Gitnux/Report 2026

Events Industry Statistics

With blockchain ticketing cutting fraud by 90%, AI personalization can also lift attendance by 20%—see the trends redefining events in 2024.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Events Industry Statistics
Leah KesslerWritten by Leah Kessler·Edited by Felix Zimmermann·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The events industry at a glance

Business events generated $1.3 trillion in direct global spending in 2025, while the wider events economy continued its recovery through exhibitions, live entertainment and experience-led formats.

$1.3T[72]
Direct business-events spending, 2025
24.2M[72]
Jobs supported by business events, 2025
32,000[36]
Global exhibitions held, 2024
50.0%[36]
North America exhibitions GDP share, 2024
Market size
The global business-events sector generated $1.3 trillion in direct spending in 2025. The exhibitions segment generated €150 billion ($162 billion) in direct spending in 2024 and €368 billion ($398 billion) in total economic output after indirect and induced effects.[72][36]
Forecast & CAGR
The global B2B live-events market was estimated at more than $30 billion in 2024 and forecast to grow at about 5% annually through 2030, reaching approximately $40 billion. This estimate covers B2B live events rather than the entire events economy.[21]
Market share & regions
North America accounted for 50.0% of global exhibitions direct GDP in 2024, followed by Europe at 26.2% and Asia-Pacific at 20.1%. Europe attracted the largest visitor volume, with 102 million exhibition visitors, or 32% of the global total.[36]
Segmentation
Events are commonly segmented into exhibitions and conferences, corporate and business meetings, festivals and live entertainment, sports events, weddings and social events, and virtual or hybrid formats. Informa’s B2B portfolio illustrates three commercial models: transaction-led events, content-led events and experience-led festivals; its 2025 revenue mix was 88% sponsorship and exhibitors for transaction-led events, 5% attendees and 7% other revenue.[21]
Key players & concentration
The B2B live-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%. Informa estimated the global B2B events market at more than $30 billion in 2024.[21]
Pricing
UFI estimated total exhibition-sector economic output of $85,200 per exhibiting company and $9,200 per square metre of venue gross indoor exhibition space in 2024. These are economic-impact metrics, not standard exhibitor or ticket prices.[36]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Recovery is broad-based: 4.7 million companies exhibited and 318 million people visited exhibitions in 2024, while rented exhibition space reached 138 million square metres, close to 2019 levels. Growth drivers include demand for in-person connection, specialist communities, sponsorship and data; challenges include staffing shortages, high operating and logistics costs, and uneven regional space recovery.[36][73]
Consumer behavior & competition
Exhibition participation improved after the pandemic: UFI and Explori reported visitor satisfaction gains of 10 to 31 points and exhibitor satisfaction gains of 20 to 29 points, depending on region. Competition is increasingly based on specialist content, international reach, first-party data, sponsorship value and year-round digital engagement.[36][21]
M&A
Consolidation accelerated in 2026. Apollo completed the acquisitions of Emerald Holding and Questex on July 14, 2026, creating a larger B2B events and media platform; Informa separately agreed to acquire Clarion Events for an enterprise value of £2.24 billion, subject to regulatory approvals and expected to complete in the fourth quarter of 2026.[74][21]
Latest news
The most significant recent transaction is Informa’s October 6, 2026 agreement to acquire Clarion Events for £2.24 billion. Clarion brings more than 100 B2B live-event brands, including portfolios in electronics, defence and security, gaming, technology and energy; completion was expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory clearances.[75][21]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Events Industry

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

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

Verdict

CTS Eventim leads the events industry with revenue growth 31% and operating margin 15.5% signals, while Koelnmesse stands out as a exhibition organizer with revenue growth 24.5% signals.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in ticketing & Live Entertainment

    CTS Eventim

    DE

    Ranked #1 · 9.1 · Ticketing & Live Entertainment

    Why we picked it: It sells ticketing and live-entertainment services across Europe and globally, supported by 31% revenue growth and 15.5% operating margin signals.

    See in ranking ↓Visit eventim.de ↗

  2. Leader in exhibition Organizing

    Koelnmesse

    DE

    Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Exhibition Organizing

    Why we picked it: It runs trade fairs, congresses and venues globally, with 24.5% revenue growth signals in its latest reported performance.

