The Event Leaders Exchange (ELX) has announced the findings of its latest research into the state of leadership in the global events sector, revealing significant challenges – and opportunities – for senior event professionals.
Based on in-depth surveys and interviews with senior event leaders (the ELX member base) from major global brands, the Future-Ready Leadership Whitepaper uncovers where event teams are best prepared for the future, and where urgent action is needed.
Among the key findings:
- Just 5% of event programmes are innovated year-on-year, suggesting a need for greater experimentation and idea generation.
- Almost one-third of leaders lack clear KPIs for their events, or don’t know if their KPIs are being met – putting teams at risk of budget cuts and reduced credibility.
- Training budgets remain under pressure, with spend falling short of global recommendations, threatening long-term team development.
- A third of event leaders are not using AI at all, and for those that are, the majority use it solely for copywriting support.
“The data shows a clear call to action,” said Nicola Kastner, CEO at ELX. “If we want events to be seen as business-critical, we need to invest in our people, measure what matters and build cultures that embrace innovation – not just once in a while, but consistently.”
The whitepaper can be accessed here
