According to the C&IT industry report, event agencies continued to grow their revenues in 2025, with average turnover increasing by more than 25% compared to the previous year. Around 65% of companies expect to deliver more events this year as well. However, this growth is accompanied by significant cost pressures, as venue hire fees, supplier costs and labour expenses continue to rise, while most clients are not increasing their budgets. In many cases, agencies are expected to deliver more events from the same budget. As a result, companies are increasingly focusing on cost efficiency and maintaining profitability.
At the same time, client expectations are changing. Smaller, more targeted events, shorter programmes and combined event formats are becoming increasingly popular, while demand is growing for unique and experience-driven venues. Clients continue to favour full-service event solutions and place strong emphasis on sustainability, hybrid event formats and demonstrating measurable return on investment (ROI).
The report highlights that one of the sector’s biggest ongoing challenges is the shortage of skilled professionals. More than a quarter of agencies are operating with underfunded teams, and many companies struggle to recruit specialists with the right level of experience. In response, an increasing number of agencies are expanding their service portfolios, for example by offering social media management and marketing consultancy, while also exploring international markets – particularly the United States and the Middle East – to identify new growth opportunities.