Posted: 26 Mar 2026
The events industry is undergoing one of the most significant workforce shifts we’ve seen in decades. While much of the conversation centres around generational change, the reality is far broader: expectations across the entire workforce have evolved.
From flexibility and wellbeing to leadership development and smarter hiring strategies, organisations that adapt are the ones successfully attracting and retaining top talent.
Across the events and hospitality sectors, candidates are no longer motivated by salary alone.
Today’s professionals are looking for:
Importantly, candidates at all career stages are far less willing to accept burnout as a rite of passage in events.
For employers, this means recruitment has fundamentally changed. Competitive salaries remain important, but they are no longer enough on their own. Organisations must demonstrate strong onboarding, supportive leadership and genuine investment in employee wellbeing if they want to secure high-performing talent.
Post-pandemic, one of the biggest challenges facing the Australian events industry is the shortage of mid-level professionals, particularly Event Managers, Producers and Account Managers.
However, the issue isn’t simply a lack of talent. The real opportunity lies in how organisations approach hiring.
Many employers still search for an exact replica of someone already doing the same role at a competitor or similar organisation. While this may feel like a safe hiring decision, it often fails to deliver long-term success.
Visionary leaders instead focus on three key factors:
Hiring for trajectory (e.g. identifying candidates who can grow, adapt and thrive within your business) consistently delivers stronger retention outcomes and helps close skills gaps over time.
Mentoring programs are widely discussed across the industry, but their effectiveness depends entirely on execution.
Formal mentoring initiatives often struggle because they remain theoretical rather than practical. What we increasingly see making the biggest impact is what could be described as operational mentoring, e.g. learning embedded directly within teams and daily workflows.
Team-based development, collaborative problem solving and real-time leadership exposure give emerging professionals tangible experience while strengthening entire organisations.
When mentoring becomes part of everyday operations rather than a standalone initiative, leadership development accelerates naturally.
Growth-focused workplaces are no longer optional; they are essential retention strategies. Organisations leading the way typically share several common traits:
Companies that intentionally design growth environments don’t just retain staff, they also build future industry leaders.
Events professionals are highly transferable. Their expertise in logistics, stakeholder management, marketing, finance and communications, among other skills, makes them attractive to many other industries (often offering higher salaries).
As a result, the events sector isn’t just competing internally for talent; it is competing with entirely different industries. Attracting and retaining professionals therefore requires a holistic approach combining:
Visionary leadership today means understanding that recruitment is no longer transactional. It is strategic, cultural and future-focused.
The organisations shaping the future of events are those that recognise recruitment as a leadership function, not simply an essential HR task.
By hiring for potential, embedding real development opportunities and creating environments where people can thrive, the industry has a powerful opportunity to rebuild its talent pipeline and strengthen its long-term sustainability.