I’ve been speaking with agency owners, HR teams and C-suite leaders across the events and experiential world, and the Q3 story is clear: the market’s refocusing on experience, hybrid has found its rhythm, AI is part of the toolkit (not the threat), and there’s a quiet, cautious confidence building for 2026.
Here are the standout Q3 2025 trends, plus what I think is coming next.
1. Experience Is Back
Not lip service, lived experience.
The brief has shifted. Agencies are looking for people who’ve led teams face-to-face, handled crises and can read a room. It’s about instincts you only earn by doing. To be clear, this isn’t about age, it’s about depth of leadership and people skills.
2. Leaders Want to Be Back in the Office (and Many Teams Do Too)
Hybrid has settled into three or four office days for most senior leaders. It’s not about presenteeism, it’s about proximity. You simply can’t properly support a team from a spare room. For many people, there are personal reasons too: loneliness, changing family setups or just wanting clearer work-life boundaries. Being present is back in fashion.
3. Hybrid Is Fracturing Cultures, Clarity Cures It
The “messy middle” really is messy. Different working patterns (two days versus four, fixed versus flexible) are creating micro-cliques and in-group/out-group dynamics. Remote-only employees feel sidelined, and in-office teams resent exceptions. Information still spreads informally, over a coffee or a lunchtime walk, and people outside the room miss out.
The fix is simple: set a model, stick to it, and recruit to it. Hybrid can absolutely work, but only when it’s intentional and consistent.
4. AI Is Here, and It’s Not the Enemy
AI is now just part of the toolkit. It’s not new, not scary, and it definitely hasn’t stolen everyone’s job. The panic has passed. I’m seeing it used sensibly, automating admin, summarising notes, drafting job specs, not replacing people. Let AI do the dull stuff so humans can focus on what matters: connection, assessment, creativity and conversation.
5. Sales Talent? Consider Fully Remote (Seriously)
Most roles sit around three or four office days a week. The exception is sales. The best salespeople are client-side, not desk-bound. If you want top performers, think remote-first with clear targets, accountability and trust. Remote doesn’t mean “never leaves the house”, it means they’re out delivering, not clock-watching.
6. “Work Hard, Play Hard” Is a Red Flag Now
That old Friday-drinks, work-hard-play-hard energy? It’s done. With low or no-alcohol culture growing and wellbeing finally being taken seriously, the bar tab isn’t a benefit any more. And while we’re at it, stop shouting about “hybrid” like it’s a perk. It’s expected. Talk about purpose, progression, wellbeing and credible leadership instead.
7. Face-to-Face Interviews Are Back (Especially Finals)
Final interviews are now back in person, often in client offices or at events. Candidates who refuse to meet face-to-face at that stage are being seen as red flags. Employers want to see real interaction: presence, curiosity and chemistry, without a screen filter.
8. “Vibe Hiring” Is Out, Evidence Is In
Chemistry still matters, but “we vibed” doesn’t cut it any more. Employers are testing claims: “You launched the US office? Show me the business case, the budget, the wins.” Expect structured assessment, scenario discussions and proof over banter. The result is better hires and fewer false starts.
9. Salary Transparency Is Finally Growing
I will die on this hill, and thankfully it’s starting to pay off. More employers are posting salary bands. It’s efficient, fair and honest. It cuts mismatches, speeds things up and proves that pay equity is more than a press release. I expect this to become standard across mid-senior roles soon.
10. The Industry’s Split, but the Loudest Voices Aren’t the Whole Picture
The rule of thirds still holds: a third thriving, a third steady, a third struggling. But the struggling ones are the loudest, so the public mood feels worse than reality. Quiet optimism is everywhere, with lots of agencies confident about 2026, they’re just not shouting about it.
Optimism doesn’t trend, but it’s building in the background. The overall mood? Measured, cautious, but quietly positive, built on better hiring, sharper propositions and leaner teams.
Forecasts for the Months Ahead
1. Pay Will Reflect Presence (by Office Days)
This may sound controversial, but employers are starting to look at pay linked to office presence, not as a penalty for remote work but as recognition for onsite contribution and overheads. It’s practical, transparent and already quietly happening.
2. More Consolidation Before the Next Uplift
Expect redundancies before recovery, mostly from mergers and efficiency drives. For founder-led agencies around the £2–10m mark, my advice is to run lean, stay smart and scale cleanly. Acquirers are watching for strong, focused businesses with clear margins.
3. The C-suite Returns to Strategy
After years of firefighting, leaders are back to leading. There’s growing demand for solid MDs and Operations Directors who can run the engine room, freeing execs to focus on partnerships and growth.
4. Leaders Are Talking to Each Other Again
Senior leaders are comparing notes again, through peer groups, invite-only lunches and proper conversations. And the tone is refreshing: collaboration over competition.
5. Remote-First Will Stay Rare (Sales the Outlier)
Outside of sales and some tech roles, fully remote will stay niche. Hybrid is here to stay, but with clearer expectations, firmer boundaries and fewer grey areas.
In short, Q3 marks a reset towards realism: steady leadership, sensible hybrid, human-first AI and cautious optimism for what’s ahead. It’s not doom, it’s direction. The smart ones are already building for next year.
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