New data from The Ops Nest reveals team structures, salary levels and the growing use of AI across the operational event community.
The Ops Nest has released its third annual State of Ops report, offering the most comprehensive view yet of the business event operations landscape.
With responses from 96 ops professionals, the 2025 edition highlights how the operational landscape is evolving and offers benchmarking data for ops teams including these key findings:
• Ops teams are changing – The average ops team now includes nine in-house members and one freelancer, with almost half of all ops teams relying on flexible freelance support.
• Salaries remain under pressure – While the range of experience has broadened, 62% of professionals feel their pay doesn’t reflect their role or responsibility.
• Recognition is rising – 71% of respondents now receive a bonus, with performance rather than delivery metrics driving reward.
• Sustainability and DEI slipped down the list of top operational challenges this year, as cost, time and staffing pressures take centre stage.
• 35% of respondents use AI in their role, although most is surface-level productivity support rather than integrated workflows.
The report also dives into knowledge gaps and training needs, highlighting where ops professionals most want to grow, particularly in technology, budget management and procurement and offers insight into what keeps people in the role the energy of live events, collaboration, and the strong sense of community that defines operations.
Lou Kiwanuka, founder of The Ops Nest, said: “Ops teams have adapted brilliantly to new demands, tighter budgets and shifting delivery models but recognition and reward structures haven’t caught up. Experience is still undervalued, and that’s a retention risk we can’t afford to ignore.
The full State of Ops research report is available for download now via The Ops Nest website.