Gitnux/Report 2026

Event Management Industry Statistics

Music festivals drew 150 million attendees worldwide in 2023—up 22% from 2022. Discover what this growth signals for event planning, staffing, and budgets.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Event Management Industry Statistics
Elif DemirciWritten by Elif Demirci·Fact-checked by Rajesh Patel
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The event management industry at a glance

The event management industry is a fragmented, global growth market: business events generated $1.3 trillion in direct spending in 2025, while the wider B2B events market is estimated at more than $30 billion annually.

$30B+[77]
Global B2B events market, 2024
5%[77]
B2B events CAGR to 2030
172,100[38]
U.S. planners employed, 2025
$1.3T[21]
Global business-event spending, 2025
Market size
The global B2B events market was estimated at more than $30 billion in 2024. In the broader business-events economy, 2025 direct spending reached $1.3 trillion globally.[77][21]
Forecast & CAGR
Informa estimates that the global B2B events market will grow from more than $30 billion in 2024 to about $40 billion by 2030, implying approximately 5% annual growth. U.S. employment for meeting, convention and event planners is projected to rise 6% from 2025 to 2035, reaching 182,100 jobs.[77][38]
Market share & regions
Informa’s 2025 B2B live-events revenue was geographically diversified: Informa Markets generated 34% of revenue in the Americas and 28% in Asia; Informa Connect generated 68% in the Americas and 23% in Europe; and Informa Festivals generated 44% in Europe and 41% in the Americas.[77]
Segmentation
Major B2B event segments include transaction-led trade events, content-led conferences and experience-led festivals. Informa reported 2025 revenue of £1,964 million for Markets, £641 million for Connect and £398 million for Festivals.[77]
Key players & concentration
The B2B events market remains fragmented: trade associations operate about 50% of the market, venue owners and operators more than 10%, and the top 10 independent operators approximately 20%.[77]
Pricing
U.S. meeting, convention and event planners earned a median annual wage of $61,160 in May 2025. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $101,700, while the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,830.[38]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The sector is being supported by the return and expansion of in-person business events: 1.65 billion people participated in business events globally in 2025, 12.2% above 2019 levels. At the same time, organizers face rising operating complexity, including accessibility, privacy, security and the need to integrate digital services with live experiences.[21][69]
Consumer behavior & competition
Business-event participation reached 1.65 billion attendees globally in 2025, generating $1.3 trillion in direct spending. Competition is increasingly based on sponsorship and exhibitor value: these represented 88% of Informa Markets revenue, 49% of Informa Connect revenue and 50% of Informa Festivals revenue in 2025.[21][77]
M&A
M&A activity accelerated in 2025: 73 event transactions were recorded, the highest annual total since 2019, when 83 transactions were reported. Notable activity included strategic acquisitions aimed at expanding geographic reach, services and event technology capabilities.[78][79]
Regulation
Event organizers must manage privacy and accessibility obligations alongside venue and safety requirements. A UK government privacy notice for in-person events published in October 2026 cites UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) for public-interest processing and Article 9(2)(a) consent for special-category accessibility data.[69]
Latest news
The Events Industry Council released its 2026 Global Economic Significance Study in August 2026, reporting that business events supported $1.8 trillion in global GDP and 24.2 million jobs in 2025. The study estimated total economic impact, including catalytic effects, at $4.44 trillion.[21]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Event Management Industry

The leading companies in the event management industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

RELX stands out for RX exhibitions business scale at £1.186 billion in 2025 with a 31.6% operating margin, whereas CTS EVENTIM stands out for live entertainment and markets throughput at over 300 million tickets annually and €2.152 billion revenue in 2025.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in exhibition organizing

    RELX

    GB

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Exhibition organizing

    Why we picked it: Its RX exhibitions business combines large-scale event-organizing revenue with high operating margin at 31.6%.

    See in ranking ↓Visit relx.com ↗

  2. Leader in ticketing and venue operations

    CTS EVENTIM

    DE

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Ticketing and venue operations

    Why we picked it: Its live entertainment and markets model spans ticketing and venue operations, running over 300 million tickets annually.

    See in ranking ↓Visit eventim.com ↗

  3. Leader in live event production

    Anschutz Entertainment Group

    US

    Ranked #3 · 8.8 · Live event production

    Why we picked it: Its focus sits on producing and promoting live music events and operating across sports and venues worldwide.

