EEX · European Experience Index™

European Experience Index 2025

Navigating the New Landscape of Talent, Technology, and Trust

Published November 2025 | By 27Names, the community of Europe’s best independent live-experience agencies | Research by NewtonX, April to May 2025 Download the full visual report (PDF)

The European Experience Index (EEX) 2025 is the first ever industry report to offer a dual perspective on Europe’s live-experience market, capturing insight from both agencies and their clients across all 27 European countries in which 27Names operates. Where standard industry reports present aggregated, pan-European data that often hides regional complexity, the EEX treats Europe as a mosaic of distinct regional needs and agency capabilities. It will be published annually as a continuous view of how the live communication industry is developing.

What the European Experience Index Is

The European Experience Index (EEX) is an annual benchmark for Europe’s live-experience industry, published by 27Names. Live experiences, also called live communication, experiential marketing, or brand experiences, include the full range of in-person and hybrid formats a brand can use: brand activations, pop-ups, product launches, immersive installations, roadshows, conferences, trade shows, sponsorships, festivals, and internal events. The 2025 edition is the first to combine data from both agencies and their clients across 27 European countries, which is what makes it useful for deciding not just whether to invest in live experiences, but what kind to create and where.

EEX 2025 by the Numbers

135 senior leaders surveyed across 27 European countries, including 63 agency leaders and their senior marketing clients.
79% of agencies rank the increasing use of AI as a dominant trend, and 97% of agency creative teams already use it.
34% of marketers name leveraging event content as the number one trend for 2025, treating events as content engines rather than one-offs.
48% of clients have either not established KPIs (27%) or are only just starting to (21%).
46% cite engagement as their top KPI and 41% cite impact on sales pipeline.
-30.2 points: the sustainability funding gap between what clients expect and what they will pay for.
56% of clients run a pitch to find fresh ideas, yet 42% value a full-service agency most, against just 18% for creative services alone.
50% of clients now run a hybrid model that blends in-house teams with external agencies, while 47% still engage agencies project by project.

Who This Report Is For and How to Use It

Brands and marketers planning live experiences in Europe can use the European Experience Index as a decision-making resource. Unlike a single agency’s point of view, it combines data from both sides of the table: senior leaders at 63 independent agencies across the 27Names network and their senior marketing clients, spanning 27 European countries and industries from finance and FMCG to technology, automotive, energy, and government. For a brand trying to decide what kind of live experience to create, where to invest, and how to prove value, the report answers practical questions:

Which objectives and audience needs matter most in each European region, so a campaign can be tailored to local expectations rather than a single pan-European assumption.
Where event budgets are growing or contracting across markets, and how inflation is changing real spending power.
How leading agencies are actually using AI across creative, strategy, and production.
What clients measure, where the measurement gaps are, and which KPIs they value most.
Which formats and approaches are working right now, including events as content engines, multi-channel amplification, personalization, and sustainability.

The case studies further down show concrete examples of campaigns that delivered measurable results across different markets and objectives. They are a useful starting point for brainstorming and benchmarking what to create, because the data and examples come directly from senior leaders working in the field rather than from secondary commentary.

Introduction

The report opens with a letter from Ralf Specht, Chairman of 27Names. His framing is that the index marks a shift from looking back to looking forward, and from data for its own sake to insight that sparks action. He describes the report as capturing the real conversations happening between agencies and clients right now: the tensions, the optimism, the contradictions, and the uncomfortable truths. His core message is that the rules are changing and expectations are higher, but so is the opportunity to create more meaningful, measurable, and memorable experiences.

Executive Summary

2025 is described as a tipping point for the European live-experience industry. AI has moved from buzzword to business reality, economic uncertainty continues to pressure budgets, and the need for meaningful human connection is more urgent than ever. The industry is navigating a “poly-crisis” of interlocking challenges, shaped by shifting client-agency models, talent gaps, technology acceleration, and rising audience expectations. Agencies are expected to deliver more value, faster, with fewer resources, while clients face their own paradox: a desire for innovation alongside resistance to risk and reinvestment.

The seven headline findings

AI is a double-edged sword. It is now an essential agency tool, with 79% of agencies ranking its increasing use as a dominant trend, but it is also driving unrealistic client expectations for speed and cost-cutting.
Talent has become the top priority. For clients, the focus on transforming the existing workforce is set to more than double as a future priority, from 13% to 32%. This mirrors the top future challenge for agencies: finding new talent, cited by 51% of leaders.
A pitch paradox costs everyone. Clients demand innovation, and the top reason they pitch is for fresh views (56%). Yet they ultimately hire based on reliability, valuing a full-service agency (42%) far more than creative services alone (18%).
Sustainability is a mandate without a budget. While it is a moral priority, it is rarely backed by investment, evidenced by a -30.2 point funding gap between client expectations and willingness to pay.
Live events are now content engines. Events are no longer one-offs. 34% of marketers identify leveraging event content as the number one trend for 2025.
A measurement gap persists. Clients want ROI but struggle to define it. Nearly half of all clients (48%) have either not established KPIs (27%) or are just beginning to (21%).
The industry is evolving fast. To thrive, agencies and clients alike must adapt, not just to survive but to lead.