    See in ranking ↓Visit koelnmesse.com ↗

  3. Leader in concert Promotion & Venues

    Live Nation Entertainment

    US

    Ranked #4 · 8.9 · Concert Promotion & Venues

    Why we picked it: It combines concert promotion, venues and ticketing with event throughput at 55,000 events and 159 million fans in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit livenationentertainment.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 events industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

CTS Eventim

Ticketing & Live Entertainment · DE

9.1
2

Koelnmesse

Exhibition Organizing · DE

9.0
3

NürnbergMesse

Exhibition Organizing · DE

9.0
4

Live Nation Entertainment

Concert Promotion & Venues · US

8.9
5

Informa

B2B Live Events · GB

8.8
6

Messe München

Trade fairs, congresses and venues, global · DE

8.8
7

Easyfairs

B2B exhibitions and operated venues, Europe and global · BE

8.6
8

Clarion Events

B2B exhibitions and conferences, global · GB

8.5
9

Deutsche Messe

Trade fairs, congresses and venues, global · DE

8.3
10

Messe Frankfurt

Trade fairs, congresses and venues, global · DE

8.2

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

Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the events industry. In Events Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/events-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Share of workers who are men in promoters (presenters) of performing arts, sports and similar events (Canada)

Share of workers who are men in promoters (presenters) of performing arts, sports and similar events: 49.6% in 2018, 48.6% in 2023.

202050.7%
201949.8%
201849.6%
202249.6%
202148.8%
202348.6%
source-verifiedwww150.statcan.gc.ca2023

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI adoption is moving into event delivery and evaluation in 2026, with 40% of global meeting professionals planning AI-powered event apps and 91% reporting some AI use in 2025.

AI in the events industry

  • 34% of global meeting professionals planned to use AI to generate creative concepts in 2026.[1]
  • 28% of global meeting professionals planned to use AI to track attendee experience in 2026.[1]
  • 28% of global meeting professionals planned to use AI for post-event evaluation in 2026.[1]
  • 40% of global meeting professionals planned to deliver AI-powered event apps in 2026.[1]
  • 91% of surveyed meeting planners reported using AI in some way when planning events in 2025.[2]
  • 65% of surveyed event professionals used generative AI for research in the 2025 Convene Meetings Market Survey.[2]

Automation in the events industry

  • 23% of event professionals said AI and technology development would have no effect on staffing.[2]
  • 21% of surveyed event professionals reported that their organization had no generative-AI policy and no plans to develop one.[2]
  • 65% of event professionals said AI and technology development would require upskilling while leaving headcount unchanged.[2]
  • 35% of surveyed event professionals reported that their organization was developing a generative-AI policy or guideline.[2]
  • 9% of event professionals said AI and technology development would mean their organizations needed fewer staff.[2]
  • 44% of surveyed event professionals reported having a formal generative-AI policy or guideline at their organization.[2]

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.[3]
  • 35.51% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to business-administration or management processes in 2025.[4]
  • 40.4% of EU enterprises in professional, scientific and technical activities used at least one AI technology in 2025.[4]
  • 51% of U.S. technology executives reported no increase in performance or profitability from digital-transformation investments during the previous two years.[5]

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

  • 30.87% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to accounting, controlling or finance management in 2025.[4]
  • 18.55% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to ICT security in 2025.[4]
  • 27.33% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to production processes in 2025.[4]
  • 22.32% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to research and development or innovation activities in 2025.[4]

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

  • 91.2% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[6]
  • 80.4% of Danish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[6]
  • 90.7% of Australian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2022.[6]
  • 77.7% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[6]

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

  • 46.8% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[6]
  • 57.5% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[6]
  • 47.5% of German professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[6]
  • 45.4% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[6]

IoT in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 42.6% of Austrian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[6]
  • 35.6% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[6]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Events analytics is tightening around measurable outcomes: 24% of exhibitors used formal ROI tracking models in 2026, while 70% of B2B organizers reported difficulty proving event ROI in 2024.

Business intelligence in the events industry

  • 87% of exhibition-industry respondents were already using artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and participant experience in 2026, globally.[7]
  • 35% of event organisers anticipated a significant increase in artificial-intelligence use in 2026, globally.[7]
  • 24% of exhibitors used a formal return-on-investment tracking model from prior years in 2026, globally.[7]
  • Companies using a show-selection scoring model achieved 28% higher pipeline per dollar spent than companies selecting shows by habit in 2026, globally.[7]
  • 62% of exhibitors selected trade shows based on past attendance habit in 2026, globally.[7]
  • 91.1% of event professionals identified technical know-how, including artificial intelligence proficiency, as a critical future skill in 2024, globally.[8]

