{"id":7263,"date":"2026-01-23T12:49:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T12:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/?p=7263"},"modified":"2026-01-23T15:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T15:09:11","slug":"events-industry-change-are-we-moving-too-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/events-industry-change-are-we-moving-too-fast\/","title":{"rendered":"Events Industry Change: Are We Moving Too Fast?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 data-start=\"166\" data-end=\"224\"><strong data-start=\"169\" data-end=\"222\">The events industry is evolving faster than ever.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"225\" data-end=\"519\">With new platforms, AI tools, and digital transformation initiatives accelerating across the sector, organisations are under pressure to adapt &#8211; quickly. However, I wonder if the speed of events technology transformation is now outpacing how companies support the people expected to deliver it.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"521\" data-end=\"977\">In her recent <em data-start=\"535\" data-end=\"553\">Management Today<\/em> article, \u201cAre you moving fast and breaking your people?\u201d, Gina Battye highlights why change management so often fails. Transformation isn\u2019t just a technology upgrade or the latest shiny tool. It\u2019s a human experience. When change is treated as a project rather than a people-first transformation, teams feel the strain. The result is change fatigue, anxiety, disengagement and resistance.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"984\" data-end=\"1034\"><strong data-start=\"987\" data-end=\"1034\">Why Change Management in Events Often Fails<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"1036\" data-end=\"1493\">Many organisations approach event transformation as a systems problem. They focus on the platform, the integration, and the rollout. But the real failure often happens when culture is ignored. Change in the events industry can fall short because organisations forget the people who make transformation possible &#8211; the teams on the ground, the conference producers, event managers, event marketers, sponsorship sales professionals, and client-facing teams.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1495\" data-end=\"1796\">When change is done to people instead of created with them, the human cost becomes obvious. Employee engagement drops. Team burnout increases. Psychological safety in events teams disappears, and people stop speaking up, sharing ideas, or taking risks &#8211; which are essential in our fast-paced industry.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"1803\" data-end=\"1875\"><strong data-start=\"1806\" data-end=\"1875\">The Five Layers of Culture That Determine Whether Change Succeeds<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"1877\" data-end=\"2036\">Battye explains that lasting transformation depends on understanding and reshaping culture at every level. These are the five layers that make or break change:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2038\" data-end=\"2461\">\n<li data-start=\"2038\" data-end=\"2130\">\n<p data-start=\"2040\" data-end=\"2130\"><strong data-start=\"2040\" data-end=\"2060\">Personal culture<\/strong> \u2013 how individuals show up, their values, and whether they feel safe<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2131\" data-end=\"2210\">\n<p data-start=\"2133\" data-end=\"2210\"><strong data-start=\"2133\" data-end=\"2155\">One-to-one culture<\/strong> \u2013 manager and peer relationships, trust, and support<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2211\" data-end=\"2284\">\n<p data-start=\"2213\" data-end=\"2284\"><strong data-start=\"2213\" data-end=\"2229\">Team culture<\/strong> \u2013 clarity, belonging, and collaboration within teams<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2285\" data-end=\"2371\">\n<p data-start=\"2287\" data-end=\"2371\"><strong data-start=\"2287\" data-end=\"2312\">Collaboration culture<\/strong> \u2013 how departments work together, and whether silos exist<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2372\" data-end=\"2461\">\n<p data-start=\"2374\" data-end=\"2461\"><strong data-start=\"2374\" data-end=\"2400\">Organisational culture<\/strong> \u2013 leadership behaviour, values, and what is truly rewarded<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"2463\" data-end=\"2672\">If even one of these layers is neglected, trust erodes and people slip into survival mode. Creativity, collaboration, and curiosity &#8211; the very qualities that drive successful events &#8211; are often the first casualties.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"137\" data-end=\"158\"><strong data-start=\"140\" data-end=\"158\">The Human Cost<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"160\" data-end=\"401\">When culture breaks down, the events industry feels it immediately. Teams can become competitive and resentful instead of collaborative, and instead of focusing on delivering great experiences, people are focused on just getting through the day.