A Special Events exclusive, here is our 2019 list of the biggest players in event production. Immersive events, data-driven decisions, and a focus on sustainability— all top trends at play for the biggest event companies in the business. And here they are ....
AGENCYEA
CHICAGO
www.agencyea.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Gabrielle Martinez, Fergus Rooney
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 90
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $70 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The team has been busy with Hilton’s General Manager Leadership Summit; GitHub Universe; Samsung Developer Conference; Obama Foundation Fellowship Retreat and Summit; and Samsung Galaxy Unpacked—the launch of the Galaxy Fold phone, produced in collaboration with Cheil Worldwide. Additionally, EA continued its partnerships with Intuit, Google and MillerCoors on their respective events—Intuit Quickbooks Connect, the Google Cloud Onboard event series, and MillerCoors’ Distributor Conference brand reception.
TOP TRENDS “Brands are increasingly using livestream to engage and unite a global audience,” management says. “To speak to these broader, virtual audiences, companies are finding a space and designing a stage that wows attendees both in person and via livestream. This ensures the online audience has a cutting- edge, elevated experience that mimics being there in person and differentiates the brand in their minds.”
ALLIED EXPERIENTIAL
NEW YORK
www.alliedexperiential.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Matthew Glass
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 500
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $16 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS In its “biggest year yet,” the Allied team has worked extensively with client Amazon and the “Amazon Treasure Truck” to produce events for brands including Panasonic, Pampers, Disney, Canon and Nintendo. The agency has won “multiple” awards for its production of the annual Krazy Glue stunts, including an appearance this year by world champion weightlifter and “Game of Thrones” star Hafthor Julius “The Mountain” Bjornsson; a comedy tour for Hulu in support of its new show “Ramy”; an influencer tour for Sephora; pop-up stores for Pottery Barn, Kind Bar and HBO; and press events for Capitol One, Keurig and Car2Go.
TOP TRENDS The Allied team predicts that “Lots more immersive, scripted, character-driven activations will be produced,” while the strength of social media means that influencer and social media-driven installations “continue to be essential.” And it’s time to refine: “As many of the big tent-pole conventions, conferences and festivals reach brand saturation, newer targeted audience events present exciting opportunities to really stand out,” they say.
ASHFIELD MEETINGS AND EVENTS/SPARK THINKING
IVYLAND, PA.
www.ashfieldmeetings.com, www.spark-thinking.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Gavin Houston
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 960 to 1,150
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $125 million to $160 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The company’s growing Spark Thinking arm allows the company to deliver meetings and live event experiences to clients outside of its traditional health-care market. The University of Pennsylvania turned to the team to provide a local presence to support day-to-day planning while also offering access to a global network for a campaign that covered 12 different cities in the United States as well as London and Hong Kong.
TOP TRENDS “One of the biggest trends influencing the events industry is the well-being and work-life balance of our staff,” management says. “We recently launched an optional paid volunteering day for all staff, as volunteering and helping others have shown to have positive effects on mood. Alongside this, we introduced a flexible working policy to enhance the way we work and provide employees with the power to control when and where they work.”
BALICH WORLDWIDE SHOWS
MILAN, ITALY
www.balichws.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Gianmaria Serra
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 13
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $100 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Highlights of the year have included “AQUA: Leonardo da Vinci’s Water Vision,” the official installation of Salone del Mobile Milano, celebrating Da Vinci at the 500th anniversary of his death. Also on the event roster: ceremonies of Napoli 2019: 30th Summer Universiade, Italy’s biggest event of 2019, and the torch relay of the Lima 2019 Pan and Para Pan American Games.
TOP TRENDS “Our plan includes new projects of different sizes and in different geographical areas that bring forward the trend of entertainment based on content related to art,” management says. “We are working on theatrical performances in a new, revolutionary format that will be launched soon.”
BROADSTREET
NEW YORK
www.broadstreet.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Mark Baltazar
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 32
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $16.5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS It’s been a year since Broadstreet debuted its new tagline: “Provoke. Collaborate. Lead,” and 2019 has seen the team “capitalize on what clients have told them sets Broadstreet apart,” management says. “It’s our unique ability to help brands tell compelling and memorable stories that move people both intellectually and emotionally.”
TOP TRENDS Broadstreet is focusing on creating “craft experiences”—intimate, personalized, custom experiences that allow audiences and attendees the opportunity to “self-discover” the experience on their own terms. “The challenge for creatives and producers is to create an environment for this to happen while knowing all the time where, when and what your audience will experience,” they say. “It’s a bit like magic; we call it experiential sleight of hand.”
BUCOM INTERNATIONAL
CHICAGO
www.bucom.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Darlene Krammer
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 25 to 30
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $10 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Celebrating 32 years in business, the team strives to offer new solutions for clients.
TOP TRENDS “We continue to see short lead demand from our clients, with a shift towards some of the more popular second-tier cities in the U.S. and E.U.,” management says. “The trends for creative, healthy and innovative culinary programs continue, as does the desire to consistently deliver an experiential experience to all attendees.”