Data analytics in the events industry

  • 46% of exhibitors cited difficulty capturing qualified leads as a measurement concern in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 24% of organizers identified sales-pipeline growth as their top in-person event priority in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 70% of B2B event organizers reported difficulty proving event return on investment in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 15% of organizers identified registration revenue as their top in-person event priority in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 38% of exhibitors cited difficulty understanding how to measure effectively in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 75% of exhibitors cited inability to prove success or return on investment as a measurement concern in 2024, United States.[9]

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

  • 23% of supply management firms spent at least 21% of their time cleaning data in 2024.[11]
  • 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.[11]
  • 50% of organizations identified data-quality issues as the biggest challenge affecting their data-integration projects in 2024.[12]
  • 67% of supply management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[11]
  • 87% of enterprise data leaders said traditional rules-based approaches to data quality did not scale to current needs in 2024.[13]
  • 95% of enterprise companies with at least $1 billion in revenue had experienced a data-quality issue directly affecting business outcomes in 2024.[13]

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

  • 33% of North American organizations had a formal data-governance organization in place in 2024.[14]
  • 61% of organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, according to a survey of more than 121 supply management professionals.[11]
  • 32% of organizations in the 2024 governance study had a formal governance organization in place, while 68% had none.[14]
  • 18.3% of organizations used a data-governance or catalog solution as part of their governance program in 2024.[14]
  • 71% of global organizations reported having a data-governance program in 2024, up from 60% in 2023.[12]
  • 81% of supply management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[11]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

In-person formats keep setting budgets and marketing priorities, with 80% of B2B event organizers saying in-person events were critical to success in 2024.

Growth in the events industry

  • 47% of global exhibition-industry members reported activity growth of more than 5% in their country in 2025.[15]
  • 52% of B2B event organizers said their event teams grew during 2024.[10]
  • 80% of B2B event organizers said in-person events were critical to organizational success in 2024.[10]
  • 53% of B2B event organizers expected their event budgets to grow in 2025.[10]
  • 60% of travel managers predicted increased meeting attendance in 2026.[15]
  • 66% of marketers running in-person, hybrid and virtual events said in-person events generated the most revenue in 2024.[16]

Differentiation in the events industry

  • 78% of B2B event organizers considered in-person conferences, summits and conventions their most impactful marketing channel in 2024.[10]
  • 32% of exhibitors and sponsors measured event success through meetings or business connections in 2024.[17]
  • 50% of exhibitors and sponsors measured event success through the number of leads in 2024.[17]
  • 42% of exhibitors and sponsors measured event success through potential sales in 2024.[17]
  • 10% of exhibitors and sponsors measured event success through traffic generated by sponsorship in 2024.[17]
  • 51% of exhibitors and sponsors measured event success through actual sales in 2024.[17]

Mergers and acquisitions in the events industry

  • Marketplace Events convened more than 2.2 million consumers annually before its 2025 acquisition.[18]
  • Events.com acquired the Blockchain Futurist Conference and associated experiences on May 7, 2024.[19]
  • Events.com acquired the assets of Hotel Interactive, which operated 15 live events, on January 19, 2024.[19]
  • TKO agreed to acquire IMG, On Location and Professional Bull Riders for $3.25 billion in 2024.[20]
  • Marketplace Events operated more than 110 shows in 54 U.S. and Canadian markets before its January 2025 acquisition.[18]
  • Marketplace Events hosted 30,000 exhibitors annually before its 2025 acquisition.[18]

Strategic partnerships in the events industry

  • Tahaluf was established in 2022 as a joint venture between Informa and Saudi Arabia’s Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones.[21]
  • Cvent’s 2024 sourcing volume through its Supplier Network exceeded the company’s pre-pandemic record, strengthening its venue-supplier marketplace model.[8]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce expectations are shaped by training and retention needs: 65% of event professionals said AI and technology development requires upskilling while leaving headcount unchanged.

Hiring in the events industry

  • 33% of business meetings and events employers offered enhanced training and onboarding in 2025.[22]
  • Approximately 30% higher starting salaries were expected by junior events staff compared with pre-pandemic levels in a 2023 recruitment survey.[23]
  • 92% of hospitality-partner organizations considered DEI strategically important in a 2023 events-industry partner survey.[24]
  • 71% of business meetings and events employers were more transparent in job descriptions and interviews in 2025.[22]
  • 87% of financial and insurance organizations considered DEI strategically important in a 2023 events-industry partner survey.[24]

Employee retention in the events industry

  • Nine in ten business meetings and events professionals said work-life-balance expectations were affecting industry staff retention in 2025.[22]
  • 46% of surveyed arts and events professionals felt their pay and benefits were fair and proportionate to their roles.[25]
  • 65% of surveyed arts and events professionals planned to continue working in the sector in five years, while 22% were undecided.[25]
  • 91% of surveyed arts and events professionals believed their work had a positive influence on audiences and communities.[25]

