The global events sector is experiencing a fresh wave of mergers and acquisitions, with major players investing heavily in event agencies, organisers and experience businesses as confidence returns to face-to-face events.
For professional event organisers, the trend signals a growing push towards integrated service models that combine strategy, creative, production, technology, venue services and event management under a single provider.
One of the most significant agency acquisitions was completed by global event production and technology company Encore, which acquired international event marketing and brand experience agency FIRST.
The deal expands Encore’s capabilities beyond venue-based production and audiovisual services into event strategy, event management and brand experience delivery. FIRST supports more than 15,000 events annually.
At the larger end of the market, exhibition and conference organiser Hyve Group has been acquired by private equity giant Hellman & Friedman in a transaction valued at approximately US$1.8 billion.
The deal is one of the largest business events transactions completed since the pandemic and highlights renewed investor confidence in the sector. Hyve operates 31 major events across 18 brands globally and delivered revenue of approximately US$391 million in 2025.
Hunter Philbrick, Partner at Hellman & Friedman, said the acquisition was driven by the enduring value of face-to-face connections.
‘As AI reshapes global commerce, we believe the ability to foster human connections and bring people together will be more valuable to businesses than ever.’
Hyve CEO Mark Shashoua said the acquisition marked another phase of growth for the business and reflected strong demand for industry communities and in-person engagement.
The recent transactions point to a clear industry trend. Investors and major suppliers are increasingly backing businesses that own valuable communities, specialist content and recurring events. As competition for delegates, sponsors and exhibitors intensifies, scale and integrated service offerings are becoming key drivers of growth.