CERBELLI CREATIVE
NEW YORK
www.cerbellicreative.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Michael Cerbelli
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 100
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $6.8 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The Cerbelli team spent almost three weeks at sea aboard two ocean liners bought out by the client for only 1,700 attendees for each cruise. The team created custom experiences for each day, from opening nights to award galas to dinner entertainment to late-night laughs and interactive experiences, culminating in “unforgettable” closing celebrations.
TOP TRENDS Reality TV shows are changing the event industry: “Our clients are loving these fast-moving, hit-em-and-run opening and closing acts,” management says. “The experience of all the attendees meeting and greeting them is even a bigger experience, as name talent usually won’t meet 300 attendees. These performers have become affordable well-known acts, but need to be produced properly, as the corporate and social worlds are new to them.”
CMS COMMUNICATIONS
LOS ANGELES
www.cmsbiz.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Diana Zimmerman
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 8 to 12
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $6 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS While CMS has been busy with events for clients including Firestone, Varian Medical Systems and Shaklee, “We are doing far more consulting,” management says, “especially in the area of social marketing and brand strategy.”
TOP TRENDS “Companies remain cost-conscious and not wanting to look as though they are producing extravagant events,” management says. “Budgets overall seem to be stabilizing, but not growing.”
CORPORATE MAGIC
RICHARDSON, TEXAS
www.corporatemagicinc.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jim Kirk
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 15 to 20
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $30 million to $35 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Corporate Magic continued its longstanding relationship with Berkshire- Hathaway HomeServices, held at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, more than tripling the attendance of its annual sales convention in 2019 and resulting in massive global growth to the BHHS network, the company says.
TOP TRENDS “While clients still care deeply about the quality of the production in their events, they are pressured to find solutions which continue the event message throughout the entire year,” says COO Jeff Kirk. “Crafting the right message and utilizing the correct mediums to bring it forward is something that differentiates top-tier event companies from the masses. The event industry is very mature and highly competitive. Reaching clients at a deeper level is setting us apart from the competition.”
CWT MEETINGS AND EVENTS
MINNETONKA, MINN.
cwt-meetings-events.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Kurt Ekert
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 1,300
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $65 million to $80 million (Special Events estimate)
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS A highlight of the year was a two-country, six- city tour that took the Minnesota Orchestra, patrons and stakeholders to London and five cities in South Africa on the centennial birthday of South African politician Nelson Mandela, all with an eye to inspire current patrons and future donors. Another standout: A Fortune 100 company's luxury incentive trip to the Amalfi Coast.
TOP TRENDS The CWT team points to four big trends driving special events today: festivalization, which treats attendees to immersive experiences, which can differ among guests; real-time feedback to drive engagement (e.g., facial recognition), which can ensure safety, expedite check-in, and improve social media reach by photo-tagging; speaker optimization, using techniques from TED Talks and new technologies such as Datakalab to make presentations more interactive and compelling; and capitalizing on social media: "As social media is a fact of life for most people, integrating it within events can add to the experience, as well as provide sharing and networking," management says. "Bringing the event experience closer to the way people behave outside of work, in terms of messaging and chat, is set to become simpler with the launch of WhatsApp Business for Android phones."
E=MC2 EVENTS
CALGARY, ALBERTA
www.emc2events.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jocelyn Flanagan
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 100
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $14 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS This year’s event roster has included the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts Juno Awards Gala, Canadian Screen Awards, SingularityU Canada Summit, Canada’s Walk of Fame Hometown Star, ThoughtWorks ParadigmShift in New Orleans, and the SOCAN Awards.
TOP TRENDS The team is going for the green: “We’ve replaced individual water bottles with water stations, eliminated plastic straws from our events, and suggest decor and gifting options that are reusable and sustainable,” they say. “We are optimistic and hope that this is not just a trend, but a permanent shift in the way events are organized!”
ELITE PRODUCTIONS INTERNATIONAL
LAGUNA NIGUEL, CALIF.
www.eliteproductionsintl.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Lili Shadab
AVERAGE NUMBER OFSPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 30 to 35
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $6.2 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The Elite team points with pride to its transformation of a public parking lot into a private event space for an all-white themed birthday celebration and surprise vow renewal. With less than three hours to set up, the Elite team transformed the Museum of Modern Art in New York into an event and concert space for more than 800 guests, including decor, florals, and food and beverage.
TOP TRENDS The Elite team points to four big trends for successful events today: infusing events with hands-on experiences; sustainability as part of the event; influencers playing a larger role in events; and “each event needs to be better than the others.”
ENTERPRISE EVENTS GROUP
SAN RAFAEL, CALIF.
www.eeginc.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Richard Calcaterra, Matthew Gillam
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 124
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $51.04 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS EEG recently managed The Table Group’s “Unconference,” its top-tier customer event featuring business guru Patrick Lencioni. Attendees comprised 850 businesspeople, 45 percent of whom were CEOs. “The event was so popular that EEG maintained a waitlist of 350 people for the conference,” management says. Better yet: “The day after the conference, hundreds of people had already signed up for 2020.”
TOP TRENDS Management points to three big trends: an emphasis on Apple-style “Genius Bar”-style interactions and networking opportunities; a trend away from mobile apps “as many attendees are reluctant to download another app and create login details for a three- day program”; and the increased need to livestream events to reach a wider audience.