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

  • 54% of U.S. professional-services firms reported having at least one paid work-from-home employee in November 2024–January 2025.[26]
  • 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.[27]
  • 37.21% was the average share of paid workdays performed from home by U.S. professional and business-services employees in January 2025.[28]
  • About 45% of U.S. professional and business-services workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[29]

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

  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 38% of full-time employees worked hybrid schedules during January–April 2025.[30]
  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in November 2025.[31]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 39% of full-time employees worked fully onsite during January–April 2025.[30]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 22% of full-time employees worked fully from home during January–April 2025.[30]
  • 27% of U.S. full-time employees worked in a hybrid arrangement in 2025, compared with 12% fully remote and 61% fully on-site.[32]

Upskilling in the events industry

  • 17% of association event planners identified AI, data and digital literacy as skills to strengthen over the following five years.[2]
  • 65% of event professionals said AI and technology development required upskilling but not additional headcount.[2]
  • 88% of business meetings and events employers cited in-house training as their approach to developing early-career staff in 2025.[22]
  • 24% of corporate event planners said AI, data and event technology were becoming core to their roles.[2]
  • 78% of business meetings and events organizations developing their future workforce were actively developing early-career staff for future leadership roles in 2025.[22]

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

  • 34% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2022, while 16% were actively disengaged.[31]
  • 33% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2023, while 16% were actively disengaged.[31]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 17% were actively disengaged.[31]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2024, while 17% were actively disengaged.[31]

DEI in the events industry

  • More than 75% of respondents in the global event-professional survey identified as female.[33]
  • 61% of female respondents in the global event-professional survey held senior-management or board roles.[33]
  • 6% of board-level respondents in the global event-professional survey identified as Black.[33]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Attendee participation and lead capture remain tied to experience mechanics: 67.5% of B2B event attendees said a mobile event app was vital in 2024.

Customer experience in the events industry

  • 80% of in-person event attendees in 2024 rated the opportunity to meet new contacts as highly influential to participation, globally.[34]
  • 67.5% of B2B event attendees said in 2024 that having a mobile event app was vital.[35]
  • 78% of in-person event attendees in 2024 rated reconnecting with existing contacts as highly influential to participation, globally.[34]
  • 56.1% of B2B event attendees said in 2024 that a mobile event app could make or break their event experience.[35]
  • 67% of in-person event attendees in 2024 rated registration price as highly influential to participation, globally.[34]

Customer retention in the events industry

  • 60% of attendees in 2025 said they did not experience a peak moment at their event.[34]
  • 72% of consumers who had attended a live brand event in the previous six months reported positive perceptions of the brand in Freeman’s 2023 study.[34]
  • 85% of attendees who experienced a peak moment at an event in 2025 were more likely to return to that event.[34]
  • 55% of consumers whose live brand event attendance was six or more months earlier still reported positive brand perceptions in Freeman’s 2023 study.[34]
  • 54% of attendees in 2025 said a peak moment would make them want to return to the event in the future.[34]

Customer acquisition in the events industry

  • 72% of U.S. marketers said prospects close deals faster after attending events, according to the 2025 Outlook on Events survey.[8]
  • 40% was the 2025 post-pandemic improvement score for generating leads or collecting target-customer data at exhibitions, according to UFI’s channel analysis.[36]
  • 87% of event attendees in 2024 said discovering new products, solutions and partners was their leading attendance influence.[37]
  • 21% was the 2025 post-pandemic improvement score for meeting new customers or business contacts at exhibitions.[36]
  • 48% of marketers not using event-led growth planned to make events their primary customer-acquisition and retention channel in 2025.[16]

Customer loyalty in the events industry

  • 77% of consumers said their trust in a brand increased after interacting with it at a live event in Freeman’s 2023 study.[34]
  • 72% of prospective customers reported increased brand trust after interacting with a brand at a live event in Freeman’s 2023 study.[34]
  • 80% of existing customers reported increased brand trust after interacting with a brand at a live event in Freeman’s 2023 study.[34]
  • 85% of attendees who experienced a peak moment in 2025 were more likely to return to the event.[34]
  • 96% of technology event attendees said they were more likely to recommend a brand after attending its event, according to Spiro research cited by Cvent.[8]

Lead generation in the events industry

  • 36% of event teams used marketing-automation tools for event data and engagement in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]
  • 90% of event professionals tracking ROI used registration and attendance as metrics in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]
  • 19% of event teams used cost per acquisition as an event ROI metric in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]
  • €32,100 was the estimated direct exhibition-related spending per exhibitor globally in 2024.[36]
  • 31% of event teams used revenue attribution as an event ROI metric in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand influence shows up in engagement and purchasing intent, with 95% of event organizers expecting AI use in events to increase in 2026.