The 2025 Pan-European Live-Experience Matrix

The matrix summarizes how seven European regions differ across primary client objective, top audience demand, technology adoption, budget outlook, measurement focus, and key cultural driver.

Region	Primary Client Objective	Top Audience Demand	Tech Adoption	Budget Outlook	Measurement Focus	Key Cultural Driver
Nordics	Effectiveness	Personalization	Strategic Adopter	Stable	Relationship & Trust	High-Trust & Consensus
Baltics	Leveraging Technology	Personalization & Purpose	Pioneer	Stable	Engagement & Data	Digital-Native Society
Southern Europe	Driving Sales	Unseen Experiences	Strategic Adopter	Under Pressure	Sales Pipeline Impact	Experience Economy
DACH	Managing Volatility	Purpose & Effectiveness	Strategic Adopter	Stagnant & Cautious	Return on Investment	Risk Aversion & Pragmatism
BeNeLux	Improving Brand Loyalty	Satisfying Changing Needs	Strategic Adopter	Under Pressure	Brand Loyalty & Engagement	Community & Relationship
CEE	Creativity	Engagement	Follower	Growing	Engagement & Creativity	Growth & Differentiation
UK & Ireland	Continuous Innovation	Community & New Experiences	Pioneer	Stable	Return on Investment	Market Maturity & Saturation

What Matters Most to Marketers in Different European Regions

Pan-European averages mask sharp regional differences in what clients prioritize:

UK and Ireland: Effectiveness ranks first among all communication aspects. 45% of marketers place it first, against a European client average of 29%.
DACH: Purpose-driven experiences lead. 56% of clients see this as the number one audience need, compared with 40% across Europe.
Southern Europe: The “thirst for first” is strongest here. 60% of clients rank the desire for unseen, unheard experiences first, against a 27% European average.
Baltics: Strong digital competencies mean personalization ranks highest, seen as the top audience need by 57% versus 37% across Europe.
Nordics: Belief in steady, continuous relationships is highest. 24% report long-term (3 years or more) service agreements with event agencies, 33% higher than the 18% average.
BeNeLux: Data analytics matter most. 78% rate its importance 8, 9, or 10 on a 10-point scale, against a 47% European average.
Central & Eastern Europe: Measurement is most advanced. 64% have established KPIs, compared with the 48% European average.

Innovation Under Pressure: What Clients Want vs. What Agencies Can Deliver

Clients and agencies shared a landscape of intense pressure in 2025. For clients, the top challenge was delivering continuous innovation (cited by 51%). That demand meets the reality of economic headwinds, which 63% of agency leaders identify as their top concern. The result is a difficult equation: clients need more innovation while 75% of agencies report facing increased budget pressure from them. Faced with the mandate to innovate under tight fiscal constraints, agencies are turning to technology. The increasing importance of AI has become a top-three trend, seen as a powerful, double-edged sword that boosts creativity and efficiency on one hand while raising client expectations for value and speed on the other.

Top agency trends now

Increasing economic uncertainty / geopolitical risk: 83%
Increasing use of Artificial Intelligence: 79%
Increasing use of technology: 63%
Increasing importance of producing sustainable events: 51%
Increasing focus on customer experience optimization: 51%

Talent: the converging future priority

Looking ahead, the perspectives of clients and agencies converge dramatically on a single theme: talent. For clients, the most significant future trend is transforming workforces, a priority that more than doubles in importance from 13% to 32%. Agencies experience the other side of the same shift: their number one future challenge is finding new talent, a concern for 51% of leaders, up from 38%. Clients need a transformed workforce to succeed, and agencies need to find that talent first. An agency that addresses talent acquisition through remote and flexible work arrangements will be best positioned to meet client innovation requirements.

Rising economic uncertainty and geopolitical risk are driving demand for agile formats, shorter lead times, and regional, value-focused events, posing both a challenge and an opportunity. Ivo J. Franschitz, Founder & Owner, ENITED business events, Vienna

The New Non-Negotiables: AI and Economic Uncertainty

Two challenges have solidified at the top of the agency agenda: economic uncertainty and the increasing use of AI. Both are projected to remain primary concerns in the future. Foundational trends such as producing sustainable events and optimizing customer experience remain critical and stable for over half of agency leaders. The data also reveals a rapidly escalating challenge in finding talent, underscoring the need for agencies to build workplaces that foster loyalty and retain top performers.