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"403\" data-end=\"700\">When people feel overwhelmed or unsupported, they don\u2019t always leave straight away \u2014 many start to mentally check out while quietly looking for their next role. They may still show up, but their energy, engagement and motivation are gone, which quickly impacts workload and morale across the team.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"702\" data-end=\"927\">The work doesn\u2019t disappear. It gets redistributed, increasing pressure on those left behind. Stress rises, negativity creeps in, and resistance to change grows. Over time, this drains teams and affects how they work together.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"929\" data-end=\"1208\">As morale drops, productivity follows. Creativity and innovation suffer, communication breaks down, and trust disappears when people no longer feel supported or heard. Turnover increases, creating even more pressure on remaining teams.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1210\" data-end=\"1488\">Managers feel this too. Instead of leading strategically, they spend their time firefighting \u2014 managing burnout, conflict and disengagement. When leaders are stretched thin, they become reactive rather than proactive, which further impacts productivity, culture and performance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1490\" data-end=\"1636\">In the end, the cost isn\u2019t just employee wellbeing \u2014 it\u2019s the quality of delivery, client experience and the long-term health of the organisation.<\/p>\n<h4 data-start=\"4735\" data-end=\"4889\"><strong data-start=\"4899\" data-end=\"4964\">How to Transform Events Organisations Without Breaking People<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p data-start=\"4966\" data-end=\"5105\">If organisations want change that builds capability instead of depleting people, they must rebuild culture from the inside out. This means:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"5107\" data-end=\"5377\">\n<li data-start=\"5107\" data-end=\"5160\">\n<p data-start=\"5109\" data-end=\"5160\">Prioritising psychological safety in events teams<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5161\" data-end=\"5207\">\n<p data-start=\"5163\" data-end=\"5207\">Improving change communication and clarity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5208\" data-end=\"5253\">\n<p data-start=\"5210\" data-end=\"5253\">Aligning leadership behaviour with values<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5254\" data-end=\"5315\">\n<p data-start=\"5256\" data-end=\"5315\">Supporting wellbeing and engagement during transformation<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"5316\" data-end=\"5377\">\n<p data-start=\"5318\" data-end=\"5377\">Creating cross-department collaboration rather than silos<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"5379\" data-end=\"5599\">The future belongs to organisations that understand that you cannot transform a business if your people feel unsafe. Speed means nothing if humans are compromised in the process, and progress isn\u2019t genuine if employees are exhausted.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5601\" data-end=\"5832\">As change continues to accelerate across events, the real competitive advantage isn\u2019t the next platform or piece of tech \u2014 it\u2019s people who feel safe, trusted and empowered to lead change with their organisation, not just endure it.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6106\" data-end=\"6134\"><strong>For those working in events, how is change being handled where you work?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6106\" data-end=\"6134\">Do you feel involved, supported and heard \u2014 or simply expected to keep up?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6136\" data-end=\"6294\">What\u2019s working, and what isn\u2019t?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6296\" data-end=\"6350\">I\u2019d love to hear your experiences, views and feelings.<\/p>\n<p>E: <a href=\"mailto:helen@jbrecruitment.co.uk\">helen@jbrecruitment.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>T: 07799 898346<\/p>\n<p>*Link to Gina&#8217;s article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.managementtoday.co.uk\/moving-fast-breaking-people\/opinion-and-analysis\/article\/1946089?bulletin=mtbulletin&amp;utm_medium=EMAIL&amp;utm_campaign=eNews%20Bulletin&amp;utm_source=20260123&amp;utm_content=Daily%20News%20Bulletin%20(272)::www_managementtoday_co_uk_1&amp;email_hash=\">Are you moving fast and breaking your people?<\/a> *<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">www.jbrecruitment.co.uk<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about how we connect top commercial talent with world-class media and events organisations.