You may have noticed that EVCOM has been quieter than usual at the start of this year. That has been intentional.
The opening weeks of 2026 have not called for noise. They have called for observation, analysis and deliberate planning. Across live events, experiential, corporate film and brand video the market has been moving at pace. Our responsibility has been to understand those movements before responding.
The most obvious trend has been consolidation.
Consolidation Is Now Structural
The final quarter of last year signalled increasing merger and acquisition activity. The first quarter of this year has confirmed it, with corporate unions announced at a rate that would make even St Valentine pause.
In experiential and live events we have already seen significant structural moves:
- Impact XM and Jack Morton have merged, creating a scaled global experiential organisation positioned around integrated technology-enabled brand experience.
- Havas has strengthened its experiential capability through the acquisition of Bearded Kitten, expanding Havas Play within a broader communications group.
- Identity and Smyle have consolidated under a unified brand, reinforcing clarity of positioning and scale.
- Encore’s acquisition of FIRST underlines the shift toward integrated scale-driven experiential networks where infrastructure, production and creative sit under one commercial roof.
Alongside these headline deals there has been continued acquisition activity across the production and AV technology ecosystem, including robotics-led production and immersive platforms. These investments reflect confidence in infrastructure and capability depth rather than short-term opportunism.
The logic is consistent: broader capability, integrated data, technology expertise, geographic reach and margin resilience. Scale is increasingly both a defensive and an offensive strategy.
This is not a cyclical spike in activity. It is a structural realignment.
The Market Context
To understand this consolidation we need to look at the broader data.
The UK video production market, valued at around £3–3.2bn in 2024, is estimated to have grown to approximately £3.2–3.4bn in 2025.
However growth is uneven across the sector. It is increasingly concentrated among specialist tech-enabled providers, while mid-tier generalists face margin pressure. AI is compressing certain production cost structures and commissioning cycles are becoming shorter but more selective.
Sector benchmarking suggests that the average corporate video company in the UK is growing at around 6% with significant variation. A number of businesses are flat or experiencing margin pressure. Only a smaller proportion are accelerating meaningfully.
In live events corporate investment remains present, particularly in high-impact in-person engagement. However that investment is subject to materially greater scrutiny than in previous cycles. Measurement, ROI, data capture and hybrid amplification are now baseline expectations rather than added value.
The macroeconomic environment reinforces this pattern. UK growth forecasts remain modest. Business investment is cautious. Cost control remains a priority.
The conclusion is straightforward: there is growth but it is competitive and pressured. When moderate growth meets operational constraint consolidation follows.
Strategic Implications for the Sector
We are operating in a market that is concentrating.
Larger organisations will continue to acquire specialist capability in order to strengthen resilience and broaden offer. Mid-sized businesses will need sharper positioning and clearer differentiation. Smaller organisations must define and defend a distinct niche to remain competitive.
The sector is not contracting. It is becoming more selective.
In this environment clarity of proposition, credibility of delivery and visibility to decision-makers become critical strategic assets.
Talent in a Consolidating Market
This month’s thematic focus is talent.
There remains persistent commentary about talent shortages. At the same time conversations with emerging professionals present a more nuanced picture. Many report fewer permanent roles, shorter contracts and slower progression pathways.
The reality is not that talent is leaving the sector. Rather expectations are shifting.
High-performing individuals increasingly prioritise flexibility, ownership, transparency of progression and fair reward for specialist expertise. In a consolidating market talent understands its leverage.
This has implications for recruitment models, retention strategy and leadership culture. It is an area requiring thoughtful sustained attention.
What Are We Doing to Support You Through This?
These market dynamics have shaped our planning.
2026 requires structured commercially aligned programming rather than reactive event scheduling. Our four core pillars remain:
- Top 50 with Moving Image – 25 March
- Clarion Awards – 8 July
- London Live & Film Awards – October date TBC
- Fellowship Awards – 16 December
These allow you to showcase your work and demonstrate to the industry and the wider world your creative power and the impact you are helping your clients to make.
Around these we have built a programme designed to address growth, acquisition navigation, business development and talent strategy directly.
We have already delivered a fully subscribed Senior Leaders Breakfast focused on business development and acquisition positioning. Upcoming sessions include Film Producers Lunches, Event Leaders forums, talent roundtables, enhanced Next Gen programming and expanded business development partnerships.
Each event is designed with a clear purpose: to support members in strengthening visibility, resilience and commercial confidence in a consolidating market.
The Strategic Importance of the Top 50
The Top 50 delivered in partnership with Moving Image is particularly important this year.
It is not simply a ranking. It is a structured benchmark demonstrating the economic and creative value of corporate film and brand video within the UK screen industries.
The methodology incorporates revenue, peer recognition, awards performance and output volume. Participation provides data-backed positioning, commissioner-facing visibility and objective sector benchmarking.
In a year where acquisition and strategic repositioning are active such benchmarking is commercially significant.
Visibility is not incidental. It is strategic.
Access the survey by clicking here.
The Craft Does Not Stop
Despite consolidation, procurement pressure and constant discussion of acquisition the creativity and commitment within this industry remains strong.
I had the pleasure of presenting the Video of the Year to Auspicious Group at Communicate’s Lens Live last night. It was an excellent evening. The standard of work was exceptional. Thoughtful well-crafted impactful storytelling with real substance. Many of the winners were EVCOM members which made it all the better.
Congratulations to all of you.
It was a reminder that whatever the market conditions the quality of work in our sector remains high. If your piece is purpose-led impact-driven or socially conscious do not forget to enter it into the Clarion Awards which launch shortly.
Final February Thoughts
This year, the Year of the Horse, is not simply a year of realignment. It is a year of opportunity for those prepared to act with clarity.
Capital is concentrating around capability. Clients are prioritising measurable value. Technology is accelerating delivery and expanding what is possible. Talent is redefining how and where it contributes.
These are not warning signs. They are signals.
They point to a sector that is maturing, professionalising and evolving at pace.
This is not a year for passive participation. It is a year for confident positioning, intelligent collaboration and visible leadership.
We built strong foundations last year.
This year is about building on them.
The opportunity is there. Let’s take it forward.