Relationships rather than reach: the European Experience Index EEX® 2026 reveals a new shift in values within the live experience sector

Relationships are becoming more important than reach. Personal relevance is taking precedence over polish. And despite years of digital acceleration, the demand for physical experiences is rising significantly. These are some of the findings of the European Experience Index® (EEX®) 2026, published by 27Names at the end of October.

Based on a survey of 300 executives from both client and agency sides across 27 European countries, the second edition of the EEX® offers a dual perspective on the changes in the live experience industry, with a year-on-year comparison showing how priorities have shifted since 2025. The study highlights what event audiences expect, what clients value, and how economic pressure, AI and new success criteria are reshaping the industry.

One trend stands out in particular: Return on Relationship (ROR) has risen from 16 per cent to 58 per cent as a marketing priority on the client side within a year, making it one of the two most important KPIs – behind engagement at 65 per cent. At the same time, the traditional ‘pipeline impact’ fell from 41 per cent to 26 per cent.

This shift points to a broader reassessment of what live experiences are expected to deliver: not just attention or short-term conversion, but trust, advocacy and relationships that create lasting value.

Ralf Specht, Chairman of 27Names, comments: “Business decision-makers no longer regard trust, advocacy and long-term loyalty as soft factors or ‘nice-to-have’ extras. They treat them as strong, measurable business assets.”

Five insights from the European Experience Index:

1. Relationships matter. Evaluating them is another story. The Return on Relationship (ROR) has risen from 16 per cent to 58 per cent, yet measurement is not keeping pace with this trend: only 19 per cent of customers and 11 per cent of agencies have a validated methodology for measuring ROR.

2. Event attendees want relevance, not just polish. Demand for individual personalisation has risen from 37 per cent to 59 per cent, narrowly overtaking purpose-driven experiences at 57 per cent. At the same time, demand for highly polished events fell from 25 per cent to just 12 per cent.

3. Physical space still matters. A great deal. The preference for physical events rose from 50 per cent to 78 per cent, whilst the preference for digital web conferencing formats fell from 33 per cent to just 10 per cent. Research highlights face-to-face experiences as particularly valuable for building trust, relationships and meaningful engagement.

4. AI is becoming the norm – and making human thinking all the more valuable. 98 per cent of creative teams now use AI, with 68 per cent using it as an operational accelerator. Whilst AI is becoming more widely embedded in agency workflows, the research highlights human creativity, cultural nuance and judgement as increasingly important differentiating factors – whilst also pointing to the next opportunity to use AI for more personalised participant experiences.

5. Expectations regarding cost-efficiency are rising, whilst expenditure is under greater scrutiny. Clients’ expectations of budget increases for live events fell from 40 per cent to 34 per cent, whilst rising costs for catering (79 per cent), event venues (76 per cent) and travel (53 per cent) are placing additional pressure on the cost-effectiveness of events. The result: a growing expectation that greater precision in planning will lead to a greater impact in execution.

Similar trends. Different realities.

The EEX® 2026 looks beyond the overall European figures and examines how these shifts are manifesting themselves across the various European regions. The study identifies differing priorities across seven European regions – ranging from personalisation in the Baltic states and purpose & effectiveness in the DACH region, to premium implementation in the Nordics, value-based purpose in the UK, data-driven measurement in the Benelux countries, participant engagement in Central and Eastern Europe, to the demand for novel, immersive experiences in Southern Europe. Their findings do not point to a single formula for success, but rather demonstrate how fundamental industry trends are shaping different audience expectations, business cultures and economic realities across Europe.

Christian Seidenstücker, CEO of JOKE Event AG and a member of the 27Names Community since 2025, also confirms from his own experience the general trend towards placing greater emphasis on relationship management: “A well-orchestrated event has an impact that extends beyond the moment itself. At JOKE, we aim to create experiences from which relationships grow. The EEX® shows that this is precisely what live communication is increasingly being measured by.”

EEX® 2026 on Stage

The full EEX® 2026 Report was launched on 21 October during Cvent CONNECT Europe in London, where the findings were discussed in a session – with a view to what they mean for the future of events in Europe. The discussion will continue on 27 November at the Bea World Festival in Venice, where 27Names will delve deeper into the findings and reveal what they tell us about the changing rules of the game for live experiences in Europe. Link to the EEX® 2026 Report (English): 27Names | Inspiration

About the European Experience Index® (EEX®)

The European Experience Index® is an independent benchmark report developed by 27Names that examines trends in the European live experience industry. The 2026 data analysis was carried out by NewtonX in May and June 2026 and is based on a survey of 196 client-side executives and 89 agency managers across 27 European countries. The European Experience Index® 2026 is sponsored by Cvent and supported by Bea World, IMEX and UNICORN.

About 27Names

Founded in 2008, 27Names brings together 29 independent live experience agencies across 29 European countries, as well as international partners in Brazil, India and the Asia-Pacific region. With more than 2,000 talented professionals, the network connects experts across markets and disciplines to share insights, collaborate and shape the future of live experiences. https://27names.com/

About JOKE Event AG

JOKE showcases brands, inspires people and creates experiences. Creating Memories – from concept to execution. With in-house production and logistics – across all formats and sectors. Live and without any hidden agenda. For the moment, the bigger picture. The memory. https://joke-event.de/