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"ql-align-center\">About Jackson Barnes Recruitment<\/h2>\n<p class=\"ql-align-center\">Jackson Barnes Recruitment\u00a0delivers international recruitment solutions within the events, media, and publishing sectors. Jackson Barnes recruits Graduate to MD level in the following positions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"ql-align-center\">\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/d5784-04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com\/Ctc\/UD+23284\/d5784-04\/Jl22-6qcW7lCdLW6lZ3mKVMTJ2_3vG9sSVWqD3C1XWSnHW76kYRt6GLh_9W5c92by3wNtg7W2bcTMg8-4NMRW2TtF8n15s88WW2P99X06TwBY3W1hbnjN5ffJfSVN552N2L-48HW2dCxKf5q__wnW8llC8k7dmqL_W4Y1Szx7nsrkvW7KL6_m8265XyW1cwPWd6Q7Wd4W2RZqnD3y8sXzW1GrH4R786lr4W3X0YVB244bRzW58n3QH7RHXFRW6JTqtk24bfwhW7bl_vX2JxpGZVQlpTL612y8pW2kBfDW4d3GSZW21Cf584HThHbN2cRH1rc6Gyrf6L8-Fn04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Researcher<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"ql-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d5784-04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com\/Ctc\/UD+23284\/d5784-04\/Jll2-6qcW7Y8-PT6lZ3mrV-PtW28-PsdpW2YwdKQ8ysXdVW1JVP5-2p36VxW23c1pC7RNMCyW8c8_98875yyTF5t2jgFXG13V9wNGb7XT5-MW7BkxqT65GhdxW4Pzr7T8WzX-nW5lszRh7cnv76W4x5-7z2rRJYXW3kr4kb6Hzby7W691p6n7fwdQrW7pvjPx48sHX3W3Z5Vm55lB-cSVcNHJx8ylfXhW69jkPY6xTYnXW3YsNL614ksFnW6pcx0C2tN8WNW37Mpbd4qVXlLW5mnDjR2wR8nwW3PhlD-2dFCRPN415kyFGf4WFN1gM7vKbZCd1N6Nq_mdCzHjMW5t9rqH2dsBgQf62n5fg04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Conference producer<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"ql-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d5784-04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com\/Ctc\/UD+23284\/d5784-04\/Jl22-6qcW7lCdLW6lZ3mpW12Rvtp4wGwHlW7W0c5j3g8xqpW73lZSS4W61X7W5NQ1r11wtB3QW6tT9wV4RQ7fMVYWf-Q2R4vxXW7bMMT41NWqNtW6WqCP74nnyLTW5Pn9_x6g00B3W4w9wFk20GxvnW52Wy3X27b720W46tmTg168-qzW5Qkb6B2QpM74VRTk3Y2z1wdkW2pRNtz2vjqd5VQ2-Vd8fz8SnV1_52c5Dc5SNW4Bz-8c1gp9F8W1v4L115TbwmkMG6HchQFG2dW900FJg6Vdvs0W7F7mLl63wkgZVZRvdl74H46xW3P0WLy2VHmKXf5cgQRd04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Event Marketing<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"ql-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d5784-04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com\/Ctc\/UD+23284\/d5784-04\/JkM2-6qcW6N1vHY6lZ3mGW4j0hLK4m4Kv6W8wvT3s32kfyVW372mq04M-cmCW2hcyfJ7btnd4W33Q7bq2nBJLmW86MRnm85C6vvN5zNtsStBq0KW5-JJqG6h3-xkW4_PY7F7-9mG9W7s18442KYwVrW38P74j324NgkVgXlxS3P776MW4_TDhd41mqPTW7qB9kt5yRTygW83gJqY8-82XDVNHMDG7c8STHN717bLZ9qLLYW3jTp-K5Vd5tYVkkMN56wd4KzW5qhsWs3FkZJdW1rJxPf481pFRW1T1R9v6x4FvWf5Vb0sW04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sales \u2013 delegate, sponsorship &amp; Business Development<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"ql-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d5784-04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com\/Ctc\/UD+23284\/d5784-04\/Jll2-6qcW7Y8-PT6lZ3mxW5d4R9Q8k39dtW84qDmL7WFP6fN6q1Hw8lBBZbW5FNdvV57df1TW2bz61F4WkQVvW7Q36L63PwSbfW68VZw23RfZqzVrPJZj3SyrZ2W4sSwDl867NGrV1rF157Jtc2YN71Wl53hklCZN68ncSyS2xWsW1SbBds7v1LyyV9xv1g4MG_ylW6hq_XB7H61mSW7YfNb839SpWkW3cRXhj5SkPcPVTFVSk3W4GmqW2D3hlB2yFkchW7W6kVL7fcmW0W6CLwqS265VnRW2x2MTx6TfMw5W32vV7C3v0c78W8W8GSy2HgQRTN5bqNKM__68dW7zW62R6RLblGf5D00-s04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Event Manager<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"ql-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/d5784-04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com\/Ctc\/UD+23284\/d5784-04\/Jll2-6qcW7Y8-PT6lZ3pWW85fGPS7By6yCW7Wvk8_3j9LqRW7rz2t17R6J7lW1X-tWM5KgCBvW1cfC6l479_7fW7sMvzg5vGXQjN7SzF795BHNBW1Fj_gB8CggwtW64z_6b6y_CDsW5cMStT1By8yhW2qjMfx3VdPkhW1MWsXS1CGTxtM1hSrzKmPz7W86f1Rz4dKzynW2mXDV_8HP2R6W7_PL-g1g1nmnW7MMB5V4pJfDTTWgCk6FlnbMW3tKyMP4WfzxqW3-KzQd8c7NR8W2S0B7b1WqdkjW1QsXm292b9qKW4dSzYS5rJcCFW6RfVqz7H3pf6VCzsF26jd6cZW8mpbdk17qQ7Nf3cRMcz04\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Editor<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>We recruit for organisations in the UK and overseas, with success in London, Dubai, New York, Singapore and Australia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The events industry is changing fast \u2014 but is your organisation supporting the people driving transformation? This blog explores why change often fails when it\u2019s treated as a technology project rather than a human experience. Discover the five layers of culture that determine whether transformation succeeds &#8211; and what leaders can do to avoid burnout, disengagement and change fatigue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":7266,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7263"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7269,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7263\/revisions\/7269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/7266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jbrecruitment.co.uk\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}