The Numbers Behind the $1.3 Trillion Events Industry: How Major Players succeed
The global events industry is booming, with a market size valued at $1.3 trillion in 2024, according to a report from The Business Research Company. Despite disruptions from the pandemic in recent years, the industry is expected to continue growing at a compound annual predicted growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7%. The rapid growth isn’t just about more events happening—it’s about smarter ways of measuring and maximizing return on investment (ROI).
In this competitive space, companies like Live Nation, RX Global and Salesforce’s Dreamforce have set the standard for how to track event ROI across multiple revenue streams, proving that the right data-driven strategy can turn an event into a powerful business growth engine.
Live Nation: Controlling the Concert Ecosystem
Live Nation is more than just a concert promoter—it’s a vertically integrated powerhouse profiting at every step of the live music experience. From ticket sales on Ticketmaster to $7 cans of Liquid Death (a water brand it partially owns) and $30 margaritas from its Bamboo Piranha stands, Live Nation captures revenue streams that go far beyond admissions. In 2023, Live Nation generated $22.7 billion in revenue, with VIP seats, concessions, and add-ons providing profit margins of up to 50%, compared to just 20% from ticketing.
The company’s strategy of building and owning venues allows it to control parking, concessions, and exclusive brand partnerships. It now owns or controls over 60 of the top 100 U.S. amphitheaters and is expanding aggressively, adding new VIP areas and premium clubs to existing venues.
These upgrades drive high returns, with ancillary per-fan spending rising from $29 in 2019 to $40 in 2023. Live Nation shows no signs of slowing, with fan attendance surpassing 145 million in 2024, making it the most profitable year yet.
Dreamforce: The $1.2 Billion Impact Machine
Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference is perhaps the ultimate example of how a corporate event can become a game-changer for business growth. While Salesforce doesn't publicly disclose complete ROI figures, their 2023 annual report notes that Dreamforce remains their most significant marketing investment.
However, Dreamforce isn’t just a cost centre for Salesforce, it’s one of their most important revenue drivers. The event’s ROI seems to go far beyond ticket sales, incorporating sponsorship, lead generation, and long-term brand impact. What is the lifetime value of an attendee across your entire business, past just purchasing a ticket?
The trick is to look beyond the event itself. If you’re only measuring immediate sales or sponsorship revenue, you’re missing the bigger picture. Consider how an event can generate business opportunities for months—or even years—after it’s over. Look to create a ripple effect which long outlasts the initial numbers on the board.
global exhibition leaders
Serving a massive 43 different business sectors, RX Global (formerly Reed Exhibitions) demonstrates significant growth in the post-pandemic exhibition market. Not only for their own business. Take WTM London, for example, which is said to have generated around £200m for the local economy too. According to RELX's 2023 company financial results:
Group expo revenue: £1,318m
Operating profit: £319 million
30% reported revenue growth YoY or £1.1 billion
Geographic reach: 22 countries
Portfolio: 350+ events annually
Their ability to serve a diverse array of markets whilst upholding the same level of quality at their events means they are internationally recognised as true leaders in the field. Keeping on top of trends and never being afraid to try new solutions.
Launching company wide tech solutions has been important to driving ROI for their clients and keep them coming back year after year. The Business Builder suite of tools provides exhibitors the ability to reach, capture and boost sales leads, while giving them unique data insights to improve their event ROI. One example is RX’s Lead Manager app, which enables exhibitors to scan the badge of every visitor, making it incredibly easy to build a follow up list of leads.
The Bottom Line
As the events industry continues to grow, businesses that want to thrive will need to go beyond the basics of ROI tracking. Measuring ticket sales and attendance is no longer enough. Today’s smartest event organizers focus on:
Building revenue ecosystems around their events
Blending physical and digital experiences for greater impact
Measuring multiple metrics, not just ticket sales and sponsorship revenue
Whether you’re running a small industry meetup or a global conference, the tools and strategies used by industry leaders are more accessible than ever. The key is knowing where to focus your efforts and how to track the numbers that truly matter.
If you’re looking to build events that deliver serious ROI, DSMNTLIdeas is here to help you turn insights into action. Let’s talk.