Agency trend	2025	Future
Increasing economic uncertainty / geopolitical risk	83%	78%
Increasing use of Artificial Intelligence	79%	68%
Increasing use of technology	63%	56%
Increasing importance of producing sustainable events	51%	52%
Increasing focus on customer experience optimization	51%	49%
Increasing difficulty in finding new talent	38%	51%
Increasing reliance on remote and flexible work	24%	37%

Clients want innovation today, but need workforce transformation tomorrow

For clients, the primary business challenges remain delivering continuous innovation (51%) and managing market volatility (46%). The most dramatic story in the data is the explosive growth of transforming the existing workforce as a future focus, leaping from 13% to 32%, a 19-point rise that elevates it from a minor issue to a core strategic concern. Combined with a rising focus on technological disruption (up 7 points to 31%), this shows clients looking inward to build resilience. Regional pressures differ: in the UK & Ireland and Southern Europe innovation is the undisputed top challenge, while in the core economies of DACH and BeNeLux managing market volatility is the primary concern. The Nordics place unique emphasis on sustainability, and CEE is most focused on adapting to changing customer needs.

The Inflation Illusion: When Stable Budgets Equal Less

At first glance client budgets look healthy, with more clients reporting growth (40%) than reductions (22%). But these top-line figures mask inflation. The 31% of clients with stable or minimally growing budgets are facing a real-terms decrease in spending power. A budget that does not outpace inflation is effectively a cut, putting immense pressure on agencies to deliver more value with functionally less resource.

The budget continuum, by region

Growth markets: The Baltics and Central & Eastern Europe show robust positive momentum and growing investment in live events.
Stable and modest growth: The Nordics and Southern Europe see slight increases; the UK & Ireland hold steady.
Contraction markets: Core Western European hubs, including BeNeLux and DACH, are experiencing clear budget reductions and a more cautious events landscape.

Trading one crisis for another

Over the past three years the industry’s story is one of transition. It began with navigating Covid restrictions (41%), but as the world reopened, inflation emerged as the dominant force. The top developments affecting live events over three years were price increases for venues (43%), Covid restrictions (41%), price increases for hospitality (30%), price increases for travel (30%), sustainability regulations (22%), and data privacy laws (20%). The defining challenge of the post-pandemic era is managing cost increases across the entire supply chain.

Budget Constraints Are Driving the Rise of Event Content Repurposing

Perhaps the most significant strategic evolution is the reconceptualization of events as powerful content engines rather than standalone activities. Clients increasingly see events as a content platform, enabling formats such as live-audience podcasts, real-time social media highlight clips, and material captured for future blog posts and videos. This signals a fundamental shift in how event ROI is perceived: value is no longer confined to leads generated on the day, but increasingly derived from a rich repository of content assets that can fuel marketing channels for weeks or months. The event becomes a strategic content investment rather than a line-item expense. Leveraging event content was identified by 34% of marketers as a top 2025 trend.

Case study: Squid Game 2, Nordics

When Netflix launched Season 2 of Squid Game in the Nordics, 27Names member agency Fieldwork (Norway) created an exclusive experience in Copenhagen. A 10,000 sqm venue became an immersive Squid Game fortress with interactive zones designed to inspire shareable, content-generating moments.

Multi-Channel or Missed Opportunity: Why Distribution Matters More Than Ever

Audience expectations have evolved; events are no longer standalone moments but platforms for ongoing engagement. 27Names member agencies have moved beyond pure event production into content strategy, multi-channel digital amplification, and long-term community management. Half of all 27Names agencies leverage multi-channel communication strategies most of the time or always; the other half use them occasionally depending on the project. Social media is the channel of choice, with every agency using it alongside live events to maximize impact.

Digital by default

The brand experience is being deconstructed and reassembled. Younger audiences in particular demand personalization, purpose, and participation, forcing a rethink of event design and the definition of success. The vast majority of 27Names agencies confirm that more than half of their clients plan digital activations to ensure full audience coverage and measurable engagement.

Over 75% of our clients seek digital activations, because amplification through emerging tech does not just engage better, it delivers measurable results and elevates the entire experience. Valentin Văcăruș, Founder, Godmother Group, Bucharest

The Only KPIs That Matter Now: Engagement and Pipeline Impact

When events are designed for deep engagement they foster loyalty and build authentic brand advocacy, driving success in the middle and bottom of the marketing funnel. While aggregate numbers suggest a common view, priorities differ across regional clusters. Six market characters can be identified:

ROI-driven markets (DACH & UK/Ireland): Heavily focused on hard, quantifiable metrics. Effectiveness/ROI is the most critical aspect for 42.8% of DACH clients and 45.5% of UK & Ireland clients.
Quality-focused market (Nordics): Prioritize ROI (47.1%) but place uniquely strong secondary emphasis on production quality (41.2%), demanding flawless execution as part of value.
Attitude market (Baltics): Awareness and belief alongside measurable pipeline impact both rank first equally at 50%.
Transactional market (Southern Europe): Measurable pipeline impact and live audience attendance both rank first equally at 50%.
Creativity-led market (CEE): Creativity is the primary measure of success, ranked most critical by 41.7%.
Budget-conscious market (BeNeLux): Uniquely, budget itself is ranked the most critical aspect (33.3%), reflecting extreme cost-consciousness.