Marketing in the events industry

  • 80% of B2B event organizers said in-person conferences, summits and conventions were critical to organizational success in 2024.[10]
  • 78% of B2B event organizers said in-person conferences, summits and conventions were their organization’s most impactful marketing channel in 2024.[10]
  • 53% of event organizers expected their event budgets to grow in 2025, according to Bizzabo’s 2024 survey.[10]
  • 78% of B2B marketers allocated budget to experiential marketing, including events, workshops, demos and related experiences, according to data cited by Cvent.[8]
  • 66% of B2B event organizers planned to schedule more events in 2025 than in 2024.[10]

Digital marketing in the events industry

  • Nearly 30% of Gen Z used TikTok specifically for event discovery in Eventbrite’s 2025 TRNDS research.[38]
  • 61% of Millennials used social media to find things to do in Eventbrite’s 2025 TRNDS research.[38]
  • 24% of event teams had fully integrated event technology with marketing and sales systems in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]
  • 43% of event teams had partially integrated event technology with marketing and sales systems in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]
  • 47.3% of attendees participated in community features such as chat or discussion spaces on Bizzabo’s platform in 2026.[35]

Branding in the events industry

  • 264% higher purchase intent was reported among event attendees who felt increased brand trust after a live event, according to Spiro research cited by Cvent.[8]
  • 80% of technology event attendees reported purchasing from a brand after attending its event, according to Spiro research cited by Cvent.[8]
  • 81% of attendees were extremely likely to purchase after spending a full day or more with a brand at an event, according to Spiro research cited by Cvent.[8]
  • 32% was the post-pandemic improvement score for market position or brand awareness at exhibitions in UFI’s 2025 channel analysis.[36]
  • 85% of event organizers said event reputation or brand recognition influenced target-attendee participation decisions in 2024.[34]

Social media in the events industry

  • 36 event-page views were generated per social share during pre-event conversation in Eventbrite’s analysis.[38]
  • $4.86 in future ticket sales and registrations were generated per social share during pre-event conversation in Eventbrite’s analysis.[38]
  • 18% was the average post-event share of online conversation across all event types in Eventbrite’s comparative analysis.[38]
  • More than 9,000 people interacted with Global Exhibitions Day 2024 social-media posts, messages and comments.[36]
  • 40% of online conversation around conferences and tradeshows occurred after the event in Eventbrite’s analysis of 60 popular events.[38]

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

  • 44% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners say finding the right talent is their single biggest collaboration obstacle, based on Q1 2026 research.[39]
  • 74% of B2B influencers use artificial-intelligence tools to enhance content creation, based on Q1 2026 research.[39]
  • 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.[39]
  • 78% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners identify brand awareness and lead generation as their joint top challenges, based on Q1 2026 research.[39]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational friction is visible in tooling fragmentation and integration gaps: 79% of event teams used multiple platforms for event data in 2025, and 33% reported no integration with marketing or sales systems.

Process optimization in the events industry

  • 79% of event teams used multiple platforms for event data in the 2025 ICE Benchmarking Report, complicating unified operational analysis.[8]
  • 72% of live-event companies reported system inefficiencies in the 2025 State of the Events Industry survey.[40]
  • 51.3% of event teams presented data and metrics to stakeholders after each event in 2024.[41]
  • 49% of event companies used four to nine software applications per event in the 2025 State of the Events Industry survey.[40]
  • 33% of event teams had no integration between event technology and marketing or sales systems in 2025.[8]

Operational efficiency in the events industry

  • 65% of live-event companies reported scheduling challenges involving people or gear in 2025.[40]
  • 33% of same-company respondents gave different answers about where their company produced events in 2025, indicating internal information inconsistency.[40]
  • 6.6 out of 10 was the average satisfaction score for access to data among live-event professionals surveyed in 2025.[40]
  • 48% of travel managers said consolidated travel and events programs help ensure attendee satisfaction in 2025.[8]
  • 48% of travel managers said consolidated travel and events programs generate cost savings in 2025.[8]

