Marco Jannarelli, President of Next Group , has been ranked 6th on the Top 100 Event Agency Leaders 2026 list, following an evaluation of 819 agencies across Europe.

He is recognised as a Benchmark Leader, with a final score of 98.82 out of 100.

The ranking, published by KONGRES MAGAZINE in cooperation with the UNICORN AWARDS, celebrates the people shaping Europe’s live experience economy.

Jannarelli is one of the defining figures of the Italian events and live communication industry. In 1986, he founded Next Group and has since led its evolution from an event and incentive agency into one of Italy’s most established integrated communication hubs.

Today, Next Group brings together events, integrated and digital communication, incentive travel, loyalty and engagement under one ecosystem. With more than 35 years of experience, offices in Rome and Milan, and a multidisciplinary team of over 200 professionals, the group has become a benchmark for strategic creativity, complex productions and brand activation.

Like a great Italian orchestra, Next Group works because every section knows its role: strategy sets the rhythm, creativity carries the melody, production gives it power, and technology adds the unexpected crescendo. Under Jannarelli’s leadership, the result is not just communication, but a full-bodied live experience.

Why Marco?
Recognised for visionary Italian agency leadership, four decades of industry impact, business scale, integrated communication expertise, sustainable event management and his role in transforming Next Group into one of Europe’s leading live communication ecosystems.

Note: Above text and image courtesy of Gorazd Cad’s LinkedIn post.