ENTIRE PRODUCTIONS
SAN FRANCISCO
entireproductions.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Natasha Miller
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 600
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Highlights of the past year have included an event for Google Hardware for more than 5,000 people; five events in one day for a tech IPO in San Francisco with a scant three weeks’ notice; production and programming of the Jazz at Filoli concert series for the second year; and “a very successful experiential marketing event for our company—a Mardi Gras masquerade that was attended by 800 people from the event planning industry.”
TOP TRENDS “Corporate clients are still requesting incredible immersive experiences where their guests can not only enjoy well-designed decor and a great menu and wine selection but also very vivid entertainment with an emphasis on interactive activities,” management says. “Understanding the psychology of extroverts and introverts and what will give them joy at events is also being considered, so that everyone is able to enjoy the special event they’ve been invited to."
EVENT LAB
MINNEAPOLIS
eventlab.net
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jack Noble
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 250
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $5.1 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The team has been busy this year with Final Four events including work for Capital One, CBS and ESPN. Other large events include projects for Stryker and Essentia Health, both in the medical field.
TOP TRENDS The team points to trends including interactive events focused on moving people around with large games; “lighter, brighter” events (with interesting tables with features such as mirror tops, unique legs, eclectic chairs—and fewer wooden tables—modern sofas and chairs in unique fabrics and colors taking over from lounge furniture); and “zero waste” events.
EVENTMAKERS
TOLUCA LAKE, CALIF.
www.eventmakers.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Guy Genis, Mark Genis
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 50 to 75
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $17 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Eventmakers has been making lots of events, including the Sports Humanitarian awards, telecast during ESPN’s ESPY Awards; meetings throughout the U.S. for McDonalds Corp.; a destination experience for 2,000 in Dublin that included a general session, a sit-down dinner at Guinness Storehouse and other interactive experiences; and a camping-themed employee appreciation event for Sony PlayStation, featuring 26-foot-tall tents and outdoor props including canoes and a grizzly bear. Another event saw teams of employees building and racing their own pinewood derby cars.
TOP TRENDS Technology continues to lead trends in the event and exhibit industries, management says, “mainly LED technologies, as the cost continues to come down and more clients are now able to afford larger LED walls. These LED walls are replacing convention video projection." Video mapping still continues to advance and bring excitement to event and exhibit installations, they add.
EVENTUM PREMO
MOSCOW
eventum-premo.ru
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Alexey Berlov, Alexander Shumovich
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 73
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $15.5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Guests at the company’s Range Rover Evoque launch event in Moscow were treated to an interactive film where they could influence the plot evolving onscreen, followed by test-drives on a special track. The SAP “Big Data Media Sculpture” was presented at SAP Forum 2019; it featured graphics displayed in real time on a cubic sculpture—the graphics transmitted the results of data analysis illustrating the consumer experience over several centuries. Other projects have included more than 10 integrations at summer festivals created for brands such as S7 Airlines, Qiwi, Tinkoff Bank and MegaFon.
TOP TRENDS “Brands need new formats; they are no longer interested in doing the usual events—they need to create new experiences,” management says. “In retail, pop-up projects are gaining great popularity.” And successful events will aim higher: “Any marketing event requires the involvement of opinion leaders and the creation of a digital special project for this project to really reach the masses,” they say.
EVENTWORKS
LOS ANGELES
www.eventworks.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Ted Bowers, Janet Elkins
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 130
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $8.5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS L.A.-based EventWorks has taken its multilingual team south of the border repeatedly over the past year, creating branded events in exotic locations in Mexico. The team has stressed sustainability, including creating a sand lounge for a pool party, afterward “returning every grain of sand to the beach,” they say. Closer to home in California, the EventWorks team took large, highly branded, customized multi-day events “to the next level ... creating iconic experiences and enhancing existing luxurious environments,” they say.
TOP TRENDS Activations have it all, management says: “They can deliver a fun activity for attendees or a wellness respite from the hustle and bustle of the event, employ the latest in augmented VR technology, immerse attendees in a different world, and provide a great opportunity to include a higher purpose in an event. Activations allow producers to deploy the full tool chest of creativity and skills to create an unforgettable experience that tells the client’s authentic story.”
FILMMASTER EVENTS
MILAN, ITALY
www.filmmasterevents.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Andrea Varnier
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 60
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $80 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The event roster this year has included E-Prix in Rome, MSC Bellissima ship-naming ceremony, Spring Festival Dammam, the closing ceremony for the Camel Festival Saudi, the Euroleague Final 4 Ceremonies, Campari Red Diaries 2019 International Launch, Iveco international launch, and Waterfront Costa Smeralda events.
TOP TRENDS “Digital convergence, extensive use of new technologies, and fragmentation of the mass market into many different targets have turned every event into a true user-centered communication project,” management says. “You need to know how to make stories happen with an expert direction coordinating contents, emotions, interactions and ‘gamification’ to engage individuals and create lasting relationships.”
FIRST GLOBAL EVENTS AGENCY
NEW YORK
www.firstagency.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Maureen Ryan Fable
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 250 plus
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $45 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS This year’s event roster has included the Univision upfront, Verizon Media NewFront, Montblanc StarWalker launch, Mercedes Benz CLA Coupé launch, and the New York Times New Rules and New Work Summits. “This past year, we were awarded a three- year contract with SWIFT to produce Sibos, the world’s premier financial services event,” management says. “FIRST officially named Dublin a FIRST hub, expanded our global reach in EMEA, and added a handful of new C-level roles and leadership in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, increasing our overall number of employees.”