    See in ranking ↓Visit aegworldwide.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the event management industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

RELX

Exhibition organizing · GB

9.1
2

CTS EVENTIM

Ticketing and venue operations · DE

8.9
3

Anschutz Entertainment Group

Live event production · US

8.8
4

Hyve

Exhibition organizing · GB

8.7
5

Koelnmesse

Exhibition organizing · DE

8.7
6

Live Nation Entertainment

Concert promotion, venues, festivals and ticketing · US

8.6
7

Messe München

Trade fairs, conferences and exhibition venues · DE

8.5
8

Easyfairs

Recurring trade fairs and exhibition platforms · BE

8.4
9

GL events

Live events, exhibitions and venue management · FR

8.3
10

Clarion Events

International trade shows and business events · GB

8.1

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the event management industry. In Event Management Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/event-management-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

U.S. federal contract obligations classified under NAICS 561920 Convention and Trade Show Organizers

U.S. federal contract obligations classified under NAICS 561920 Convention and Trade Show Organizers grew from $84.5M in 2021 to $175.6M in 2026.

$84.5M
Start
+15.76%
CAGR · 5y
$175.6M
Projected
20212026
source-verifiedgetwab.com2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI use is widespread and multi-platform data workflows are common: 79% of teams use multiple platforms for event data, while 33% report no integration between event tech and marketing or sales systems.

AI in the event management industry

  • 59% of senior marketing and event leaders said their teams use AI to create event content, while 26% said it delivered a significant improvement in 2026.[1]
  • 84% of event planners said AI would have a moderate-to-major impact on the meetings and events industry in 2026.[2]
  • 46% of senior marketing and event leaders said AI creates value in pre-event marketing strategy, 44% in data analysis and 41% in personalized recommendations.[1]
  • 70% of event professionals using AI reported applying it to content creation, while 65% used it for marketing campaigns globally.[3]
  • 77% of business-events professionals reported using AI tools, technologies or workflows in the latest 12-month benchmark, up from 59% one year earlier.[4]
  • 58% of event professionals using AI reported applying it to data analytics and insights, while 50% used it for registration and ticketing globally.[3]

Automation in the event management industry

  • 79% of event teams reported using multiple platforms for event data, creating a need for automation and integration across systems.[5]
  • 33% of event teams reported having no integration between their event technology and marketing or sales systems.[5]
  • 54% of meeting planners reported using mobile-app technology for events globally.[6]
  • 24% of event teams reported fully integrating their event technology with marketing and sales systems, while 43% reported partial integration.[5]
  • 60% of meeting planners reported using registration, ticketing and badging technology for events globally.[6]
  • 70.6% of event organizers said they look for marketing-automation integrations when selecting a virtual event platform.[5]

Digital Transformation in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 55% of business-services CEOs identified keeping pace with technology and AI transformation as their greatest concern in PwC’s 2025 global CEO survey.[7]
  • 51% of U.S. technology executives reported no increase in performance or profitability from digital-transformation investments during the previous two years.[8]
  • 35.51% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to business-administration or management processes in 2025.[9]
  • 40.4% of EU enterprises in professional, scientific and technical activities used at least one AI technology in 2025.[9]

Technology Adoption in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 27.33% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to production processes in 2025.[9]
  • 18.55% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to ICT security in 2025.[9]
  • 30.87% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to accounting, controlling or finance management in 2025.[9]
  • 22.32% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to research and development or innovation activities in 2025.[9]

Cloud Computing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 90.7% of Australian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2022.[10]
  • 91.2% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[10]
  • 80.4% of Danish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[10]
  • 77.7% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[10]

Big Data in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 57.5% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]
  • 45.4% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]
  • 46.8% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]
  • 47.5% of German professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[10]

Blockchain in the event management industry

  • 70% was the reported average reduction in counterpart gas fees on Polygon compared with Ethereum in a blockchain event-ticketing prototype.[11]
  • 500 concurrent blockchain ticketing transactions were validated without errors in a prototype secure event-management system.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

ROI proof remains constrained: 70% of planners in a global MICE survey reported lacking analytics tools to prove programme ROI in 2026, while only 30% reported using data or analytics tools for that purpose.

