Shocking pay gap revealed as leaders back DEI in events

A shocking £3,400 pay gap between white and ethnic minority eventprofs has been laid bare in the UK, as leaders back DEI values amid a wider attack.

Findings from Live Recruitment’s Diversity Report 2025 paint a damning picture of inequality across pay, seniority and opportunity in a sector that thrives on connection and representation.

The study lands just months after Trump’s return to the White House in January, where he wasted no time ordering the dismantling of federal DEI mandates.

Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, said: “DEI policies and initiatives are crucial for the international events industry to thrive and deliver positive change. Our sector is renowned for being open and embracing.

“And that strength, depth and global inclusiveness also helps drive economic impact by bringing together the widest possible range of people to meet and share ideas.

“While it’s difficult to predict how the situation will unfold in the months ahead, I’m confident our sector will stay true to its foundation.

“We’re a people business after all, and we should continue to use our events to connect people across boundaries and borders, creating experiences that are inclusive for everyone and – ultimately – helping the world become a better place.”

New numbers put DEI in focus:

• White professionals earn £3,408 more than their ethnically diverse colleagues in events.

• Men earn £3,531 more than women despite women making up nearly 60% of the workforce.

• Ethnically diverse professionals represent just 25.1% of the industry – underrepresented at leadership level.

Why DEI matters in events – and why it’s under threat

Events are a mirror of society – bringing people together from different backgrounds, cultures and industries to spark ideas, trade and transformation.

But when the makeup of those events – on stage, behind the scenes, or in the audience – fails to reflect the real world, the entire experience suffers.

This is despite the Trump administration’s actions having emboldened a wider rollback of DEI across US firms – Google, Meta and Amazon have all quietly scaled back diversity teams.

Nicola Kastner, CEO of ELX, has recently released guidance on how to promote DEI in the current climate – as well as why it really matters.

She said: “The needs of our event attendees have not changed because of the new executive orders. Employees and customers will remember how companies reacted in these times.

“Therefore, it is more important than ever to maintain DEI programming within events – we just need to do it in a way that is compliant. Policies may shift but our values shouldn’t.”

Diverse representation isn’t just ethical – it’s commercially smart. A McKinsey study cited in the 2024 Driving Success Through Diversity report found companies with ethnically diverse leadership are 36% more likely to outperform financially and those with greater gender diversity 25% more likely.

Yet inclusion remains surface-level in too many organisations.

That 2024 report found:

• 59% of event professionals don’t believe their company values DEIBA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Accessibility).

• 36% don’t feel fully included at work – 15% feel excluded altogether.

• Many DEI training programmes are tick-box efforts – 64% of staff had training, but only 54% found it effective.

• Middle managers – the backbone of delivery – often feel disconnected from decisions and under-resourced.

Gabby Austen Browne, founder of Diversity Alliance, called this the “DEIBA paradox” – where companies promote diversity in words but fall short in practice.

She said in the report: “We are not yet fully recognising or maximising the opportunities related to DEIBA in the workplace.

“If we don’t feel the benefits, it’s easy to stop believing in them.”

Diversity works

Trump’s campaign to end DEI as we know it has already chilled corporate commitments in the US, with political groups threatening lawsuits and shareholder activism pushing firms to abandon soo-called “identity politics”.

But the need for authentic, inclusive experiences remains critical – especially in a globalised market.

Clients, attendees and partners are demanding more, not less, representation – and younger generations in particular expect brands to reflect their values.

The events sector has long billed itself as progressive, innovative and people-first. But these reports and analysis reveal that values without structure are failing – and silence could cost the sector its future talent.

Thank you for reading this article. Want to see how event tech can help turn these insights into action? Book a free consultation with ExpoPlatform now.