A Fresh Chapter of Opportunity

2024 is well and truly a distant memory, especially when January feels like an eternity! February has arrived and the events industry is looking busy after a year of uncertainty in 2024.

We’ve been working on our Diversity Report at Live Recruitment using our market leading network to study the sectors and their current diversity and inclusivity standings. The full report will be available at the beginning of Q2, but until then we have some interesting reports in this newsletter. This month we have focused on Diversity within the Conference & Exhibition Organiser sector as well as the Exhibition Design & Build sector.

The Events Industry In 2025

As we settle into 2025, it’s clear that the events industry is embracing a wave of cautious optimism not seen in recent years. The past two years presented their share of challenges—economic caution, a focus on freelance contracts, and reduced budgets in certain sectors like pharmaceutical and automotive events. However, with the new year comes a renewed sense of opportunity, and the team at Live Recruitment is thrilled to be part of this exciting journey.

Last year was a mixed bag for the events industry. High-profile restructuring, takeovers and mergers combined with downturns in key sectors, such as automotive and pharmaceutical events, painted a challenging picture. For the pharmaceutical industry, reduced budgets were partially tied to larger financial issues, including a reported ￡4.7 billion in underpaid taxes in the 2020/2021 financial year. Such constraints inevitably trickled down to event budgets and recruitment plans.

Read more here.

Fresh, Fair & Forward Thinking: Breaking The Mould in the Conference & Exhibition Organiser Industry

The Conference & Exhibition Organiser industry plays a vital role in shaping global events, fostering innovation, and bringing people together. Yet, beneath its polished veneer lies an uncomfortable truth: a lingering gender disparity that affects recruitment, seniority, and overall diversity. At Live Recruitment, we’re asking: How does your business compare to the industry data?

Read more about what our data and experience tells us here.

Driving Diversity in the Exhibition Design & Build Industry

As 2025 kicks off, the Exhibition Design & Build industry continues to be a cornerstone of the creative sector, showcasing the best in innovation, architecture, and craftsmanship. However, despite its exciting opportunities, the industry is still grappling with a persistent gender imbalance—a challenge that, if addressed, could unlock new levels of creativity and collaboration. Live Recruitment have been exploring the data in their latest events industry diversity study to inspire positive change.

The data reveals a significant gender pay gap within the exhibition design and build industry; the median salary for men is higher than that of women across all levels, plus, male candidates earn more on average, with broader pay ranges and higher maximum salaries.

This disparity isn't just a reflection of roles occupied—it’s a call for reflection across businesses recruitment strategies and processes, sector promotion, and retention strategies.

Read more here.

Team Live

We started 2025 celebrating our team at Live Recruitment in many ways; Sabrina Pattison celebrated her birthday in early January – her cake of choice was Carrot Cake! We also had 3 #TeamLive anniversaries; Lucy Logan celebrated 6 years and Felan Quirke and Lily Bruce celebrated their 1 year anniversary on the same day, how time flies!

January has already been a busy month for our team as the events industry is hiring again following the dip at the end of 2024, if you’re looking for support with recruiting for your teams, get in touch!