TOP TRENDS The FIRST team points to three major trends: spatial computing, “which blends technology into the real world using augmented, mixed and virtual reality”; sustainability, “whether it’s biodegradable or recycled materials like name tags or swag, sustainable efforts are huge; it can take the form of anything from choosing a venue that takes their environmental responsibilities seriously, to things like donating leftover food, sourcing locally, and utilizing solar power”; and biometric data, which works with a person’s fingerprint, iris print, handprint, heart rate, face, voice or walk. “By analyzing information, companies can learn more about the users and how they interact. This can help track the way audiences perceive the event experience in real time,” they say. “Facial recognition is being used for check-in at events, which helps avoid lines, ensure security, and provide more opportunities for personalization.” Also, artificial intelligence is being used “to make the attendee journey smoother and more personalized.”
FREEMAN
DALLAS
www.freeman.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Bob Priest-Heck
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 4,500 to 5,000
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $437 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Freeman has integrated its agency services throughout its global business, and as a result has transitioned its FreemanXP brand to Freeman. The company “has been rapidly evolving over the last few years, adding new products, services and solutions across the company to meet the changing demands of the industry,” management says, and has “lots of exciting projects in the works!”
TOP TRENDS Saying that the industry can create its own future, Freeman management notes big trends ahead include the importance of serving as a “content factory”— creating stories versus simply telling stories, and making sure that play is incorporated into events, because it engages attendees and stimulates creativity. Multisensory experiences are vital because they “unlock authentic emotional responses,” they say. Also important: creating “mindful moments,” which encourage meaningful exchanges and disrupt the “always-on routine.” “Whether it is an oxygen bar, wellness spa, or revitalizing cafe, these moments give visitors the chance to reflect and recharge for the day ahead.”
GEORGE P. JOHNSON EXPERIENCE MARKETING
AUBURN HILLS, MICH.
www.gpj.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Chris Meyer
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 2,500
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $700 million to $770 million (Special Events estimate)
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Longtime specialists in experiential marketing, the GPJ team continues to invest in digital tools, data analytics, and creative and live production talent, management says. “In client work, GPJ continues to expand its role in Google’s experiential marketing portfolio, is still expanding its automotive practice, and continues to grow and expand into new verticals. With the acquisition of boutique experiential agency Kenwood Experiences, we gained innovative and creative talent, as well as a significant gaming and e-sports clientele such as Capcom and Square Enix.” Additional new clients include Macy’s, Facebook, Amazon Web Services, Harman Industries and Ellie Mae, “while we continue to provide creative and strategic work for longstanding clients like IBM, Salesforce, FCA, Honda/Acura, Nissan/Infiniti and many others.”
TOP TRENDS The good: “Brands are recognizing the power of digital integration and live production theatrics, both to the immediate attendee group as well as to the broadened audience that can be acquired through sharing live and captured digital content from the event,” they say. The bad: Many clients still struggle with integrating their event data insights into their other marketing channels, management says.
GO WEST CREATIVE
NASHVILLE, TENN.
gowestcreativegroup.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE David Fischette
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 100
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $9.5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Go West continues to expand its lines of services, now offering “strategic ‘agency of record’ work in the areas of digital, social and experiential,” management says. “Also our new 3-D dining experience—‘The Banquet of Hoshena’—makes its U.S. debut, featuring a gourmet five- course meal.”
TOP TRENDS “New technology is on the rise, making events and activations more memorable and social media-worthy,” the Go West team says. “Event companies are growing their capabilities and offerings rapidly, making the market more and more competitive. We are constantly striving to find the next big thing that will set us apart and give us the ‘uniqueness’ edge.”
HARGROVE
LANHAM, MD.
www.hargroveinc.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Tim McGill
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 600
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $80 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS For two weeks in January, Hargrove teams traversed the U.S., producing nearly 20 gubernatorial inaugural events in six states—including swearing-in ceremonies, galas, a concert, a parade, and other celebratory events. “Large annual conferences and galas such as those hosted by AIPAC, CHCI, HRC, IMF, NEA, WBENC, and The World Bank continued to benefit from ongoing creative collaboration,” management says. “Hargrove’s in-house creative strategy team has enabled these and several new clients to evolve and elevate their events.” They add, “This year has seen a greater upswing in brand activations, with corporate events becoming more experiential in their approach.”
TOP TRENDS “As experiential activations are increasingly integrating with the design of special events, we are seeing the industry develop and formalize tools and techniques in response,” says Naomi Clare, Hargrove’s director of creative strategy. “Approaches such as experience mapping, touchpoint journeys, and empathy- driven persona profiles are being defined as methods that redefine how planners conceptualize and craft the strategic event experience. These design-thinking tools are being applied across the process of event creation, helping to introduce collaborative workflows and spur innovation.”
