The traditional approach of hiring based on like-for-like industry experience is fading fast. In 2025, employers in the events industry are broadening their talent pools and rethinking what makes a successful hire. With transferable skills more valuable than ever, the focus has shifted from where someone has worked to what they can bring to the table.
This article explores how hiring strategies are evolving and what businesses can do to embrace a more flexible, skill-based approach to recruitment.
Why employers are widening the net
There are three main reasons driving this shift:
- Ongoing talent shortages, particularly in mid-senior roles, mean fewer candidates meet the “ideal” brief.
- Remote and hybrid work has made it easier to consider candidates from outside traditional regions or industry backgrounds.
- The rise of adjacent industry crossovers, such as digital marketing, broadcast, and experiential retail, is providing fresh perspectives. This cross-pollination of talent, highlighted again in the 2025 survey, remains a key strategy-particularly in roles where traditional event talent is scarce, such as digital production, sales, and content strategy.
- Compared to 2024, more employers in 2025 are actively recruiting from adjacent creative industries and building structured onboarding to support the transition. This approach is not only widening talent pools but bringing innovation and resilience to teams.
Forward-thinking businesses are now prioritising adaptability, creativity, and team fit over exact experience.
What skills are transferable in the events world?
Some of the most in-demand transferable skills in 2025 include:
- Project management and logistics, even from outside traditional live events
- Client-facing experience, particularly from account-based roles in creative or digital sectors
- Tech fluency, especially around virtual platforms, production and digital delivery
- Creative leadership, especially from experiential and brand environments
These skills are proving just as valuable – if not more so – than niche event experience in some cases.
How to adjust your hiring approach
If your recruitment strategy is still centred around “must have X years in an events agency,” you may be missing out on exceptional candidates. Instead:
- Focus on outputs and capabilities, not just past titles
- Be open to alternative industry backgrounds
- Rethink job ads and descriptions to attract broader talent pools
- Invest in onboarding and development to fill any knowledge gaps
Hiring differently doesn’t mean compromising. In 2025, it means innovating – by prioritising potential, flexibility, and diverse perspectives. The businesses leading the way aren’t just widening their hiring lens; they’re building stronger, more adaptable teams as a result.
At Live Recruitment we offer free advice and guidance on salary benchmarking and salary insights when hiring event talent. For more information, get in touch via email hi@live-recruitment.co.uk