket Media: UK-based B2B and consumer media company with extensive trade publishing, events, and awards businesses — analogous model of operating multiple vertical-niche B2B brands under one portfolio.

Regional players

• Süddeutscher Verlag / SV Gruppe (Huss-Verlag and trade media units): Süddeutscher Verlag's trade media division (including Huss-Verlag titles) produces German B2B trade magazines and professional information products, a structurally similar regional DACH operation competing with Forum Verlag Herkert in several verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@forummediagroupgmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/forummediagroupgmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-media-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/forummediagroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forum Media Group