by RKadmin | Feb 3, 2026 | Communication

Mayhem & Agony: The human side of M&A

Tie-ups and buyouts look good on paper, but there’s often a hidden cost.

2025 was the year of mergers and acquisitions in our industry, with multiple deals that caught headlines and reshaped parts of the market, from Unbridled’s merger with OrangeDoor, to Spiro acquiring 2Heads, and Havas Play’s acquisition of Bearded Kitten, alongside other moves such as Encore buying FIRST, and ITA Group acquiring C2 Events. And 2026 shows no signs of slowing down, with early moves including Jack Morton’s merger with ImpactXM and Strata acquiring Wonderland.

But whilst these make great headlines, we need to scratch under the surface a little and discuss the long-term impact these will have. To be clear, mergers and acquisitions are a real positive signal for the industry. Investment is better than closures. It shows confidence in live, brand experience, and the fact that businesses still want people in rooms together. The headline is good news.

Read the full piece in my Conference & Incentive Travel (C&IT) quarterly column HERE

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Over the past few months, I’ve been speaking with agency owners, board directors and senior leaders across the events and brand experience world, and a clear pattern has emerged. Everyone is talking about AI, but not in the doom-and-gloom way you might expect....

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For years, I’ve been hearing the same story. “Experience doesn’t matter.” “We need new blood.” “ Hybrid is the future.” And yet, look at what’s happening right now. Employers are quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, realising they do need the people who’ve been...