We can measure the inequality in events…by the pound
Of all the insights in the Live Recruitment’s Diversity Report 2026, one theme cuts through more starkly than any other: the events industry has a persistent and measurable pay inequality problem.
This inequality shows up across gender, ethnicity, and seniority and appears in nearly every sector examined.
The gender pay gap: unchanged and unavoidable
Across the entire industry, males earn approximately £4,000 more than females equating for a nearly 10% gender pay gap. A female event professionals’ typical salary range tops out at £45,000, while males extend to £50,000 or beyond in most sectors.
This pattern repeats everywhere:
- Audio Visual Sector: Males earn £1,700 more
- Corporate Sector: Males earn nearly £4,000 more
- Conference & Exhibition Organiser Sector: Males earn £6,700 more
- Event Supplier Sector: Males earn £4,000 more
Even in sectors where females make up around 70%-80% of the workforce such as the Corporate Client sector (80.4% female) and the Association sector (82.8% female), males continue to earn more on average. In the Conference & Exhibition Organisers sector, where females are 67.6% of the workforce, the pay gap widens further, with males earning nearly £6,700 more.
The ethnicity pay gap: a consistent disadvantage
White/Caucasian event professionals earn more than Ethnically Diverse professionals in every sector. The industry-wide averages sit at £40,486 for the White/Caucasian group and £38,212 for the Ethnically Diverse groups and to make matters more pronounced, these gaps widen sharply at senior levels.
Intersectional inequality: where the gaps are largest
When gender and ethnicity intersect, the results are the starkest in the report. Ethnically Diverse females earn the lowest average salaries in almost every sector – even those with strong female representation.
This reinforces a deeper structural issue: inequality compounds across identities.
Salary expectations reveal another layer
The Live Recruitment’s Diversity Report also shows that desired salaries follow the same pattern as current pay:
- Males desire more than females
- White/Caucasian professionals desire more than Ethnically Diverse professionals
- The widest expectations gap is seen between White/Caucasian males and Ethnically Diverse females
Expectation gaps tell us as much about opportunity as outcome, when entire demographics ask for less, it reflects with less confidence in progression, less exposure to high-paying roles and historical inequities shaping current norms.
Why pay inequality is the most urgent issue
Equality can be debated in many forms but pay is the one place where inequality is quantitative, consistent and undeniable. Pay impacts retention, wellbeing, motivation, long-term financial security, career confidence and leadership development.
If the events industry wants true equality, pay transparency must take centre stage.
Solutions the industry must now prioritise
To close the pay gap, organisations should commit to:
- Transparent pay bands across all roles
- Standardised salary review processes
- Structured, unbiased promotion criteria
- Salary benchmarking against national DEI data
- Regular internal pay equality audits
- Closing expectation gaps through coaching and progression clarity
The data is unequivocal: we can measure inequality by the pound, the pay band, and the progression pattern. The events industry has taken real steps toward inclusion, but eliminating pay disparities is the next non‑negotiable step.