Event and Exhibition Market Report 2026

The event and exhibition market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $50.32 billion in 2025 to $53.27 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising corporate promotional activities, growing business networking culture, expansion of trade showcasing practices, increasing tourism and hospitality linkage, growing event commercialization.

The event and exhibition market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $66.66 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising demand for experiential engagement, increasing investments in branded events, growing importance of public interaction platforms, expansion of global exhibition hosting capabilities, rising focus on high value attendee experiences. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing shift toward large scale organized event experiences, rising importance of networking driven business gatherings, growing focus on brand visibility through live platforms, expansion of themed corporate and consumer engagement events, strengthening adoption of structured exhibition planning services.

The increasing investments in corporate conferences and events are expected to drive the growth of the event and exhibition market in the future. Investments in corporate conferences and events involve companies dedicating resources and funds to organize networking, brand promotion, knowledge sharing, and business development gatherings. These events are centered around networking, brand visibility, and direct engagement with clients. The rise in investment for corporate events increases the demand for venues, ranging from hotels and conference centers to unique event spaces, thereby boosting revenue for these facilities. For example, in July 2024, a quarterly report from Northstar Travel Media Ltd., a UK-based B2B information and marketing solutions company, surveyed 185 organizations and showed rising confidence in the sector. It revealed that booking lead times have increased from 11 to 16 weeks, with an average inquiry value of £27,853 and growing investments - 85% of organizations now invest in development, averaging £348,035 in the past year, and 78% have a dedicated strategy, up by 10% since October 2023. As a result, the growing investments in corporate conferences and events are driving the expansion of the event and exhibition market.

Leading companies in the events and exhibitions market are focusing on advancing technology to enhance event experiences, such as developing sophisticated transaction infrastructure for ticketing. This infrastructure involves technology that supports secure payment processing, efficient ticket distribution, real-time validation, and comprehensive management of event tickets. For example, in August 2023, Leap Event Technology, a US-based event solution provider, introduced a new integrated merchant services solution designed to streamline payment management for event organizers. Powered by Stripe, this solution is part of Leap’s suite of event technology offerings, which includes ticketing and e-commerce products for sectors such as music, sports, and performing arts. The service also features fraud protection tools to ensure secure transactions and is available to clients at no additional cost. The launch aims to enhance operational efficiency for event organizers while facilitating smoother ticket sales and merchandise transactions.

In April 2024, CloserStill Media Ltd., a UK-based event organization and management services provider, acquired Elite Exhibitions for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is intended to strengthen CloserStill Media’s position in the cruise ship interiors market, expand its Future Transport and Infrastructure group, and drive innovation in event production by integrating Elite’s successful events. The acquisition aligns with CloserStill’s broader goals of growth and diversification. Elite Exhibitions is a UK-based company specializing in event organization services.

Major companies operating in the event and exhibition market report are RELX Group, The Freeman Company LLC, Informa Markets, GL Events, Reed Exhibitions, Cvent Inc., Messe Frankfurt GmbH, MCH Group AG, Artexis Easyfairs, Clarion Events Ltd, Fiera Milano SpA, NürnbergMesse GmbH, Koelnmesse GmbH, Emerald Expositions Events Inc., COMEXPOSIUM Group, Hyve Group plc, dmg events, ITE Group Plc, Viparis, Tarsus Group, Messe Düsseldorf Gmbh, Deutsche Messe AG.

Europe was the largest region in the event and exhibition market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the event and exhibition market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the event and exhibition market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The event and exhibition market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as event planning and management, exhibitor space rental, sponsorship opportunities, ticket sales, marketing, and attendee engagement solutions. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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