Business intelligence in the event management industry

  • 70% of planners in a global MICE survey reported lacking analytics tools to prove programme ROI in 2026.[12]
  • 30% of planners in a global MICE survey reported currently using data or analytics tools to track ROI in 2026.[12]
  • 44% of planners in a global MICE survey reported stable attendance compared with previous years in 2026.[12]
  • 36% of planners in a global MICE survey reported higher attendance than in previous years in 2026.[12]

Data analytics in the event management industry

  • 57% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported increasing data collection in physical experiences in 2025.[13]
  • 49% of exhibit builders reported increasing measurement and analytics in physical experiences in 2025.[13]
  • 54% of event marketers believed better event-data analysis could increase audience quality by more than 21% in 2019.[13]
  • 27% of event marketers believed better event-data analysis would increase audience quality by 10% to 20% in 2019.[13]
  • 48% of event agencies reported increasing measurement and analytics in physical experiences in 2025.[13]
  • 61% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported increasing measurement and analytics in physical experiences in 2025.[13]

Data Quality in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 50% of organizations identified data-quality issues as the biggest challenge affecting their data-integration projects in 2024.[14]
  • 67% of supply management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[15]
  • 95% of enterprise companies with at least $1 billion in revenue had experienced a data-quality issue directly affecting business outcomes in 2024.[16]
  • 87% of enterprise data leaders said traditional rules-based approaches to data quality did not scale to current needs in 2024.[16]
  • 49% of supply management organizations reported that their data quality was good or excellent in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[15]
  • 23% of supply management firms spent at least 21% of their time cleaning data in 2024.[15]

Data Governance in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of organizations in the 2024 governance study had a formal governance organization in place, while 68% had none.[17]
  • 81% of supply management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[15]
  • 18.3% of organizations used a data-governance or catalog solution as part of their governance program in 2024.[17]
  • 33% of North American organizations had a formal data-governance organization in place in 2024.[17]
  • 71% of global organizations reported having a data-governance program in 2024, up from 60% in 2023.[14]
  • 61% of organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, according to a survey of more than 121 supply management professionals.[15]

KPIs in the event management industry

  • 50.8% of event professionals tracked sponsorship renewal as a key performance indicator in 2026.[18]
  • 69.2% of event planners used registration numbers to measure event ROI in a 2026 survey.[19]
  • 38.6% of event professionals tracked ROI as a key performance indicator in 2026.[18]
  • 53.8% of event planners used attendee satisfaction or NPS scores to measure event ROI in a 2026 survey.[19]
  • 60.9% of event professionals tracked attendee engagement as a key performance indicator in 2026.[18]
  • 46.5% of event planners used lead-generation or sales-pipeline influence to measure event ROI in a 2026 survey.[19]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Budgets and consolidation are active: the global event-management market is projected at $1,336.7 billion for 2026, and M&A activity accelerated to 73 event transactions in 2025.

Growth in the event management industry

  • $1,336.7 billion is the projected global event-management market size for 2026.[20]
  • 6.7% is the projected compound annual growth rate for the global event-management market from 2025 to 2033.[20]
  • $1.8 trillion in global GDP was contributed by business events in 2025.[21]
  • 8.3% is the projected Asia-Pacific event-management market CAGR from 2025 to 2033.[20]
  • $4.44 trillion was the total economic impact of the global business-events sector in 2025.[21]
  • $3.1 trillion in total business sales was supported by business events in 2025.[21]

Differentiation in the event management industry

  • 74% of event organizers rated attendee feedback very or extremely influential in shaping their most important event’s program in 2024.[22]
  • 54% of event organizers rated historical precedent very or extremely influential in shaping their most important event’s program in 2024.[22]
  • 30% of U.S. event planners said post-event surveys drove decisions for their next event in 2024.[23]
  • 68% of event organizers rated market or industry trends very or extremely influential in shaping their most important event’s program in 2024.[22]
  • 31% of U.S. event planners said their organizations had a holistic, end-to-end attendee-experience strategy in 2024.[23]
  • 63% of event organizers rated target-attendee needs very or extremely influential in shaping their most important event’s program in 2024.[22]

Mergers and acquisitions in the event management industry

  • 31 events were acquired from Master Promotions by Marketplace Events in Canada in 2026.[24]
  • $3.25 billion was the reported value of TKO Group’s acquisition of On Location, IMG and Professional Bull Riders in 2024.[25]
  • 1 acquisition of Imprint Events Group was announced by JTB’s U.S. subsidiary MC&A in 2026.[26]
  • 1 acquisition of key Remo assets was announced by Events.com in 2025.[27]
  • 1 acquisition of 31 events from Master Promotions was completed by Marketplace Events in 2026.[24]
  • 1 acquisition of ASM Global was completed by Legends in 2024.[28]