HENRY V
PORTLAND, ORE.
www.henry-v.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Katja Asaro
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 150
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $22 million to $24 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS This veteran Pacific Northwest event marketing agency launched a rebrand this summer, along with introducing an optimized service that includes expanded strategy and creative teams, enhanced technology solutions, and organizational investments strengthening project management, production and planning services. Event highlights include Adidas Legacy’s New York brand induction, a grassroots basketball initiative that expanded programs to eight high schools there; KinderCare Education’s Center Director Summit, a multi-day event that hosted more than 2,000 guests in Orlando, Fla.; and Daimler Trucks North America’s eM2 product delivery—the first handover of electric trucks to DTNA’s top customer, Penske.
TOP TRENDS “We continue to see content creation as the driving trend of the industry,” management says. “As trust in traditional media and digital influencers declines, our clients are investing focus on impactful storytelling. They are collaborating with us to design moments to help attendees capture the event and share out directly to their social channels.” But in cautionary news, “Our clients are building budget hesitation as a result of our weakening economy. Conversations around expanding event budgets are happening at a slower pace.”
INDEX
BANGKOK
www.indexcreativevillage.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Kreirngkarn Kanjanapokin, Kreingkrai Kanjanapokin
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 65
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $62 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS “Sustainability” is an ongoing theme for the team, management says. Projects over this year have included the Wat Rong Khun Light Fest event, the KILO Run project, and the anniversary of Thai Life Insurance.
TOP TRENDS “The most important factor that supports us to be the leading Asian events company is ‘creative value,’” management says. “We are building connections with customers through new hybrid and participatory online/off-line experiences that evoke emotional responses in every element of our event design and development process.”
INVISION COMMUNICATIONS
SAN FRANCISCO
www.iv.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Rod Mickels
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 175 to 190
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $78 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The past 12 months of events have included Genentech NFM 2019, Dell Technologies World 2019, Dell Technologies Global Partner Summit, Alienware E-Sports Arena, ServiceNow Knowledge19, Oracle OpenWorld 2018, Gartner Symposium 2018, Oracle HCM World 2018, Mahindra National Dealer Meeting 2018, ARM TechCon 2018, Amway Achievers 2018, Dendreon NSM 2019, Genentech Full Spectrum, DocuSign Global Kickoff 2019, DocuSign Momentum, Atlassian Summit 2019, Nutanix NEXT Conference, Square Enix FFXIV Press Event and Akamai Edge 2019.
TOP TRENDS The InVision team points to three big trends shaping the event marketplace: diversity/inclusion in event design, sustainability, and hyper-personalization. Diversity/ inclusion “is an opportunity for the audience to see themselves represented onstage, in the content and with their constituents in the audience,” management says. “The goal is to work toward an environment that feels less like it’s created by a chosen few, toward a level playing field of voices and participants who each play a role in calling the plays.” In regard to sustainability, “More brands are finding ways to make their events more sustainable; i.e., digital and smart app technology in lieu of registration/badges,” they note. As for hyper-personalization, real-time data and artificial intelligence are leveraged to create “more relevant content, product and service information to each user,” they explain.
JACK MORTON WORLDWIDE
BOSTON
www.jackmorton.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Josh McCall
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 2,250 (Special Events estimate)
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $300 million to $350 million (Special Events estimate)
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Pointing to its 80 years creating “extraordinary” event experiences, the Jack Morton team notes it “worked with seven out of 10 on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful brands, and as of this year, six out of 10 of our clients are on the Fortune 100 list,” they say. “We added over 120 new clients to our roster including Waze, Uber and NFL Films. We secured several AOR [agency of record] relationships with brands including MillerCoors, LYCRA, Honeywell and VMware.” They add, “Our work with brands such as Google and Facebook went up 174 percent, and we produced more events for Google than any other agency in the world.”
TOP TRENDS “Since there is always a new piece of tech or other trend on the horizon, we’re big believers you shouldn’t design an experience around a shiny new object,” management says. “While the tech will continue to change, experiential tech is here to stay— things like mixed reality that helps us create experiences that take people to a whole new level, one they haven’t ever been to before. More connected, immersive and responsive—driven by technology and data. Eventually, this will manifest in physical and virtual environments becoming one, so the use of more hyper-reality to create an increased sense of presence, which is critical to creating believable experiences. We’ll also see more advanced and real-time measurement of emotions and reactions at live events. This will allow brands to shift their creative on the fly to fit the consumer’s mood, too. This data will help them be much more effective marketers.”
JJ|LA
LOS ANGELES
www.jj-la.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jeff Consoletti
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 65 to 85
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $6.5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The team’s busy event roster this year has included L.A. Times Food Bowl Night Market, Yahoo at Night Before, Swisse Wellness at Expo West, Equality California 2019 Gala Series, MAC Cosmetics at ULTA GMC, Mind Body Green Mother’s Day Event Series, L.A. Pride Festival, Pride Island Concert at New York City World Pride, Jasmin.Com Mobile Tour, and Children’s Hospital L.A. Walk and Play L.A.
TOP TRENDS Large-scale experiential activations are back, bigger and grander than ever, management says. “Clients are looking for impactful solutions that drive brand awareness while creating immersive, photo-worthy environments,” they note. “While the ‘Instagrammable moment’ might be an overused phrase, the importance of creating valuable consumer experiences will only continue to be of growing importance.”
