Katarina Railko brings a wealth of experience from the travel and hospitality sectors into the high-stakes world of entertainment and major events. As an expert who has seen the industry navigate various economic cycles, she offers a critical perspective on how organizations are currently balancing the books while trying to preserve the human element that makes conferences and expos successful. Her background in large-scale expos and conferences provides her with a unique lens on the labor challenges that are currently reshaping the professional landscape.
Our discussion explores the shifting landscape of recruitment within the events sector, where fiscal pressures are forcing a radical redesign of workforce structures. We dive into the delicate balance between fostering employee wellbeing and managing the increased workloads that stem from staffing shortages, while also looking at the essential skills—ranging from AI to emotional intelligence—that will define the next generation of event leaders. We also examine the long-term implications of rising operational costs and the industry’s proactive efforts to cultivate a sustainable talent pipeline despite a climate of economic uncertainty.
With entry-level hiring becoming increasingly difficult due to rising employment costs, what long-term impact do you foresee for the talent pipeline in the events industry?
The situation we are seeing in the June 2026 data is quite concerning, as nine in ten event professionals report that rising employment costs have actively restricted their ability to bring in younger staff. When 90% of a sector is struggling to recruit at the entry level, we are essentially looking at a looming demographic gap that could hollow out the industry’s middle management in a few years. This isn’t just a theoretical worry; the research shows that one in five organizations have already reduced their workforce size over the last 12 months due to these cost pressures and market uncertainty. If we cannot find a way to make these roles accessible again, we risk losing the fresh perspectives and digital fluency that younger workers bring to the table. We have to realize that without a steady stream of new talent, the specialized expertise required to execute world-class events will become increasingly concentrated and eventually scarce.
We are seeing a significant shift where over half of organizations have changed their workforce composition in the last year; how are these businesses adapting their internal structures to stay competitive?
The shift is quite dramatic, with 51% of respondents noting that the very makeup of their teams has transformed in just a twelve-month period. To cope with the financial strain, about 26% of businesses are pivoting their focus toward hiring only senior or highly experienced employees who can hit the ground running without extensive hand-holding. Simultaneously, another 26% are leaning heavily into multi-skilling their existing teams to ensure that every staff member can handle a variety of roles across an event’s lifecycle. This move toward a “leaner and meaner” structure is a direct response to the 69% of organizations who say operating costs are their biggest external pressure. While this smarter way of working helps control costs in the short term, it places a heavy burden on the current staff to be masters of all trades.
How is the current economic climate specifically dictating the daily recruitment decisions and operational strategies of event firms?
The economic pressure is no longer a background noise; it is the primary driver for nearly 70% of organizational plans right now. We are seeing specific legislative changes, such as the increases in Employers’ National Insurance and the National Minimum Wage, impacting the hiring strategies for more than half of the industry. This has led to a defensive posture where 4 in 10 organizations are simply delaying recruitment altogether, choosing to wait for a more stable financial forecast before committing to new headcount. Instead of bringing in new help, 38% of businesses have opted to increase the workloads of their current employees, which is a risky strategy for long-term retention. It creates a cycle where the fear of rising costs prevents growth, leading to a reliance on a shrinking pool of workers who are expected to do more with less.
There seems to be a contradiction between the 77% of workers reporting a good work-life balance and the 48% reporting an increase in burnout; how do you interpret these conflicting wellbeing trends?
It is a fascinating and somewhat alarming paradox that we are witnessing in the sector right now. On one hand, there has been a real cultural push to embed wellbeing into the workplace, which explains why 77% of employees feel they have a solid work-life balance. However, the reality of leaner teams means that 48% of professionals are still reporting a rise in stress and burnout, largely because the work doesn’t go away just because the staff does. High workloads and staffing shortages were cited as the primary triggers for this mental health decline, showing that even the best corporate culture can’t fully offset the physical exhaustion of an understaffed event. It suggests that while we are talking more about mental health, the structural reality of the “lean workforce” is still taking a significant toll on the people who remain.
Given that 57% of employers lack confidence in the industry’s ability to secure future talent, what specific steps are being taken to ensure the sector remains viable?
Despite the lack of confidence felt by over half of the industry, there is a very proactive movement to bridge the gap through internal development and education. An impressive 73% of employers are now actively grooming their early-career staff for future leadership roles, recognizing that if they can’t hire from the outside, they must build from within. Furthermore, 38% of organizations have boosted their investment in training, focusing on a very specific set of future-proof skills. They are prioritizing things like AI and automation to handle repetitive tasks, alongside creativity and customer experience to maintain the high-touch feel of luxury events. This focus on “leadership and communication” shows a clear realization that while machines can help with efficiency, the human element of the events industry is what will ultimately sustain it.
What is your forecast for the events industry workforce over the next three to five years?
I anticipate a period of “radical efficiency” where the industry will be forced to fully embrace automation and AI to compensate for the entry-level labor shortage that 90% of firms are currently experiencing. We will likely see a bifurcated workforce: a core group of highly skilled, multi-functional senior leaders who oversee sophisticated technology, and a smaller, more transient layer of gig-based support. However, for the industry to truly thrive and not just survive, we must see a shift in policy or a breakthrough in how we fund entry-level positions. If we don’t address the fact that nearly 60% of employers are currently worried about the talent pipeline, we may see the UK events sector lose its competitive edge on the global stage. My hope is that the current investment in leadership development among the 73% of forward-thinking firms will create a new class of resilient managers who can lead through this transition with both empathy and technological savvy.