Strategic partnerships in the event management industry

  • 8 sustainability standards formed the basis of the Events Industry Council and Oak View Group partnership.[29]
  • 1 strategic partnership between United EVENTures and Lure Agency was announced in 2024.[30]
  • 1 strategic partnership between the Events Industry Council and Oak View Group was announced in 2024.[29]
  • 1 strategic investment and partnership between On Location and Wiz-Team was announced in 2024.[31]
  • 1 strategic partnership between On Location and Wiz-Team targeted international event-management solutions in 2024.[31]
  • 1 event-led community partnership was used by the Northwest Event Show and EventMobi to extend engagement beyond the annual event.[32]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Employment-cost pressure reshapes staffing: 40% of surveyed UK events organizations delayed recruitment, and 90% reported that rising employment costs restricted recruiting younger and entry-level staff.

Hiring in the event management industry

  • 40% of surveyed United Kingdom events organizations said they had delayed recruitment because of employment-cost pressures.[33]
  • 26% of surveyed United Kingdom events organizations said they were focusing more on senior or experienced employees when recruiting.[33]
  • 90% of business-meetings and events professionals said rising employment costs had restricted their ability to recruit younger and entry-level staff in the United Kingdom.[33]
  • 26% of surveyed United Kingdom events organizations said they had increased multiskilling across teams to address workforce pressures.[33]
  • 38% of surveyed United Kingdom events organizations said they had increased workloads for existing employees instead of hiring.[33]

Employee retention in the event management industry

  • 49% of surveyed event-industry organizations reported increasing their focus on employee recognition in 2025.[34]
  • 37% of surveyed event-industry professionals reported that employees were considering leaving the industry altogether in the 2025 ESSA workforce survey.[34]

Remote Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 37.21% was the average share of paid workdays performed from home by U.S. professional and business-services employees in January 2025.[35]
  • 54% of U.S. professional-services firms reported having at least one paid work-from-home employee in November 2024–January 2025.[36]
  • About 45% of U.S. professional and business-services workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[37]
  • 62.8% of U.S. professional and business-services employees who could work at home did so during 2024–2025, while 66.0% could work at home.[38]

Hybrid Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs preferred hybrid work in November 2025, compared with 33% preferring fully remote work.[39]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 22% of full-time employees worked fully from home during January–April 2025.[40]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 38% of full-time employees worked hybrid schedules during January–April 2025.[40]
  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in November 2025.[39]
  • 27% of U.S. full-time employees worked in a hybrid arrangement in 2025, compared with 12% fully remote and 61% fully on-site.[41]

Upskilling in the event management industry

  • 57.1% of event professionals said more sustainability learning was necessary for the events industry in the 2024 ICE Benchmarking Report.[5]
  • 40% of event professionals rated their AI skills as average in an industry survey, indicating a substantial need for further AI education.[42]
  • 26% of United Kingdom events organizations reported increasing multiskilling across teams in response to employment-cost pressures.[33]
  • 40% of event professionals said they lacked the information needed to plan inclusive events.[43]

Employee Engagement in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2024, while 17% were actively disengaged.[39]
  • 33% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2023, while 16% were actively disengaged.[39]
  • 34% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2022, while 16% were actively disengaged.[39]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 17% were actively disengaged.[39]

DEI in the event management industry

  • 35% of organizations had implemented accessibility measures in meetings and events, including accessible transportation, venues, captioning or sign language.[5]
  • More than 75% of surveyed event professionals identified as female, and 61% of female respondents occupied senior-management or board job grades.[21]
  • 66% of business-event organizers prioritized DEI initiatives at their events in 2024.[44]
  • 28% of event planners said DEI in events would shape their priorities in 2026.[2]
  • 40% of event professionals said they lacked the information needed to plan inclusive events, while 20% said they lacked the budget.[43]

Change Management in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 75% of global business-services organizations considered change management critical in 2022.[45]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Event tech and experience design are linked to attendance and perception: 65% of attendees said a mobile event app could make or break their event experience in 2025.