LEO EVENTS
MEMPHIS, TENN.
www.leoevents.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Cindy Brewer
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 150
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $28 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The year 2019 has seen LEO producing multiple shows worldwide for Walmart, AutoZone, ExxonMobil, the National Civil Rights Museum, and midsize enterprises including Kowa Pharmaceuticals, Acquia and Mid- America Apartment Communities, management says. Also, the team oversaw the debut of two new products of the KAABOO festival brand—one in the Cayman Islands and another at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In addition, LEO renovated a 17,000-square-foot building in downtown Memphis, Tenn., and moved its corporate headquarters in January to the trendy Edge District.
TOP TRENDS The LEO team is incorporating the “sober curious” movement as it relates to nonalcoholic offerings at events, management says, tapping into an emerging—and profitable—trend that allows attendees to have “greater focus and limitless presence.” Another strategy on LEO’s radar is stronger concentration on Gen Z versus millennials, as this generation is stepping into the workforce “and so far, they’ve proven to be very different in their goals, desires, and processes,” they say.
LINKVIVA
DUBAI
www.linkviva.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Alexander Bendiouis
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 50 to 100
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $22 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The team’s program of work this past year has included events ranging from festivals to experiential activations. Highlights have included Market Outside the Box—an initiative of Dubai Tourism to provide a platform for emerging local, regional and international artisans, designers and F&B concepts to showcase their products to a large customer base on the grounds of Burj Park over 10 days. The team also organized and managed the Special Olympics World Games, hosting more than 4,000 special needs athletes from across the world to discover Dubai and Emirati hospitality, customs and traditions, and the Expo 2020 Volunteers Ceremony, Expo 2020 Labor Day Celebration, and Zayed Sports Tournament opening launch.
TOP TRENDS The good: The UAE is host to the World Expo in 2020, which has brought unprecedented opportunity to Dubai, the team says. “With less than a year to go, there is a plethora of events and experiential opportunities—pavilions are being built, brands are investing inside these spaces to display their goods and services, and experiential activations for each pavilion/exhibitor/ concept will boost the ecosystem in the region.” The bad: “The industry is moving to an extremely competitive procurement and RFP/tender bidding mechanism,” they say. “This means that collectively the industry spends excessive resources [on] pitch time, and the end result is a lot of wasted effort for the industry as whole. This needs to change, and key agencies need to be appointed on a framework agreement/retained basis to ensure quality resources are invested per account and client— whether private or government sector.”
LIVE MARKETING
CHICAGO
www.livemarketing.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Anne Trompeter
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 25 to 50
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $10 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS “One of the many live-plus-digital experiences planned, produced and executed this year for Live Marketing’s clients include a one-to-many immersive HoloLens experience that drove exhibit dwell times of 14-plus minutes,” management says. The team also produced multiple AR and VR booth experiences as well as national sales meetings, trainings and kickoff events using “unique content delivery formats, cutting-edge staging, on-theme on-site activations, and powerful storytelling.”
TOP TRENDS “The most significant trend in our industry is about using technology to make the face-to- face connection more powerful and authentic,” management says. “Successful event and tech activations create moments that capture attention, communicate information, and excite and inspire audiences to talk about their experience.”
MGM RESORTS EVENT PRODUCTIONS
LAS VEGAS
www.mgmresortsevents.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jim Murren
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 2,100
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $15 million to $20 million (Special Events estimate)
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS “In 2019, we experienced an increased number of both corporate and social clients, producing more than 700 events, each one uniquely designed to meet very specific needs,” the MGM team says. “Internally, we had the opportunity to produce simultaneous large-scale, luxury New Year’s Eve parties across the MGM Resorts portfolio for the company’s top guests—each with immersive experiences and activations that evoked all senses.”
TOP TRENDS “Las Vegas continues to be a very strong event destination with planners seeking a one-stop- shop approach that simplifies the experience and maximizes often limited human and financial resources,” management says. “As Las Vegas continues to unveil new event locations and venues, planners know MGM Resorts Events can always deliver extraordinary experiential programs that drive ROI and exceed intended goals.”
NEXT GROUP
MILAN, ROME
www.nextgroup.eu
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Marco Jannarelli
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 80 to 90
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $32 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Highlights of the past 12 months include the three main annual corporate events of Generali insurance group for a total of 1,000 attendees; the 35th edition of Linkontro Nielsen, which brings together executives of leading consumer-goods corporations (more than 500 managers participate, representing more than 200 companies); the Coca-Cola HBC Italia Sales Convention 2019 for 1,200 people at Cinecittà World; and the annual convention of JTI Italia.
TOP TRENDS "Engagement is the watchword,"management says. "In order to be memorable, therefore able to change consumers’ behaviors, to have them feel positively about a brand, and finally to have them buy a certain product/service, events must be engaging and create true experiences. We need to turn the audience from passive to active, leveraging the status of events as the best chance to engage with customers in real time."
OPUS AGENCY
BEAVERTON, ORE.
www.opusagency.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Monte Wood
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 800
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $140.6 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS In the last year, Opus welcomed a new president, Jeff Stelmach, and chief creative officer, John Trinanes. Stelmach will provide agency-wide operational support and direction across all teams at Opus, Level 2, and MAS Event + Design; Trinanes will lead and build Opus Creative Studios to serve creative needs of the agency’s clients, as well as lead the effort to establish an Opus office in Boston, the company reports.