Preferred marketing KPIs (clients)

Engagement: 46%
Impact on pipeline: 41%
Live audience attendance: 33%
Awareness and belief: 31%
Direct feedback: 29%
Behavioral change: 28%
Sentiment: 25%
Content consumption: 23%
Return on relationship: 16%

The KPI gap: clients want ROI but do not measure it

About half of all clients confirm they prefer digital activities at physical events because of expected impact, rising to 75% in smaller markets and 83% in BeNeLux. Yet on tracking KPIs to measure live-event success, 53% say yes, 27% say no, and 21% have only just started to establish KPIs, leaving nearly half without a settled measurement framework.

ROI is still king, but clients define it differently

Effectiveness/ROI (30%), creativity (26%), and staying within budget (24%) were identified as the most critical aspects of live-event success, with production quality (19%) notably not a top-tier factor from the client perspective. From an agency view this is a surprise and suggests agencies have not fully explained the link between production values and effectiveness. The Nordics stand out: 47% of clients put effectiveness first, versus a 30% European average. On data analytics, the 80:20 rule applies, with data critical to 80% of clients; ROI is the most important post-event data point for nearly three quarters of respondents, followed by attendee profiles (60%) and sustainability data (17%).

The New Rules of Audience Engagement: Purpose, Personalization, and Immersion

Asked about the new and evolving wants of their audiences, clients place purpose-driven experiences at the top (40%), followed by personalization (37%), improved content (35%), and immersive and alternate experiences (33%). Notably, hunger for innovation or preferred access, the “thirst for first,” does not make the 30% cut at a pan-European level. On future opportunities, regional emphasis varies widely: virtual communities lead in the UK & Ireland, immersive experiences in DACH (56%), the thirst for first in Southern Europe (60%), purpose-driven experiences in the Baltics (50%), multi-sensory experiences in the Nordics (50%), and creativity in CEE (42%). On personalization specifically, European adoption remains relatively low compared with more CRM-savvy markets like China and the United States: providing personalized session recommendations (20%), personalized event summaries (16%), and personalized networking recommendations (13%) are still emerging practices.

AI Adoption Hits a Tipping Point

The increasing use of AI is a practical reality, not a theoretical trend. 17% of 27Names members have fully implemented AI solutions, and 72% are piloting or at a minimally viable product stage. Nearly half of agencies (48%) say AI is already an integral part of doing business, and 43% have started training some or all departments. The next challenge is taking AI to strategic maturity: integrating it into the core offering for predictive analytics, audience segmentation, trend forecasting, and hyper-personalized customer journeys at scale.

AI use by agency function

Creative team: 97%
Strategy team: 65%
Production team: 60%
Tech team: 49%
Finance team: 10%
None of our teams: 2%

AI First: the new skillset agencies are prioritizing

Continuous learning is central to the 27Names approach. While AI is the number one training topic (83%), other key topics are client management (65%), use of technology (48%), and customer insight and strategy (46%). Teams are updated mainly through regular meetings (70%) and internal training sessions (54%). Members also benefit from Talent X, an international training program held twice a year across Europe.

AI is transforming our service offering with multiple projects using new tech, and it helps us optimise across research, strategy, ideation and creative. There is endless opportunity. Anton Jerges, CEO, We Are Collider, London

Sustainability’s Reality Check: Mandate vs. Money

Sustainability has moved from a peripheral CSR initiative to a central pillar of brand strategy and a critical factor in the client-agency relationship. Yet a problematic chasm has opened between proclaimed ideals and financial reality. Only 2% of agencies say all their clients request sustainability credentials, though 48% say more than half their clients request them. While sustainability is a non-negotiable mandate in principle, it remains a largely unfunded one in practice.

The sustainability funding gap

The gap between what clients expect and what they will fund is the report’s starkest data point. The funding gap is the difference between the share of agencies reporting high client expectations on sustainability and the share reporting high client willingness to pay for it.

Metric	All Agencies	Small	Midsize	Large
>50% of clients expect sustainability credentials	42.9%	8.3%	42.3%	60.0%
>50% of clients willing to accept higher costs	12.7%	0.0%	15.4%	16.0%
The Funding Gap	-30.2 pts	-8.3 pts	-26.9 pts	-44.0 pts

Practical guidance from members includes five high-impact actions to cut emissions: prioritize public transport and local suppliers for travel and mobility; keep technical production lean and avoid overproduction; reuse signage with non-toxic, low-waste materials; choose energy-efficient venues and accommodation; and favour vegetarian (around 80% reduction) and seasonal, local catering (around 30% reduction).

The Client-Agency Relationship

The client paradox: creativity wins the pitch, but full-service wins the work

Creative excellence (58%) and innovative solutions (35%) are the qualities that make an agency stand out, but when it is time to award a project clients value the security of a full-service agency (42%) far above creative services alone (18%). Clients are drawn to specialist creativity yet ultimately value a reliable, one-stop partner that can also deliver powerful creative work.

Where agencies win or lose: build-up and showtime

Clients are clear on what they expect: the attendee experience at the event is most important (59%), followed by the attendee experience before the event (42%). Branding (24%), content (20%), and the post-event attendee experience (10%) are secondary to the core services clients buy.