Customer experience in the event management industry

  • 73% of attendees expected in-person conferences to incorporate modern event technology in 2025.[46]
  • 44% of event attendees said technology that makes consuming events easier positively influenced their event experience in 2023.[44]
  • 43% of event attendees said an immersive, visually appealing atmosphere positively influenced their event experience in 2023.[44]
  • 65% of attendees said a mobile event app could make or break their event experience in 2025.[46]
  • 73% of attendees emphasized the importance of free time at in-person events in 2025.[46]

Customer retention in the event management industry

  • Less than 1% of first-time attendees completed a post-event survey when they were not planning to return, according to 2025 event research.[44]
  • 51% higher retention was associated with attendees connecting with someone at an event in 2025.[44]
  • 54% of attendees planned to attend more in-person events in 2025 than in the prior year.[46]
  • 60% of event attendees said they did not experience a peak moment at their event in 2025.[22]
  • 57% of organizers reported that attendance at their in-person B2B conferences, summits and conventions had grown during the prior year.[46]

Customer acquisition in the event management industry

  • 41% of event marketers said they could not accurately track pipeline generation in 2025.[47]
  • 72% of marketers said prospects close deals faster after attending events.[5]
  • 84% of event sponsors said attendee networking was important to achieving their event goals in 2025.[46]
  • 30% of event sponsors said they could consistently identify high-quality leads in 2025.[46]
  • 57% of event sponsors prioritized branded experiences over traditional booth space in 2025.[46]

Customer loyalty in the event management industry

  • 80% of existing customers reported positive perceptions after attending a live event in 2023.[22]
  • 72% of prospective customers reported positive perceptions after attending a live event in 2023.[22]
  • 31% of event decision-makers used acquiring new clients to determine event success in 2023.[22]
  • 55% of people whose last event attendance was more than six months earlier reported positive perceptions of the brand in 2023.[22]
  • 85% of attendees were more likely to return after a peak event moment in 2025, linking experience design with event loyalty.[22]

Lead generation in the event management industry

  • 24% of organizers ranked sales-pipeline growth as the top priority for in-person B2B events in 2024.[46]
  • 20% of event sponsors struggled with limited access to attendee data in 2025.[46]
  • 36% of event teams used marketing-automation tools for event data and engagement in 2025.[5]
  • 52% of marketers attributed at least half of their 2024 closed-won deals to events, indicating events’ role in lead progression.[5]
  • 23% of event sponsors cited poor booth traffic as a major obstacle to lead generation in 2025.[46]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

In-person channels remain central: 78% of organizers said in-person conferences, summits and conventions were their most impactful marketing channel in 2024.

Marketing in the event management industry

  • 80% of organizers said in-person conferences, summits and conventions were critical to their organization’s success in 2024.[46]
  • 71% of organizers said webinars were effective for building and growing community in 2025.[46]
  • 78% of organizers said in-person conferences, summits and conventions were their organization’s most impactful marketing channel in 2024.[46]
  • 89% of marketers said events were critical for business growth in 2025.[5]
  • 78% of organizers said field events were effective for building and growing community in 2025.[46]

Digital marketing in the event management industry

  • 61% of event organizers planned to host more webinars in 2025, according to Bizzabo’s survey of event organizers and attendees.[46]
  • 34% of meetings professionals streamed part of their in-person events in real time in 2025.[44]
  • 65% of attendees said mobile event apps could make or break their event experience in 2025.[46]
  • 64% of organizers hosted multiple local field events to support larger conferences in 2025.[46]
  • 21% of meetings professionals offered an asynchronous digital version of part of their in-person events in 2025.[44]

Branding in the event management industry

  • 80% of surveyed people rated in-person events among the most trustworthy sources of information in 2023.[44]
  • 90% of marketers said events helped their companies stand out from competitors in 2025.[5]
  • 71% of attendees said in-person B2B conferences were the most effective way to learn about new products or services in 2025.[46]
  • 57% of sponsors prioritized branded experiences such as curated dinners and invite-only roundtables over traditional booth space in 2025.[46]
  • 72% of attendees said in-person conferences provided the best networking opportunities in 2025.[46]

Social media in the event management industry

  • 20.5% of event planners used pre-event interactive social-media campaigns in 2025.[48]
  • 55% of event planners used three or more social-media channels in 2025.[48]
  • 30.4% of event planners used social media for post-event content sharing and discussions in 2025.[48]
  • 26.7% of event planners used real-time social-media updates during events in 2025.[48]
  • 26.1% of event planners used four or more social-media platforms in 2025.[48]

Influencer Marketing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 86% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners and creators prefer co-creating content with brands rather than amplifying finished brand content, based on Q1 2026 research.[49]
  • 78% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners identify brand awareness and lead generation as their joint top challenges, based on Q1 2026 research.[49]
  • 44% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners say finding the right talent is their single biggest collaboration obstacle, based on Q1 2026 research.[49]
  • 74% of B2B influencers use artificial-intelligence tools to enhance content creation, based on Q1 2026 research.[49]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational complexity shows up in sourcing and staffing: 30.8% of CVBs reported venue-set-up staffing shortages affecting event operations in 2026.

