Why this is Kickoff Time for the Events Industry's Next Power Play

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This week, let's look at the accelerating rise of sports events - and what it means for the business events ecosystem.

Also - the release of a new htf Executive Briefing. And: Industry news.

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Here are some updates from across the global events industry.

• Live Nation results above expectations, more venue investments announced

Ticketmaster -parent Live Nation Entertainment exceeded second‑quarter revenue estimates, posting a 16% surge to $7.01 billion versus expectations of $6.84 billion. Concert demand remains fierce, with fan attendance reaching new highs and ticket sales totalling 155.8 million, up from 155.1 million the prior quarter. CEO Michael Rapino emphasized that “global expansion continues to drive touring growth,” citing the strength of ticket buying at all price tiers and announcing increased investments in the company’s global venue portfolio to sustain momentum. Adjusted operating income came in at $798 million, topping analyst estimates of $756.1 million  .

• People news // Sophia Chong appointed new Executive Director at HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has appointed Sophia Chong Chong as Executive Director, effective August 1, 2025. Chong succeeds Margaret Fong, who is retiring after a decade in the role. A long-serving HKTDC executive, Chong previously held key leadership positions including Deputy Executive Director, overseeing the organisation’s exhibitions and digital transformation strategies. Her appointment comes at a time of intensified global trade fragmentation and growing regional competition. HKTDC Chairman Dr. Peter K.N. Lam said Chong’s deep institutional knowledge and international outlook will help steer the Council’s work in supporting Hong Kong’s evolving role as a global business hub.

• British theatre giant ATG lines up £500 million bid for TodayTix

ATG Entertainment , a UK-based live-entertainment powerhouse owned by private equity firm Providence Equity Partners , is reportedly preparing a £500 million bid for TodayTix Group (TTG) , a New York–based mobile ticketing platform renowned for enabling last-minute, paperless sales on smartphones. Operating more than 70 venues across Europe and the U.S., ATG aims to bolster its dominance in London’s West End and expand its digital footprint. TodayTix, backed by Great Hill Partners and owner of immersive events brand Secret Cinema , has also drawn interest from rival Fever. First-round proposals are expected imminently. 

• Australia: Victoria Loses 40% of Event Workforce Amid Post-COVID Shift.

Victoria’s event-organiser workforce has plunged nearly 40 percent since 2019, falling from about 11,500 to just over 7,000, far outpacing declines elsewhere, The Australian reported. New South Wales numbers have held steady, while Queensland’s sector has surged more than 70 percent. Industry leaders state post-pandemic shifts toward remote meetings, smaller gatherings and last-minute ticket buying, alongside the hit from the cancelled Commonwealth Games, as reasons. Victoria’s share of national business-event spending has dropped from 36 percent a decade ago to 22 percent. Organisers are moving interstate, lured by stronger demand and support, prompting calls for a sustainable events calendar to revive jobs and economic activity in the state.

Why it's kickoff time for the events industry’s next power play

For decades the meetings business has been the unsung hero of global tourism. Trade shows and conferences fill convention halls from Las Vegas to Leipzig, delivering predictable billions to hotels, restaurants and airlines as direct impact alone. By contrast, sports appeared more like the noisy neighbours - selling out stadiums, hogging the headlines, but rarely troubling the custodians of business travel. But now, that balance is shifting.

This week, let’s look at the ascent of sports events and its impact on business events.

A word of caution before we dig into the numbers: There is, of course, no single, universally accepted definition of “sports events” / “sports business” on one hand and “business events” / “MICE” on the other. Any comparison therefore is - to some degree - comparing the proverbial apples and oranges: sports figures often blend visitor spend, broadcast rights and sponsorship, whereas MICE data tends to focus on organiser, venue and delegate revenue. (Read up again here on why we need better global industry advocacy to overcome challenges like this.)

Sports and live entertainment are accelerating on a faster growth path than MICE.

That said, most projections agree on a common trend: coming from a lower base, the growth rate of sports and live entertainment events is accelerating, and sits on a faster growth path than MICE, forecast eventually to match or overtake its size. The boldest estimates point to this happening in as little as three years, by 2028.