Quality management in the events industry

  • 40% of event professionals used social-media engagement to collect attendee feedback in 2024.[41]
  • 76% of event teams used post-event surveys to measure event ROI in 2025, making attendee feedback a common quality-evaluation method.[8]
  • 50% of event professionals tracked pipeline or lead generation as an event ROI metric in 2025.[8]
  • 55% of event professionals tracked social-media engagement as an event ROI metric in 2025.[8]
  • 40% of event professionals used real-time event-app feedback to collect attendee feedback in 2024.[41]

Supply chain in the events industry

  • 98% of event suppliers said the events sector deserved greater recognition of its economic contribution from government in 2025.[42]
  • 49% of event suppliers said clients had a poor understanding of the logistical realities and true costs of delivering event services in 2025.[42]
  • 73% of event suppliers said recruitment had been challenging during the previous 12 months in 2025.[42]
  • 65% of live-event companies reported scheduling challenges involving people or gear in 2025, highlighting supply and resource coordination pressure.[40]
  • 88% of event suppliers experiencing recruitment challenges cited a shortage of skilled candidates as the primary barrier in 2025.[42]

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

  • 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.[43]
  • 47.5% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced administrative and management functions internationally during 2021–2023.[4]
  • 28.8% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced information and communication technology services internationally during 2021–2023.[4]
  • 39% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad outsourced business functions to external providers during 2021–2023, while 72% used affiliated-group insourcing.[4]
  • 60% of EU business-services enterprises sourcing abroad were in the business-services sector, compared with 40% in industry and construction, during 2021–2023.[4]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Cost pressure and ROI difficulty frame pricing and margin decisions: 58% of event agencies passed average hard-cost increases on to clients in 2024.

Pricing strategy in the events industry

  • 20% of event agencies reported operating hard-cost increases of 11% to 15% in 2024.[44]
  • 3% of event agencies reported operating hard-cost increases of 21% to 25% in 2024.[44]
  • 35% of event agencies reported operating hard-cost increases of 7% to 10% in 2024.[44]
  • 1% of event agencies reported operating hard-cost increases exceeding 25% in 2024.[44]
  • 14% of event agencies reported operating hard-cost increases of 16% to 20% in 2024.[44]

Cost reduction in the events industry

  • 18% of event agencies reported operating hard-cost increases of 11% to 15% in 2023.[44]
  • 15% of meetings professionals expected changing attendee demographics to affect successful meeting planning in 2023.[24]
  • 40.8% of meetings professionals identified budget pressure as a top consideration affecting meeting planning in 2023.[24]
  • 32.7% of meetings professionals expected increased use of in-house facilities to affect successful meeting planning in 2023.[24]
  • 58% of event agencies passed average hard-cost increases on to clients in 2024, meaning 42% absorbed them or handled them otherwise.[44]

Profitability in the events industry

  • 47% of organizations expected an event-industry profit margin above 30% in 2024.[40]
  • 57% of event organizers identified increasing profitability or contribution to organizational profit and loss as a major future challenge in 2024.[34]

Financial planning in the events industry

  • 39% of surveyed event organizations had event budgets of at least $1 million in 2024.[10]
  • 70% of event organizers reported difficulty proving event ROI in 2024.[10]
  • 19% of organizers ranked increasing attendance as the highest priority for in-person B2B conferences, summits and conventions in 2025.[10]
  • 22% of event organizers expected their event budgets to remain unchanged in 2025.[10]
  • 24% of organizers ranked sales-pipeline growth as the highest priority for in-person B2B conferences, summits and conventions in 2025.[10]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Event technology investment is planned alongside software changes, with 64% of organizers planning to change their event-management software vendor within the next year in 2024.

Product development in the events industry

  • 72% of enterprise event professionals saw value in artificial intelligence for events in 2026, globally.[45]
  • 64% of organizers planned to change their event-management software vendor within the next year in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 73% of attendees expected in-person conferences to incorporate modern event technology in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 95% of event organisers expected their use of artificial intelligence in events to increase in 2026, globally.[7]
  • 88% of enterprise event professionals planned to invest in event technology in 2026, globally.[45]

Product lifecycle in the events industry

  • 66% of organizers planned to schedule more events in 2025 than in the previous year, globally.[10]
  • 54% of attendees planned to attend more in-person events in 2025, globally.[10]
  • 53% of attendees planned to attend more webinars in 2025, globally.[10]
  • 57% of organizers reported that attendance at their in-person B2B events had grown during the previous year in 2024, globally.[10]