Process optimization in the event management industry

  • 22% of global planners were required to follow a formal sourcing process for every meeting in 2026.[5]
  • 49% of planners used technology to review meeting-space diagrams and specifications in 2025.[5]
  • About one-third of global companies lacked a formal venue-sourcing process in 2026.[5]
  • 38% of global planners used a formal sourcing process for most events in 2026.[5]
  • 40% of global planners estimated that structured sourcing processes saved 10–30% of their time in 2026.[5]

Operational efficiency in the event management industry

  • 83% of travel managers reported saving costs by jointly managing employee travel and meetings or events programs in 2025.[50]
  • 54% of travel managers reported saving 5–10% by jointly managing travel and meetings or events programs in 2025.[50]
  • 81% of event-industry executives reported winning more than two-thirds of the business they quoted in 2025.[51]
  • 91% of travel managers were also responsible for sourcing hotels and venues for meetings and events in 2025.[50]
  • 49% of travel managers cited enhanced operational efficiency as a reason for consolidating travel and meetings-management responsibilities in 2025.[50]

Quality management in the event management industry

  • 30.8% of CVBs reported venue-set-up staffing shortages affecting event operations in 2026.[52]
  • 40.9% of CVBs reported steady financial outcomes in 2025 compared with 2024.[52]
  • 69.2% of CVBs reported customer-service staffing shortages affecting event operations in 2026.[52]
  • 53.8% of CVBs reported housekeeping or cleaning staffing shortages affecting event operations in 2026.[52]
  • 48% of CVBs reported better financial results in 2025 than in 2024, indicating improved destination-level event delivery performance.[52]

Supply chain in the event management industry

  • 54% of event-agency leaders identified venue fees as a top expense category in 2024.[13]
  • 14% of event agencies reported event operating hard-cost increases of 16–20% in 2024 versus 2023.[13]
  • 35% of event agencies reported event operating hard-cost increases of 7–10% in 2024 versus 2023.[13]
  • 98% of event producers described cost increases as significant or moderate in 2024.[53]
  • 22% of event agencies reported event operating hard-cost increases of 4–6% in 2024 versus 2023.[13]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 65% of U.S. CPA firms participating in the 2025 National MAP Survey that offshored used India, followed by 33% using the Philippines.[54]
  • 29% of U.S. CPA firms responding to the 2025 National MAP Survey utilized offshoring, rising to 74% among firms with at least $10 million in net client fees.[54]
  • 28.8% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced information and communication technology services internationally during 2021–2023.[9]
  • 47.5% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced administrative and management functions internationally during 2021–2023.[9]
  • 39% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad outsourced business functions to external providers during 2021–2023, while 72% used affiliated-group insourcing.[9]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure persists: 72.4% of event-industry companies reported increasing their bill rates in 2025, while agencies passed on 58% of event hard-cost increases to clients in 2024.

Pricing strategy in the event management industry

  • 54.5% of planners expected to increase registration rates in response to higher event costs in 2023.[55]
  • 32.7% of event-industry companies expected gross profit margins of 10–20% in 2025.[51]
  • 63.7% of event-industry invoices used net-30 payment terms in 2025.[51]
  • 58% was the average share of event hard-cost increases that agencies passed on to clients in 2024.[13]
  • 72.4% of event-industry companies reported increasing their bill rates in 2025.[51]

Cost reduction in the event management industry

  • 48.8% of CVBs implemented cost-saving measures in 2026.[52]
  • 54% of event agencies reported venue-fee increases of at least 10% in the 2023 operating-cost survey.[13]
  • 39% of event agencies reported transportation and shipping cost increases of 20% in the 2023 operating-cost survey.[13]
  • 61.9% of CVBs that implemented cost-saving measures reduced marketing spending in 2026.[52]
  • 59.4% of planners planned more events closer to attendees’ locations because of higher costs in 2023.[55]

Financial planning in the event management industry

  • 42% of planners were more optimistic about their events than six months earlier in the 2025 budget outlook.[56]
  • 64% of meetings-market survey respondents expected larger budgets in 2024 to keep pace with rising costs and attendee expectations.[44]
  • 41.8% of respondents who experienced budget increases attributed them to data gathering, analytics and reporting efforts in 2024.[57]
  • 85% of CVB and planner survey participants maintained or increased their event budgets for 2024.[55]
  • Meeting budgets were expected to rise by an average of 11% in 2025.[56]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Integration is still incomplete: 24% of event teams fully integrated event technology with marketing and sales systems in 2025, while 43% reported partial integration.