TOP TRENDS “Event teams must pivot into being creatively led,” management says, which is “more than just hiring a fleet of designers to your team; it’s a culture and a mind- set. Our teams are tasked to favor innovation and creative solutions and to weave creativity into every aspect of each program we manage. Event professionals must solve problems, big and small, with a creative thought process that stretches their clients to challenge their own thinking and embrace solutions that might be out of their comfort zone.”
PACIFIC EVENT PRODUCTIONS/PEP CREATIVE
SAN DIEGO
www.pacificevents.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Joanne Mera
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 900
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $11 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS For a company that wanted to blend the best of California and Hawaii into one event for their top executives, the team created a rich coastal look with deep undertones of dark koa wood mixed with turquoise and teal. “We custom-blended entertainment for them on all levels—through food, song, dance and their core company values,” management says. “By working closely with their executive team, we wove into the event all of their essential goal elements for their milestone meeting.”
TOP TRENDS The big trend: “thoroughly modern mash-ups!” they say. “Clean lines, sleek shapes and pops of bright colors combine to bring unique atmospheres for our clients. PEP Creative has been manufacturing new tables and seating options, mixing welded metals and mirror to add a fresh allure to our events.”
PARTY PLANNERS WEST
CULVER CITY, CALIF.
www.ppwinc.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Patricia K. Ryan
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 25 plus
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $28 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The veteran events company specializes in large- scale hospitality and logistics for the sports and entertainment industries. Clients include the NFL, MLB and Indian Wells [Calif.] Tennis Center.
PAULETTE WOLF EVENTS
CHICAGO
www.paulettewolfevents.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Jodi Wolf
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 75 to 100
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $10 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS PWE has had a full slate of events this year including meetings, incentive trips and events for Mercer, Samsung, Google, the Chicago Cubs, NetApp and CDW, multiple product-launch events for HMSHost, grand opening events for Rivers Casino and various mall developers, private anniversary events featuring former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Sting, Diana Ross and Imagine Dragons, as well as charity galas, including a nontraditional gala for the Nature Conservancy.
TOP TRENDS Make time for brain breaks, management advises. “Events are full of content and activity, and attendees want to maximize their investment of time and money. But, packing several sessions to attend, booths to visit, notes to take, and people to meet into two or three days can be quite demanding for conference attendees. Adding areas or just time where attendees can unplug from the event and allow them to process what is happening and reconnect allows them to come back energized and engaged. We recommend fitness classes, meditation and fun activities in between sessions to help unwind and give the brain a break.”
PICO GROUP
HONG KONG
www.pico.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Lawrence Chia
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 380
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $420 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS An “excellent” year for Pico, with mega- events including the Mother of the Nation Festival in Abu Dhabi and the seventh edition of i Light Singapore. “At the same time, we laid the foundations for two high- profile events in 2020 by winning major contracts at Expo 2020 Dubai and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” management says. Pico’s Art-Zoo Inflatable Park has been on tour in Asia and the Middle East; “We also delivered unique event activations including roadshows and launch events for numerous car brands around the world, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and many more.”
TOP TRENDS “We believe that technology is the key to sustained success,” management says. “In the events industry, companies that invest in technology will consistently lead the pack and stay ahead of the game. In particular, tech that uses the power of data intelligence and analytics can help companies enhance both their external offerings and their internal operations to create efficiencies, increase ROI, and deliver superior experiences to clients and participants. Most of all, by embracing technology, companies will stay on top of the digital wave that is sweeping across the planet.”
PODEGIKI
MOSCOW
www.podegiki.ru
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Sergey Gorbachev
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 157
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $14.8 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The year’s event roster has included big events for Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, Raiffeisen Bank, S7 Airlines, Avon, E&Y, Beiersdorf, PepsiCo, CROC, Perfetti Van Melle, X5 Retail Group, Cisco and Tochka Bank, management says.
TOP TRENDS Management points to two big trends: connecting events to digital and media channels to increase efficiency, and providing individualized experiences to attendees, enabling them to be “fully emotionally” immersed in the essence of the event and to be “a participant in the action.”
REDDAY
MOSCOW
redday.ec/itsallaboutpeople
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Boris Alhimovich
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 32
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $10 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Big events this year have included SAP Now for 6,000 attendees on-site and more than 200,000 online, along with KFC Top League, which brought some 1,700 representatives of the restaurant company from Russia and eastern and central Europe to Moscow.
TOP TRENDS The major trends in events, according to company management: the importance of the sustainability, cost efficiency, the power of social media on messaging, drawing inspiration from design and art trends, and the value of integrity.
RUBY J EVENTS
LONDON, NEW YORK
www.rubyjevents.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVES Joanna Greenfield, Lucie Robins
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 5 to 10
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $8 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Both the London and New York teams are busy prepping for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo for 2020, while still working closely on their existing social clientele for weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs, management says.
TOP TRENDS Going green: Management notes that both clients and vendors are stressing environmentally friendly practices, such as using sustainable materials in floral and catering.
RUSSELL HARRIS EVENT GROUP
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIF.
rheventgroup.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Russell Harris
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 50 to 55
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $4 million to $6 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS With a client roster including Disney, Fox, Causeway Financial, LinkedIn, Google, Johnson & Johnson, auto firms and technology companies, the team produces meetings, conferences, premieres, internal corporate events, product launches, hospitality events, and incentives.