Project-based vs. long-term partnerships

The project-by-project model remains dominant, with 47% of clients engaging agencies per event. But a countertrend is emerging: 18% now use long-term (3 years or more) agreements for all services, 8% short-term multi-service agreements, and 4% annual retainers, signalling a desire for deeper strategic partnerships. Preferred contract type is mixed in the Nordics, BeNeLux and DACH, project-based in Southern Europe, Baltics and CEE, and long-term in the UK & Ireland.

The pitch paradox

The top reason clients initiate a competitive pitch is the quest for fresh ideas and a new creative perspective (56%), followed by budget constraints (47%) and procurement policy (40%). Agency leaders describe pitches as resource-intensive and often inconclusive, highlighting a misalignment between effort invested and value delivered.

Creative mastery: the number one reason clients choose specialists

When clients need a specialist rather than broad operational support, one factor dominates: 76% state that deep creative specialization is their primary criterion for choosing a niche agency partner, far outweighing production capability (60%), technology (24%), access to a venue (19%), or agency size (10%). The message to specialized agencies is to master their craft.

A tale of two Europes: innovation vs. cost-efficiency

On a 1-to-10 scale from prioritizing cost-efficiency to prioritizing innovation, the continent shows a cautious lean toward innovation, but with deep regional divides. Southern European clients are significantly more bullish on innovation, while the UK, Ireland, and the Baltics are more pragmatic about cost. Mean scores: Southern Europe 6.8, Nordics 6.4, DACH 6.4, CEE 6.2, BeNeLux 6.2, UK & Ireland 5.5, Baltics 5.1.

The new normal: why “in-house vs. agency” is the wrong question

The rise of the in-house team has been framed as a threat to agencies, but the data reveals a more collaborative reality. A full 50% of clients now operate a hybrid model that blends internal brand knowledge with external agency creative power, 31% work with in-house teams, and 19% do not. This points to integrated, strategic partnership rather than simple outsourcing.

The squeezed middle: why midsize agencies feel the pressure

Beneath budget pressure lies a shift in how clients decide. Agencies report more short-term, project-based requests, which they read as a symptom of longer, more fragmented internal approval processes. As clients defer major commitments they create a stream of smaller, urgent needs. This “project churn” makes resourcing and stable career planning difficult, and it is midsize agencies that are caught most acutely in the squeezed middle.

Feedback that fuels growth

Most client feedback is gathered through informal discussion: post-project discussion (81%) and direct feedback or comments (74%), with only 33% using a standardized questionnaire. Capturing feedback in a structured way ties it to KPIs and turns a one-time conversation into a tool for continuous, measurable improvement.

DEI beyond the slide deck

For 67% of agencies, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is a constant, active pursuit (27% always, 40% most of the time). The commitment rests on four pillars: formalized DEI initiatives such as charters and certifications; active engagement and partnerships; accessible events and work environments; and an inclusive organizational culture that challenges stereotypes and encourages diverse voices.

Strategic Playbooks

The Strategic Agency Leader Playbook: five imperatives for the agency of the future

Evolve from executor to strategic counsel. Shift from reactive “doer” to proactive consultant who solves core business challenges, not just creative tasks.
Develop an AI-powered, value-based commercial model. Counter AI-driven price pressure by reframing from hours billed to measurable ROI delivered, with models based on impact, not effort.
Solve the sustainability paradox with a “good, better, best” framework. Stop absorbing hidden costs; introduce transparent, tiered offerings that shift the investment decision to clients.
Become a true business partner through co-created KPIs. Lead the effort to build bespoke measurement frameworks that tie event outcomes to client business objectives.
Design services around content and community. Build capabilities in content strategy, digital amplification, and long-term community management to deliver sustained engagement.

The Strategic Client Playbook: how to get the best from your agency partner

Treat your agency as a partner, not a procurement line item. Build engagement models that reward strategic thinking, moving beyond a lowest-price mindset.
Be the internal champion for marketing’s value. Prove marketing ROI to the C-suite with robust measurement frameworks and defend the budget as a growth driver.
Be an honest broker on sustainability. Acknowledge sustainable practices have a real cost and invest consciously to avoid the greenwashing trap.
Demand and invest in agency team stability. Recognize that staff churn at your agency hurts quality, and treat team retention as a leading indicator of a healthy partner.
Align your briefs with modern audience needs. Shift focus from logistics and lead counts to purpose-driven, personalized experiences, and measure success by engagement quality, not just attendance.