Product development in the event management industry

  • 28% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported working on more external meetings and conferences in 2025.[13]
  • 57% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported increasing measurement and analytics in physical experiences in 2025.[13]
  • 53% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported increasing first-party data collection in physical experiences in 2025.[13]
  • 39% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported working on more consumer activations in 2025.[13]
  • 51% of U.S. event-agency and exhibit-builder creative teams reported increasing data collection in physical experiences in 2025.[13]

Product lifecycle in the event management industry

  • 22% of attendees in Maritz’s three-year event-registration analysis registered during the final week before the event in 2024.[58]
  • 24% of event teams had fully integrated event technology with marketing and sales systems in 2025.[5]
  • 9% of attendees in Maritz’s three-year event-registration analysis registered after arriving onsite in 2024.[58]
  • 88% of event marketers planned to invest in event technology in 2025.[5]
  • 43% of event teams had partially integrated event technology with marketing and sales systems in 2025.[5]

After-sales in the event management industry

  • 52% of event professionals presented event data and metrics to stakeholders after each event in 2024.[57]
  • 51.3% of event professionals analyzed event data after each event in 2024.[57]
  • 67.4% of event professionals analyzed event data and made at least some changes after each event in 2024.[57]
  • 25.3% of event professionals included social-media engagement in stakeholder reports in 2024.[57]

Value proposition in the event management industry

  • 57% of event organizers reported growth in attendance at their B2B in-person conferences, summits and conventions in 2025.[46]
  • 66% of event organizers planned to schedule more events in 2025 than in the previous year.[46]
  • 54% of event attendees planned to attend more in-person events in 2025.[46]
  • 80% of organizations said in-person conferences, summits and conventions were critical to organizational success in 2025.[46]
  • 53% of event attendees planned to attend more webinars in 2025.[46]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability is increasingly a planning constraint: 28% of event planners identified increased emphasis on sustainability as a top trend shaping their 2026 programs.

Sustainability in the event management industry

  • 28% of event planners identified increased emphasis on sustainability as a top trend shaping their 2026 programs.[5]
  • 44% of event teams had implemented practices to choose more sustainable destinations by minimizing air travel in 2025.[5]
  • 28% of meeting professionals said improving sustainability initiatives and metrics was a top priority for 2026.[5]
  • 95.6% of event-industry professionals said sustainability influenced their choice of venues and destinations, based on research in the United Kingdom and Europe in 2023.[59]
  • 57.1% of event professionals said they needed more sustainability learning, according to the 2024 ICE Benchmarking Report.[5]

ESG in the event management industry

  • 61% of female event professionals surveyed held senior-management or board roles, but rated their DEI experience 21% lower than male respondents.[21]
  • 86% of event professionals had implemented diversity, equity and inclusion best practices in meetings or planned to do so, according to a 2024 global survey.[5]
  • 73% to 85% of global business-events respondents believed companies did not pay enough attention to the environment, according to the Events Industry Council’s Future’s Landscape Report.[29]
  • 61% of surveyed event professionals identified as White, while Black representation was 15% in senior management and 6% at board level in the 2022 EIC study.[21]
  • More than 75% of event-professional survey respondents identified as female in the 2022 EIC Equity Benchmarking Study.[21]

Ethics in the event management industry

  • 6% of women working at events reported sexual assault in the 2026 Big Survey.[60]
  • 45% of women working at events reported verbal sexual harassment in the 2026 Big Survey.[60]
  • 62% of women working at events reported sexist or misogynistic remarks in the 2026 Big Survey.[60]
  • 62% of women working at events reported comments about their appearance, catcalling or whistling in the 2026 Big Survey.[60]
  • 33% of women working at events reported unwanted physical contact in the 2026 Big Survey.[60]

Circular economy in the event management industry

  • Waste accounted for between 10% and 30% of an event’s overall carbon footprint, according to event-industry studies cited in a circular-events toolkit.[59]
  • 23% of event swag ended up in landfills, according to a sustainability guide for events and activations.[13]
  • 40% of drinks distributed at Paris races were poured into reusable eco-cups rather than conventional individual containers, according to reporting on the 2024 policy.[61]
  • 1.89 kilograms of landfill waste was produced per conference attendee per day, including 1.16 kilograms sent to landfill, according to event-industry research.[59]
  • 83% of construction waste was diverted from landfill at Allegiant Stadium during the stadium’s sustainability program associated with major sporting events.[62]