After-sales in the events industry

  • 48% of exhibitors wanted better communication and transparency from show organizers in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 32% of companies participated in exhibitor advisory committee meetings in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 67% of exhibitors rated the value of their overall event program as excellent or good in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 51% of exhibitors wanted valuable marketing tools from show organizers in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 59% of exhibitors wanted stronger alignment with their objectives from show organizers in 2024, United States.[9]

Value proposition in the events industry

  • 74% of companies participated in events to generate leads in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 71% of attendees believed in-person B2B conferences were the most effective way to learn about new products or services in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 95% of companies participated in events to increase brand or product awareness in 2024, United States.[9]
  • 72% of attendees said in-person conferences provided the best networking opportunities in 2024, globally.[10]
  • 58% of companies participated in events for thought-leadership opportunities in 2024, United States.[9]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability requirements show up in procurement and reporting, including 60% of surveyed event professionals including sustainability requirements in their RFPs in 2024.

Sustainability in the events industry

  • 28% of planners said increased emphasis on sustainability was a top trend shaping their 2026 events programs.[8]
  • 28% of meeting professionals ranked improving sustainability initiatives and metrics as a top priority for 2026.[8]
  • 86% of event professionals had implemented diversity, equity and inclusion practices or planned to do so in 2024.[8]
  • 18% of event planners designed sustainability into events from the concept-generation stage in Convene’s survey.[2]
  • 54% of meeting professionals considered sustainability highly important in 2024.[8]

ESG in the events industry

  • 28% of event marketers had a robust framework to measure events’ impact on audience trust in 2026.[8]
  • $8.4 billion in economic impact was created for host cities by Informa events in 2025.[21]
  • 67% of Informa’s top events brands achieved the highest level of its Sustainability Inside framework in 2025.[21]
  • 329 Informa events delivered a Connecting the Disconnected programme in 2025 globally.[21]
  • 81% of respondents said audience trust increased after attending their organisation’s in-person events in 2026.[8]

CSR in the events industry

  • 6% of board-position respondents were Black in the Events Industry Council’s global equity study.[33]
  • 110 Informa events delivered a Connecting the Disconnected programme in 2023 globally.[21]
  • 61% of female respondents in the Events Industry Council study occupied senior-management or board grades.[33]
  • $26.5 million in value had been generated for charity partners through Informa events since 2019 by 2025.[21]
  • 15% of senior-management respondents were Black in the Events Industry Council’s global equity study.[33]

Circular economy in the events industry

  • Single-use stands fell 65% between 2024 and 2025 at Informa events in Mexico and Brazil.[21]
  • 50,000 stands were assessed under Informa’s Better Stands programme in 2025.[21]
  • 16% was the reduction in Informa events waste per gross square metre since 2019.[21]
  • 12,283 tonnes of total event, administration, food and hazardous waste were recorded by Messe Frankfurt in 2024.[46]
  • 108,000 stands had been assessed against Informa’s Better Stands reusability framework by 2025.[21]

Carbon footprint in the events industry

  • 85% of emissions from the US and Canadian exhibitions industry came from attendee travel and transport.[47]
  • 65% or more of French events’ carbon emissions came from attendee travel and transport.[47]
  • 62% of US live-music emissions were driven by fan travel across nearly all event types.[48]
  • 97.9% of emissions from 954 European events in 2024 were Scope 3 emissions.[49]
  • 56,000 tCO2e were recorded across 954 European events in 2024.[49]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Global reach is sustained by cross-border attendance and large platform events, including 1.65 billion participants attending business events globally in 2025.

Globalization in the events industry

  • $1.3 trillion in direct spending was generated by global business events in 2025.[33]
  • $4.44 trillion was the total global economic impact of business events in 2025.[33]
  • 11,500 attendees from 95 countries attended NAB Show New York in 2025.[60]
  • $30 billion or more was the estimated global B2B events market in 2024.[21]
  • 1.65 billion participants attended business events globally in 2025.[33]

Cultural adaptation in the events industry

  • 31% of surveyed meeting and event planners ran cultural or artistic activities alongside their events in 2024.[61]
  • 79% of meeting and event professionals reported a rising number of attendees whose first language is not English in 2024.[62]
  • 97% of surveyed meeting and event professionals said increasing event inclusivity was a priority in 2024.[62]
  • 77% of meeting and event planners incorporated arts or cultural elements into their events, based on a 2024 survey.[61]

Supplier management in the events industry

  • Cvent’s Supplier Network recorded a 2024 group-sourcing volume above its pre-pandemic level for the first time.[8]
  • 24.8% of Event Tech Live survey respondents were event-technology suppliers in 2025.[63]
  • 45% of corporate event professionals managed between 1 and 20 internal stakeholders in the 2024 ICE Benchmarking Report.[8]

