57% of European event agencies already operate internationally

Internationalization is consolidating as an engine of growth. According to a report by Associated Spanish Event Agencies (AEVEA), 57% of the companies already develop international activity. Among them, 61% do so even outside the European continent, in markets such as the Middle East, Asia or North America.

As a member of the LiveCom Alliance, AEVEA presents the results of the European Industry Survey 2025, a strategic research focused on the degree of preparedness and international projection of the European live communication sector. The study, coordinated by LiveCom Alliance and conducted by the prestigious German institute RIFEL, analyzes the responses of around one and a half hundred companies belonging to national associations in seven European countries.

The report shows that 57% of the companies are already internationally active, and that 61% of this group are doing so outside the European continent, in markets such as the Middle East, Asia and North America. Internationalization is thus consolidated as an engine of growth, especially for those agencies that already operate outside their borders, and that value this dimension with an average score of 3.5 out of 5, compared to 2.7 for those that have not yet made the international leap.

The main motivations for internationalization include income growth, access to new clients and risk diversification. In addition, the possibility of collaborating with qualified international partners and replicating successful event formats in other markets is positively valued.

In terms of economic impact, the report notes that, on average, 24% of the turnover of internationalized companies comes from outside Europe. In addition, these companies anticipate higher growth in their clients' budgets than those operating only domestically.

The study also identifies different levels of international involvement: from the export of services without a local presence, to more complex models such as the creation of subsidiaries, joint ventures, franchising or the development of global operations with local adaptation.

However, the internationalization process is not free of challenges. The main barriers reported by those surveyed are the high implementation costs, the legal and regulatory difficulties, and the cultural differences, aspects that affect both companies that have already internationalized and those that are considering doing so.

To address these challenges successfully, the study highlights the importance of having staff with cross-cultural competence and establishing strong>strong partnerships both locally and internationally. Likewise, the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital platforms or cloud tools, is consolidating as an essential element for international operations.

Mariano Rodríguez, president of AEVEA, values the data with optimism, but also with a call to action: “This study reflects a clear trend: more and more agencies are going abroad, and those that do get better results. From AEVEA we believe that it is time to promote this opening even more, encouraging Spanish agencies to be informed and trained to successfully face the challenges of the international market. Spain has plenty of talent and creativity to compete globally.