Carbon footprint in the event management industry

  • 129.7 tonnes was the calculated carbon footprint of a 2024 hotel-based conference and show assessed with an event carbon-footprint tool.[63]
  • 314.34 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent came from attendee travel at the PPAI 100 event assessed in the greenhouse-gas report.[64]
  • 97.9% of recorded emissions from 954 European events in 2024 were Scope 3 emissions.[65]
  • 396.58 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted by the PPAI 100 event assessed in the organization’s greenhouse-gas report.[64]
  • 4.12 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent was the average footprint per guest across 954 European events in 2024.[65]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Business events support large employment and spending: 1.65 billion participants attended globally in 2025 and direct spending reached $1.3 trillion.

Globalization in the event management industry

  • 24.2 million jobs worldwide were supported by business events in 2025.[21]
  • 1.65 billion business-events participants attended events globally in 2025.[21]
  • $1.3 trillion in direct spending was generated by global business events in 2025.[21]
  • 110 was Africa’s 2025 direct-spending index for business events, with 2019 equal to 100.[75]
  • 117 was the global 2025 direct-spending index for business events, with 2019 equal to 100.[75]

Cultural adaptation in the event management industry

  • 35% of organizations had implemented accessibility measures in meetings and events in 2026.[5]
  • 28% of planners said diversity, equity and inclusion would shape their event priorities in 2026.[5]
  • 40% of surveyed event professionals agreed that future events would use more hybrid formats.[75]
  • 86% of event professionals had implemented diversity, equity and inclusion practices or planned to do so in 2024.[5]

Supplier management in the event management industry

  • 57% of global planners often or always used vendors specializing in attendee engagement.[2]
  • 57% of global planners often or always worked with event-technology vendors for planning meetings and events.[2]
  • 95% of global planners surveyed used on-site event-support vendors in 2026.[2]
  • 28% of global planners said slow responses to requests for proposals affected their event sourcing.[2]
  • 39% of global planners said venue staffing shortages caused unsatisfactory attendee experiences.[2]

Stakeholder management in the event management industry

  • 74% of event organizers rated attendee feedback very or extremely influential in determining their most important event’s program.[22]
  • 50% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that stakeholders understood what their event department delivered.[5]
  • 36% of event organizations set their own event budgets in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[5]
  • 45% of event professionals managed between 1 and 20 internal stakeholders.[5]
  • 57% of event organizers rated event-partner, exhibitor or sponsor feedback very or extremely influential in determining their most important event’s program.[22]

Distribution channels in the event management industry

  • 62.6% of event creators primarily promoted events through organic social-media posts in 2026.[76]
  • 30% of U.S. event planners rated email their most effective attendee-promotion channel in 2024.[23]
  • 21% of U.S. event planners rated influencers their most effective attendee-promotion channel in 2024.[23]
  • 27% of U.S. event planners rated their event website their most effective attendee-promotion channel in 2024.[23]
  • 47% of U.S. event planners rated social media their most effective attendee-promotion channel in 2024.[23]

Key questions about the Event Management Industry

What is the 2026 global event-management market size?
The projected global event-management market size for 2026 is $1,336.7 billion.
How fast is the event-management market expected to grow?
The global event-management market is projected to grow at a 6.7% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2033.
Which companies lead the event management industry?
RELX stands out for RX exhibitions business scale at £1.186 billion in 2025 with a 31.6% operating margin, whereas CTS EVENTIM stands out for live entertainment and markets throughput at over 300 million tickets annually and €2.152 billion revenue in 2025.
What technology shift is most evident in event operations for 2026?
Teams report integration pressure: 79% use multiple platforms for event data, and 33% report no integration between event technology and marketing or sales systems.
What is the market structure for B2B events?
The B2B events market remains fragmented: trade associations operate about 50% of the market, venue owners and operators more than 10%, and the top 10 independent operators about 20%.
How are organizers measuring event performance in 2026?
In 2026 survey data, 69.2% of event planners used registration numbers to measure ROI, while 60.9% of event professionals tracked attendee engagement as a KPI.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Event Management Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/event-management-industry-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Event Management Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/event-management-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Event Management Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/event-management-industry-statistics.

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