TOP TRENDS “We are taking the idea of experiential stories deeper to create even more immersive live experiences that resound with audiences and produce immediate results, whether in ROI, media exposure or other metrics,” management says. “With the live action of social media, the opportunities are boundless. The drawback to this is that negative response can also spread like wildfire. Strategic, well thought out approaches that follow through on brand promises and audience expectations are a must.”
SEQUENCE
NEW YORK
www.sequence-events.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Adam Sloyer
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 50 to 60
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $5.5 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Notable projects this year include Spotify Inclusion Summit, bicoastal U.S. launch of Klarna’s “Smoooth Sessions,” BNP Paribas’ Global Markets America Conference, and multiple galas for the American Red Cross.
TOP TRENDS “Reusable decor is growing increasingly popular, which we love because of the eco-friendly impact,” management says. “On the design side, monochromatic spaces are very in right now, with variation, texture and scale being used to create dynamic environments.”
SEQUOIA PRODUCTIONS
LOS ANGELES
www.sequoiaprod.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Cheryl Cecchetto
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 30 to 45
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $12 million to $20 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS This year’s event roster has included the Academy Awards Governors Ball, Primetime Emmys Governors Ball, G’Day USA Gala, AMPAS Governors Awards, and events for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Goldman Sachs. TOP TRENDS “Clients are wanting bigger and better while budgets are shrinking,” management says. “Social media and marketing of events are becoming more important to the success of public- facing events.” The big challenge: coming up with more creative ways to engage and immerse the guests and audience, they say.
TAMAR PRODUCTIONS
CHICAGO
www.tamarproductionsinc.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Mary Ann Rose
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 150 to 200
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $15 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The Tamar team has been busy with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, Eversight gala, Siemen’s annual meeting, the Illinois Governor’s Conference, the American Airlines New Zealand travel kickoff, Medical Library Association event, and “Paint the Mile Magnificent” gala for the Magnificent Mile Association.
TOP TRENDS Tamar’s take on trends: reduced budgets, a return to hard props and scenery, and concentration on new and innovative lighting.
THE SPECIAL EVENT COMPANY
RALEIGH, N.C.
www.specialeventco.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Sally Webb Berry, CSEP
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 70
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $7.8 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The event roster this year has included multi- day leadership conferences across the U.S., the 150th anniversary of the City of Durham [N.C.], World Scout Jamboree events, annual meeting for Pepsi Bottling Ventures, campaign kickoff for Elon University, opening for Credit Suisse headquarters, an incentive trip to Montreal, management of the Event Professional Conference in San Diego, and full creative and delivery of an urban development project for the City of Raleigh [N.C.].
TOP TRENDS The trend to watch: smart wearable event technology, such as the KLIK system, which enables exchange of contact information, registration, scheduling of events, etc., and can be integrated with other apps and solutions, management says.
VIBE AGENCY
MIAMI
www.thevibeagency.com
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Valerie Bihet
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 90
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $7 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS The team has been busy with events for Estee Lauder, Coty, Dior cosmetics and Le Groupe La Poste.
TOP TRENDS In a good development, the growth of digital teams in corporations means new audiences for events, beyond the customary sales and marketing meetings, management says. But the rise of online platforms for venue and vendor sourcing is concerning, they add, as these platforms can easily cut out the role of the planner.
VIOLA EVENTS
ABU DHABI
www.viola.ae
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Ammar Hani Sharaf
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 65
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $16 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS This year’s event roster has included the Morocco in Abu Dhabi festival; Innovator UAE and Abu Dhabi Science Festival 2019; ADSSSA Pavilion in GITEX Technology Week; National Archives Pavilion at the Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival; and FAB Integration Celebration.
TOP TRENDS Market conditions in place last year are still in force, management says; “However, there is a much larger focus on digital and digital support, and businesses are investing more in dynamic events.”
VOK DAMS WORLDWIDE
WUPPERTAL, GERMANY
www.vokdams.de
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Colja Dams
AVERAGE NUMBER OF SPECIAL EVENTS PER YEAR 450 plus
ANNUAL REVENUE FROM SPECIAL EVENTS (2019 FORECAST) $255 million
NOTEWORTHY EVENTS Beside awide range of events worldwide for the team’s key accounts, which include marquee brands such as BMW, IBM, Adidas, L‘Oréal, SAP, Porsche and HERE Technologies, “We won new exciting clients including Zalando, TikTok and PepsiCo,” management says.
TOP TRENDS “In the background of digital developments in events and live marketing, ‘live-plus’ marketing automation” is the future, management predicts. Live-plus is “the integration of the live channel into the marketing automation process to develop personalized, customized and automatized live marketing, event and follow-up campaigns as part of a holistic customer journey.”
Unless otherwise noted, all information is supplied by the companies listed. Companies listed oversee production of special events, hiring specialists as needed. Special Events estimates are based on interviews by staff, industry experts and other research. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors and omissions sometimes occur. It is the policy of Special Events to address such errors promptly. All figures are in U.S. dollars. Should you be on this list? Tell us at [email protected].