This pace is not simply a post-pandemic bounce back to real experiences. Instead, sports and entertainment are industrialising their appeal. At the top end, “mega‑events” such as the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics act as economic engines. Qatar’s World Cup in 2022 brought in about 1.2m international visitors, quadrupling normal monthly arrivals, and injected billions in tourism and related spending. And I just wrote about the legacy and impact of last year’s Paris Olympics here. Meanwhile, in the MICE corner, Expo 2020 Dubai drew 24.1m visits in six months and is forecast by EY to add tens of billions in gross value to the UAE over two decades. And that's before we bring up the reliable recurring business from large scale trade shows from CES to BAUMA to the Shanghai Motor Show.

Below that global “elite” tier, destination marathons, triathlons and cycling tours have become fixtures of urban tourism calendars just like blended business/festival events like SXSW. Digital platforms amplify the draw: a viral clip of a match or festival can do the work of a million-dollar ad campaign. Social media is turning remote fans into travelling spectators, often combining a leisure ticket with a business meeting.

China and India may account for more than a quarter of global outbound travel by 2030

Geography tilts the odds further towards growth. According to current projections, China and India may account for more than a quarter of global outbound travel by 2030 – a huge target audience for sports and business driven events. Gulf states are investing heavily in both sectors. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan leans on Formula 1, global boxing and LIV Golf as centrepieces of tourism and real‑estate plays. Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with their convention centres and stadiums, are already mixing the formats.

In the United States, the cross-pollination is clear. Las Vegas, long a convention giant, saw a marked jump in meetings volume between mid-2023 and mid‑2024 after bringing the NFL, NHL, Formula 1 and the Super Bowl to town – a center piece of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - LVCVA development strategy under Steve Hill. The city now sells corporate packages that bundle trade‑show floor time with VIP match tickets.

Convergence has economies of scale. We always say that there is an event for everything – so a natural blend of both worlds are hybrid activations like Fanatics Fest that show how organisers are stitching together business and fan experiences in one event under the stewardship of Lance Fensterman of ReedPop heritage.

Beyond that, venues double up: a convention centre can host an esports final just as a stadium can stage a corporate summit between fixtures. And suppliers overlap, think of ticketing systems, AV rigs, and crowd‑control crews. Shared procurement and year‑round staffing trim costs. Destination marketers can now design layered itineraries that include board meetings on Thursday and a Grand Prix on Sunday.

Post-pandemic, many sectors of MICE have changed for good as well, opening up new growth. Data driven services are now standard around in person business events. Incentive travel is back, particularly at the high end. Yet, matching the global buzz of a World Cup final is a tall order, simply as sports and entertainment enjoy the instant magnetism of mass spectacle.

One team's gain is not the other team’s loss here

But: One team's gain is not the other team’s loss here, as this is not a zero-sum contest. Sports create the pull; business events piggy-back on the influx, and vice versa. Conferences bring in delegates who stay for a match or concert. In an era of tighter travel budgets, the ability to serve two agendas in one trip is gold for host cities – think the “bleisure” trend on adrenaline. The challenge for destinations and all actors is orchestration: aligning calendars, building flexible infrastructure, and thinking of attendees as fluid rather than fixed categories. All these are tasks every seasoned event industry professional is well versed in.

Focus on Southeast Asia in new htf Executive Briefing

I have finished a new Executive Briefing through my consultancy at htf, taking a deep dive into the situation across Southeast Asia. The region is adapting to a fragmented trade environment shaped by unilateral U.S. tariff actions and China’s shifting economic outlook.

Singapore features as a detailed case study, leveraging its treaty network and institutional depth to maintain trade continuity, even as the U.S. applies universal tariffs.

The report outlines three scenarios: a baseline of cautious continuity, an optimistic pivot toward deeper integration, and a downside risk of bloc fragmentation. Each has different implications for businesses operating in the region. For exhibition organisers and B2B brands, the report lists strategic options on how best to respond to benefit from the changing dynamics

The full briefing is available through htfconsults.com

After the summer break...

...I will hit the road again, and my schedule is shaping up.

Happy to share today that I will be back at imex Las Vegas this October, and speak there as well - details to follow.

That's all for today. Until next week!