What This Means for Brand Marketers

The report’s strategic playbooks lean toward agencies. For a brand or in-house marketing team deciding what live experience, brand activation, pop-up, or installation to create in Europe, the data points to six practical takeaways:

Design every activation as a content engine, not a one-off. With 34% of marketers naming event content as the top trend, the value of a pop-up, launch, or installation now extends for weeks or months through podcasts, social clips, and reusable assets, not just the day itself.
Tailor the format and message to the region. There is no single European audience. Southern European audiences want unseen, first-of-their-kind experiences (60%), DACH audiences demand immersive and purpose-driven formats (56%), the Nordics prize effectiveness and long-term relationships, the Baltics expect personalization and technology, BeNeLux leans on data and brand loyalty, CEE values creativity, and the UK and Ireland reward continuous innovation and community.
Define your KPIs before you write the brief. Nearly half of clients (48%) have no settled measurement framework. Agree up front on engagement and pipeline metrics, the two KPIs marketers value most, so the activation can be judged on impact rather than headcount.
If you demand sustainability, budget for it. The -30.2 point funding gap shows expectations far outrunning willingness to pay. A “good, better, best” tiered approach lets you make conscious, costed choices instead of greenwashing.
Personalize the attendee journey. Purpose-driven experiences (40%) and personalization (37%) top audience expectations, and examples in the report use tools like custom landing pages and NFC wristbands to tailor experiences before, during, and after the event.
Value reliability and partnership, not just creative flash. Clients are drawn to creativity in the pitch but hire full-service partners (42%) for delivery. Treat agency team stability as a quality signal and favour a partner who can both create and execute.

Case Studies by Objective

These examples are drawn from 27Names member agencies across Europe, spanning markets from Spain, Portugal, and France to Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. They are grouped by the objective a brand might start from, as a practical reference for deciding what kind of live experience, brand activation, pop-up, or installation to create.

Product launches and driving sales

Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio at The Sphere, Las Vegas (beon worldwide, Spain)

To launch AI-powered hearing aid technology, beon worldwide invited audiologists and hearing professionals into The Sphere, with 164,000 sound speakers and vast high-resolution screens, creating a fully immersive product reveal. Attendees rated it 9.7, and sales increased by 30%.

BYD car launch, Czech Republic (Creative Pro)

A combination of media outreach, live product interaction, and influencer-driven content drove a wide-reaching, multi-channel launch resonating with both B2B and consumer audiences. Interactive zones and lifestyle elements such as karaoke and AI-powered photo booths generated over 143 media mentions and a GRP of 132.3, reaching nearly 10 million people.

Nescafé Neo coffee machine launch (UPPartner, Portugal)

UPPartner supported the launch of a new coffee machine built on proprietary technology and home-compostable pods, with a highly immersive event for 400 guests, media, internal staff, and partners, pairing product storytelling with sustainability.

Content, social reach, and earned media

Squid Game Season 2, Nordics (Fieldwork, Norway)

For Netflix, Fieldwork built an exclusive Squid Game experience in Copenhagen. A 10,000 sqm venue became an immersive fortress with dynamic, interactive zones, with every detail designed to encourage guests to create content and build anticipation for the new season.

Journal.hr summer event, Croatia (Alert)

A TikTok-based multi-channel approach combined a TikTok interview campaign, real-time viral video content, influencer-led activations, and a dedicated photo wall. It achieved 2.7 million organic views and a 50% increase in followers among the 18 to 24 audience.

Labello Studios TikTok launch, Milan Fashion Week (NEXT Group, Italy)

A phygital project launched the brand’s TikTok channel: a real-world space for content creators, a live event, an original sound, and content designed for digital natives, showing how on-site experiences can become viral social formats that speak the language of Gen Z.

Rijksmuseum 10 millionth visitor (XSAGA, Netherlands)

An unsuspecting teacher was informed he was the museum’s 10 millionth visitor and invited to spend a night alone in front of The Night Watch. The campaign reached 31 million social followers in just seven days and won first place in the Cultural Event category at the Bea World awards.

AI-powered creative

La Samaritaine, Paris (Magic Garden, France)

With AI support, Magic Garden brought surrealism to life in the LVMH-owned department store, transforming eleven iconic locations into surrealist visuals for an immersive experience. The highly awarded project generated significant curiosity, with 39 media outputs, 59 million contacts, and 3,500 photos taken.

Yuuki, an AI character for Takeda (onto[story], Germany)

Yuuki is an AI character developed with onto[story]. She coaches and encourages employees to use AI tools and appears as a keynote speaker on AI and ethics and on AI and storytelling, an example of artificial characters becoming coaches and speakers.

Purpose, personalization, and internal events

Swedbank Diversity Simulator (SponsorKing, Latvia)

An internal Diversity Simulator was taken public as a mobile installation at one of Latvia’s biggest social-issue gatherings, letting people experience situations others navigate daily and creating a valuable dialogue on inclusivity in line with the brand’s purpose.

Tralux 50th anniversary (Mediation, Luxembourg)

For a construction company’s anniversary, every detail was hyperpersonalized and many elements were co-created with participants. The results were increased engagement and deepened loyalty, showing that personalization matters most at internal celebrations.

Large-scale internal experience for Bolt

A two-day event for over 1,800 participants used custom-built landing pages to collect preferences, a five-month communications plan across three channels, and NFC-enabled wristbands to track activity choices and capture engagement data. Post-event, the data shaped future, more bespoke events.