Stakeholder management in the events industry

  • 70% of B2B event organizers reported difficulty proving event ROI in 2024.[10]
  • 39% of corporate event professionals oversaw 21 to 50 internal stakeholders in 2024.[8]
  • 24% of B2B event organizers identified sales-pipeline growth as their top priority for in-person events in 2024.[10]
  • 19% of B2B event organizers ranked increasing attendance as their leading priority for in-person events in 2024.[10]

Distribution channels in the events industry

  • 91% of exhibit and event marketers used websites for brand promotion in 2024.[9]
  • 80% of exhibit and event marketers used email marketing for brand promotion in 2024.[9]
  • 96% of exhibit and event marketers used social media for brand promotion in 2024.[9]
  • 30.4% of event planners used post-event content sharing and discussions in 2025.[64]
  • 26.7% of event planners used real-time social-media updates during events in 2025.[64]

16 Statistics

Regional markets

Regional scale varies by destination: Europe attracted 102 million exhibition visitors in the input’s market-share view, or 32% of the global total.

The events industry in New York

  • More than 1,200 meetings and events had been booked through 2030 by December 2024, representing over 295,000 citywide room nights.[65]
  • 12.6 million business travelers were expected to visit New York City in 2024, accounting for approximately 20% of annual visits.[65]
  • 15,317 jobs were supported by New York Comic Con in 2024, equivalent to 511 annual full-time jobs.[66]
  • More than 200,000 people attended New York Comic Con in 2024, which generated an estimated $80.4 million in economic impact.[66]

The events industry in Saudi Arabia

  • 48 million visitors attended events supported by Saudi Arabia’s National Events Center during its first four years of operation, reported in 2024.[67]
  • 75 million event attendees were recorded in Saudi Arabia by the third quarter of 2024, alongside more than 2,500 event days.[68]
  • 26,000 businesses were involved in Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector by the third quarter of 2024, according to General Entertainment Authority figures.[68]
  • 2,189 entertainment-sector licenses had been issued in Saudi Arabia by the third quarter of 2024.[68]
  • More than 750 events were made accessible through Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Events application during the National Events Center’s first four years.[67]

The events industry in Amsterdam

  • €230 million was the estimated economic impact of Amsterdam’s international association meetings in 2024.[69]
  • 94 international association meetings were held in Amsterdam in 2024, up from 84 in 2023 and 73 in 2022.[69]
  • Nearly 58,000 delegates attended Amsterdam’s international association meetings in 2024.[69]

The events industry in Brazil

  • 10.1 million events were held across Brazil in 2024, attracting approximately 1.7 billion audience participations.[70]
  • R$813.5 billion was generated by Brazil’s events sector in 2024, equivalent to 4.6% of national GDP.[70]
  • 93,100 total jobs were supported by Brazil’s exhibitions sector in 2024, including direct, indirect and induced employment.[36]
  • About 300,000 companies operated in Brazil’s events sector in 2024.[70]
  • Approximately 12.7 million jobs were associated with Brazil’s events sector in 2024.[70]

The events industry in Canada

  • $5.3 billion was the operating revenue of Canadian promoters of performing arts, sports and similar events in 2024, an 11.1% increase from 2023.[71]
  • $4.8 billion was the operating revenue of Canada’s spectator sports industry in 2024, up 9.9% year over year.[71]
  • $13.8 billion was the combined operating revenue of Canada’s spectator sports, event promoters, artists and related industries in 2024, up 9.3% from 2023.[71]

Key questions about the Events Industry

What is the size of the business-events market in 2025?
Business events generated $1.3 trillion in direct global spending in 2025.
How fast is the B2B live-events market expected to grow to 2030?
The global B2B live-events market was more than $30 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at about 5% annually through 2030, reaching approximately $40 billion.
Which companies lead the events industry?
CTS Eventim leads the events industry with revenue growth 31% and operating margin 15.5% signals, while Koelnmesse stands out as a exhibition organizer with revenue growth 24.5% signals.
What technology shifts are most visible in events operations for 2026?
In 2026, 40% of global meeting professionals planned to deliver AI-powered event apps, while 34% planned to use AI to generate creative concepts.
How fragmented is the B2B live-events market structure?
The B2B live-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 exhibitors and organizers tracking returns on investment?
In 2024 measurement concerns included difficulty proving event ROI (70% of B2B event organizers) and 24% of exhibitors used a formal return-on-investment tracking model from prior years in 2026.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Events Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/events-industry-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Events Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/events-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Events Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/events-industry-statistics.

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