Your guide to the EVENT companies shaping the INDUSTRY – AGENCIES PUSHING BOUNDARIES, TECH PLATFORMS MAKING LIFE EASIER and THE EDUCATORS TRAINING the next generation of Event profs!
When you’re planning an event that truly stands out – whether that’s a big conference, a global product launch, or a high-net-worth private celebration – it’s essential to know not just who can do “events,” but who can take them to the next level. The companies featured here represent the best of the UK and beyond, from agencies pushing the boundaries of creativity, to platforms transforming how events are delivered, through to the educators equipping the next generation of event leaders.
Whether you’re going out to tender for a live experience, seeking the platforms to streamline delivery, or looking to build your career in this fast-moving industry, these are nine names worth having firmly on your radar.
MGN Events
UK BASED GLOBAL CREATIVE EVENT AGENCY
Of course, any list of event management companies shaping the events industry wouldn’t be complete without mentioning ourselves… MGN Events are much more than event planners – they are your Creative Event Partners. That means partnering with global brands to design and deliver experiences that don’t just impress on the day, but connect people and drive lasting business impact.
What types of events do MGN plan?
Brand experiences and corporate events: conferences to brand activations to off-sites and celebrations, MGN bring cutting-edge design, seamless production and a sharp focus on the WHY? Put simply, they help brands inspire, engage and strengthen relationships through unforgettable live experiences.
What services do MGN offer?
Strategic consultancy, full-service event management, creative event production, content and delegate management and venue finding.
Notable Clients: Trainline, Opera, Bidwells, Microsoft, Thatcham Research, Hyundai
eventbrite
TICKETING AND EVENT MANAGEMENT PLATFORM
Eventbrite is a global ticketing, event-management and marketing platform. It enables event organisers to create events, manage tickets/registrations, promote events, collect payments, and communicate with attendees.
Services: Registration, invitation/RSVP services, payment solutions and clear reporting and dashboards
Clients: WOMAD Festival, Various academic and large institutions / corporates such as Serco (UK), University of Miami (USA). Popular with Festivals / cultural events and Entertainment/arts / venues.
CVent
enterprise level event management and hospitality technology
Cvent is a global SaaS company that provides enterprise-level event management and hospitality technology. One of the most widely used event technology platforms, Cvent is all about logistics and data. From registration to attendee apps and post-event reporting, it gives organisers the tools to run slick, measurable events.
Services: Goes far beyond ticketing and is more about enterprise event strategy, covering: Strategic Meetings Management (SMM), Event marketing and attendee engagement, Venue sourcing (they run a massive global venue database), Onsite tech (badging, registration kiosks, event apps), Analytics and ROI measurement
Think of it as the “corporate IT backbone” for events rather than a self-service ticketing site.
Location: UK
Clients: Goldman Sachs, Cisco, Walmart, United Airlines
vFairs
Event management platform great for online exhibitions and virtual worlds
vFairs is an event technology / event management platform that enables event organisers to run virtual, in-person, and hybrid events from a single unified solution
A strong option for hybrid and virtual events. vFairs creates immersive online environments and engagement tools that allow brands to reach audiences worldwide.
Why it matters: Immersive 3D lobbies, flexible tools, hands-on support.
Customers: Used by global corporations, universities, and associations.
RingCentral
virtual and hybrid event platform
RingCentral – who recently acquired Hopin, a UK-founded virtual events platform that grew rapidly during the pandemic, offering immersive features such as virtual stages, networking lounges and expo halls to replicate in-person experiences online It positioned itself as a technology provider for virtual and hybrid events, supporting registration, live streaming, engagement and analytics from a single platform.
In 2023 Hopin sold its core Events and Sessions business to RingCentral, which now operates these services as RingCentral Events. This includes the virtual and hybrid event platform, engagement tools, streaming studio, marketing pages and analytics, while Hopin retained products like StreamYard, Streamable and its community tool Superwave.
Today, Hopin’s original event services lie under RingCentral’s brand. The main website is hopin.com (redirecting to RingCentral Events) and the LinkedIn presence is now integrated with RingCentral.
Services: Flexible platform for digital-first or hybrid events, combining attendee engagement with reliable streaming and analytics
Jack Morton Worldwide
Experiential Marketing Agency
Jack Morton Worldwide is a global brand-experience / experiential Marketing agency, founded in 1939 with a UK presence.
Services: Jack Morton delivers immersive brand and experience work; live events, experiential, integrated campaigns, digital & content, sponsortship activations, employee experience, exhibitions and environments
Location: HQ in Boston, US but offices around the globe
George P. Johnson (GPJ)
experiential agency
George P Johnson (GPJ) is a global experience marketing / experiential agency specialising in creating high impact brand experiences – in person, virtual, hybrid and everything n between
They fuse creative, strategic, technological and production expertise under one roof.
Their services include strategy and planning (using their proprietary Strategic Experience Mapping™) branding and creative design, digital and immersive experiences, live production, fabrication/engineering, event portfolio management, analytics and measurement.
GPJ is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan USA but many locations around the globe.
The Power of Events
not-for-profit industry platform
The Power of Events UK-based not-for-profit platform launched in 2022, aiming to create a comprehensive showcase and “hub” for the UK events industry. It was founded by ex-Smyle cofounder Rick Stainton and industry heavyweight Simon Hughes in 2020. The Power of Events in the UK was originally conceived in 2020 as “One Industry, One Voice” – a collaborative response during COVID to bring the fragmented events sector together during its most difficult period.
Its mission is to “showcase, respect & value” the diversity and impact of the events sector across the UK, by aggregating data, facilitating research, mapping industry sectors and offering insight.
It works by partnering with universities, trade bodies and industry stakeholders to collect metrics, trend data and sector insights. Also, to be a force for good, to highlight to politicians the sheer size of the sector.
The platform is intended to service as a go-to resource for the industry mapping, supporting resilience, advocacy, planning and investment decisions. They are also working closely with schools to inspire and educate the next generation of event profs!
Follow them on their social channels, and keep up-to-date with their information:
The Event Academy
Event industry Training provider
The UK’s leading event training provider!
They offer a range of courses, in person in London, online or short courses, all accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) – making them the only event-management course provider in the UK with that accreditation.
Their curriculum emphasises practical learning with real client briefs, site visits, placements and lectures from experienced industry professionals,
They also offer a placement programme, in which MGN Events has previously taken on students, and we can confirm it is a great way for students to gain relevant experience and exposure in an industry where they may not have event management degree qualifications. Check out their socials and website for more info!
Gary Duarte,
Marketing Manager
He crafts content, spots trends, and finds creative ways to connect the dots – all while making sure the MGN brand shines across every platform.