Sustainability in practice

Odpadnesh banner recycling (Creative Pro, Slovakia)

In cooperation with the non-profit Úsmev ako dar, used event and advertising banners are transformed into bags, handbags, and covers, providing employment opportunities for people in poverty while recycling materials from the agency’s own and clients’ events.

MyImpactTool (VO Group, Belgium)

VO Group created a tool to measure the environmental impact of events, alongside five high-impact actions to cut emissions across travel and mobility, technical production, signage, venue and accommodation, and food and catering.

Nordic Tech Sustainability Awards (Fieldwork, utsikt, and Lataamo)

Three member agencies collaborated to deliver Cap Gemini’s awards simultaneously in Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm, recognising tech-driven solutions for a sustainable future, including a 60-minute live awards broadcast.

Big impact on small budgets

Rare Diseases Biobank launch, Lithuania (ReKūrai)

With a modest 3,000 euro budget for Vilnius University, the agency used a focused communication strategy and strategic ambassadors who resonated with different audiences, an Olympic champion, a playwright, a journalist-activist, and a cultural producer. Participant registration rose by more than 3,400% with widespread national media coverage.

Time Machine Gala Dinner, Lithuania (MG Group)

A brief to create something never done before in Lithuania resulted in a Platinum Eventex Award for Best Gala in the World, national media coverage, new large-scale commissions, a doubling of team size, and a twofold increase in annual sales revenue.

Resilience in uncertain markets

Ukraine Recovery Conference, Rome (SUN Event, Ukraine)

SUN Event supported a leading law and consulting firm during the Ukraine Recovery Conference, where international decision-makers met. The event created a platform to inspire investment in Ukraine amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, showing that trust and collaboration can overcome hesitation.

Perspectives from Industry Leaders

Selected quotes from the agency and client leaders who contributed to the report.

Rising budget pressures defined our 2024 agenda: we prioritized lean production and collaborative supplier models to deliver impactful live experiences while fully preserving our creative ambition. Peter Varga, Head of Events, BO Agency, Budapest

The success of an event is often not reflected solely in the event itself. Powerful ideas generate cross-media applicability, which is key to maximising reach and engagement. Michael Meyer, CEO, JEFF, Zurich

To stay ahead on new technologies, we empower our talents to actively identify, test, and implement emerging technologies, ensuring we deliver the most innovative solutions to our clients. Øystein Johanssen, CEO and Partner, Fieldwork, Oslo

We created two significant innovations fully based on AI, both relevant for corporations in transformation: a semantic analysis tool and AI-based characters trained and integrated into various tools. Petra Lammers, CEO and Founder, onto[story], Cologne

Events are the most effective way to highlight a brand’s identity in an engaging format. The right atmosphere, location, and product integration create a lasting impression on purchasing decisions. Sami Vihma, Sports Manager, Red Bull Finland

We measure the return on investment of each activity, especially to learn all the time and make informed decisions for the future. María Gómez, Head of EMEA Events, Amadeus IT Group, Madrid

Our focus is on designing purpose-driven, immersive experiences that not only resonate emotionally but also deliver measurable results. Patrick Bossart, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Mercedes-Benz Schweiz

Business events are no longer just gatherings, they are strategic tools that shape perception, drive innovation, and build community. Events aren’t logistics, they are leverage. Boštjan Prijanovič, Partner and Managing Director, New Moment, Ljubljana

Compared to large companies, SMEs are less prepared to face higher sustainability costs. It is up to us to lead with smart, inspiring solutions that reduce impact without increasing expense. Xavier Vincent, CEO, VO Group, Brussels

We use digital tools and an in-house knowledge centre to efficiently capture, analyse, and act on client feedback, ensuring continuous improvement through data-driven insights. Rui Batista, Executive Director, UPPartner, Lisbon

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the European Experience Index (EEX)?

The European Experience Index is an annual benchmark for Europe’s live-experience industry, published by 27Names. The 2025 edition is the first to combine data from both agencies and their clients, drawing on 135 senior leaders across 27 European countries, covering AI, talent, budgets, measurement, sustainability, and what audiences expect by region.

What live experiences work best for a product launch in Europe?

The report’s strongest launch examples are immersive, content-rich formats. A hearing-aid launch at The Sphere in Las Vegas (beon worldwide) used a fully immersive environment and lifted sales by 30%, while a car launch in the Czech Republic (Creative Pro) combined live product interaction, influencers, and AI photo booths to reach nearly 10 million people. The common thread is treating the launch as a content engine, which 34% of marketers name as the top trend, so it generates assets and reach well beyond the day itself.

Should a brand invest in a pop-up, an installation, or a large-scale brand activation?

The EEX does not rank formats, but its data points to how to choose. Whatever the format, clients say the on-site attendee experience matters most (59%), and the highest-value activations double as content engines. Format choice should follow the region and objective: Southern European audiences reward unseen, first-of-their-kind experiences (60%), DACH audiences want immersive, purpose-driven formats (56%), and CEE clients prize creativity. Match the scale and type of activation to what the local audience values rather than defaulting to one format everywhere.

