The international event industry currently presents a mixed picture: while more and more sales positions are opening up in the sector, organizers are working under greater financial pressure than ever before. According to data from Live Recruitment, the number of event sales jobs has grown dramatically in recent months, indicating growing confidence in the market. Companies are looking for new business opportunities, expanding their customer base, and are open to talent nationwide—and even internationally—thanks in part to the spread of hybrid working. The revenue-generating role of sales professionals has become more important: a good salesperson can change the entire trajectory of a business. That is why, in addition to competitive base salaries, transparent and motivating commission systems are becoming increasingly important for companies. The base salary for advertised positions typically ranges from £30,000 to £65,000, and commissions and bonuses can significantly increase earnings, by as much as 8-10%, with no restrictions.
At the same time, the economic environment in the sector poses serious challenges. According to recent research by C&IT and ACC Liverpool, 95% of event organisers consider rising costs to be the biggest problem, while 84% consider declining budgets to be the biggest problem. The gap between spiraling expenses—venue rental, catering, technical equipment, staff, transportation—and unchanged or shrinking customer budgets often forces organizers to make compromises. High rental costs (90%), limited availability and time pressure (86%), and inflexible contracts (68%) are the biggest obstacles when choosing a venue. Rising labor costs, resource shortages, short deadlines, and growing workloads increase the risk of burnout, while the lack of pay raises leads to the departure of experienced professionals. Although sustainability and technological developments such as AI and automation remain important goals, implementation is often limited by tight budgets. The future clearly points towards “value-driven event planning,” where the emphasis is on quality and experience, even in the face of economic pressure.