How do you measure the success of a live experience or brand activation?

Agree the metrics before the brief, because 48% of clients have no settled KPIs. Marketers value engagement (46%) and impact on sales pipeline (41%) most, followed by live audience attendance and awareness. Return on investment is the single most requested post-event data point, cited by 74% of clients, so build measurement into the activation from the start rather than trying to prove value afterwards.

Which European regions suit which kinds of live experiences?

The report’s regional matrix maps this directly. The Nordics prioritize effectiveness and long-term relationships; the Baltics expect personalization and are technology pioneers; Southern Europe wants unseen experiences and sales impact; DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) demands purpose, immersion, and clear ROI; BeNeLux leans on data analytics and brand loyalty; CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) values creativity and engagement; and the UK and Ireland reward continuous innovation and community building.

How is AI changing live experiences and experiential marketing?

AI has moved from buzzword to standard practice. 79% of agencies rank its growing use as a dominant trend, and 97% of creative teams already use it. Examples in the report include an AI-enabled surrealist transformation of the La Samaritaine store in Paris (Magic Garden) and an AI character that coaches staff and speaks at events for Takeda (onto[story]). The caution is that AI also raises client expectations for speed and lower cost, so brands should expect efficiency gains, not overnight miracles.

Why should a brand consider live experiences in Europe at all?

In a digital-saturated landscape, live experiences remain one of the most effective ways to build emotional brand connection, drive pipeline, and create reusable content. Half of clients now run a hybrid model that blends in-house teams with specialist agencies, signalling that experiential work has become a strategic, ongoing channel rather than a one-off cost. The EEX gives brands the data from senior agency and client leaders to decide what to create, where, and how to prove it worked.

Key Facts About 27Names

Agency of the Year: Three member agencies were recently named Agency of the Year in their countries (including Estonia, Finland, and Norway).
Awards: Member agencies collected 110 local and international awards in 2024.
Growth: Members planned 14% growth for 2024 but actually compounded at 15% year-over-year, and predict around 8% growth for 2025.
Gender diversity: 54% of talent and 63% of leadership across member agencies are women.
Member structure: Roughly 30% of member agencies are small, 37% midsize, and 33% large.
Communication expertise: Live events account for around 69% of activity on average, with the balance across the wider marketing communications mix.

Methodology

The research was conducted in April and May 2025 by NewtonX, an independent market research firm. Data was processed and analysed using a combination of traditional statistical software and an AI-powered tool. The findings are based on research with 135 senior industry leaders across 27 European countries, including 63 agency leaders from the 27Names network and their senior marketing clients from a diverse range of industries. The study aimed to understand how clients and agencies interpret current market forces, adjust priorities, and prepare for the future. Agency leaders by company size: 11 to 30 employees (44%), 31 to 100 (32%), more than 101 (8%). Clients by role: Marketing Manager (17%), Event Director (16%), Event Manager (14%), Communications Manager (11%), Marketing Director (10%), Communications Director (10%), CMO (5%). Clients by industry: Finance (17%), FMCG (16%), Technology (14%), Governmental Institutions (14%), Energy (11%), Alcoholic Beverage (11%), Retail (10%), Automotive / Mobility (10%), Education (10%), Entertainment / Media (10%), Fashion (5%), Insurance (5%), Pharmaceutical (5%). Creative direction and design by Blink Twice Studios.

Member Agencies

The EEX 2025 was commissioned by 27Names, the community of Europe’s best independent live-experience agencies, with members across 27 European countries:

Austria: ENITED business events (Vienna)
Belgium: VO Group (Brussels)
Switzerland: JEFF (Zurich, Lausanne)
Czech Republic & Slovakia: Creative Pro (Prague, Bratislava)
Germany: onto[story] (Cologne)
Denmark: member agency (Copenhagen)
Spain: beon. Worldwide (Madrid, Seville)
Estonia: Jolos (Tallinn)
France: Magic Garden (Paris)
Finland: Lataamo Creative (Helsinki)
Croatia: Alert (Zagreb)
Hungary: BO Agency (Budapest)
Ireland: Neon Agency (Dublin)
Italy: Next Group (Milan, Rome)
Lithuania: ReKurai (Vilnius)
Luxembourg: Mediation (Luxembourg City)
Latvia: SponsorKing (Riga)
Norway: Fieldwork (Oslo, Stavanger)
Netherlands: XSAGA (Amsterdam)
Portugal: UPPartner (Lisbon)
Poland: member agency (Warsaw)
Romania: Godmother (Bucharest)
Sweden: Utsikt (Stockholm)
Slovenia: New Moment (Ljubljana)
Ukraine: SUN Event (Kyiv, Rome)
UK: We Are Collider (London)

Download the full visual report (PDF)

European Experience Index™ (EEX) is a trademark of 27Names Live-Experiences CLG. © 27Names Live-Experiences CLG, The Black Church, St. Mary’s Place, Dublin 7, Dublin, D07P4AX, Ireland. For more information contact Ralf Specht, Chairman, 27Names, at chairman@27names.com