asembl.agency, the live events specialist inside the asembl.group, marks its 20-year milestone this year, as co-founders Gavin Farley and Adam Baxter reflect on two decades of events industry transformation.
Farley and Baxter first launched as In2Events on 4th May 2006, delivering events for clients across multiple sectors. Over the years since, the business has navigated and adapted through some of the most significant disruptions the industry has faced.
By 2010, despite the early years turbulence of the 2008 financial crisis and Icelandic ash cloud, In2Events had repositioned as a specialist in high-end events for the technology sector. Building on its fast-growing reputation and client portfolio, the agency was recognised as one of the UK’s Top 50 agencies in 2017.
The years following the 2016 Brexit referendum brought sustained uncertainty for event organisers navigating shifting regulations and cross-border logistics. In2Events used the period to build deep expertise in this area, work that ultimately led to the formation of LogisKIT, now a significant logistics operation supporting events across the industry.
The most significant transformation came in 2020. Rather than retrench in the face of an industry-wide shut down, Farley used the disruption as the catalyst to merge In2Events with other legacy agency brands, laying the foundation for a broader, more capable business model.
This culminated in the 2021 launch of asembl.group, a wider collective of specialist agencies operating under a shared “individually amazing, together unstoppable” philosophy, with In2Events as one of its founding partner businesses. In 2022, In2Events rebranded as asembl., reflecting the merger and a new identity built around simplicity, transparency and a jargon-free approach to client service.
Farley said: “We built asembl.group a long time before collectives became the industry’s next big idea. Our partners stay independent and we bring the right specialists together around each client’s brief, brand and budget. Five years on, that unique model is still what sets us apart.”
Twenty years on, asembl. has grown its operation to include a 37,000 sq. ft warehouse and more than 40 full-time staff. It delivers around 650 projects annually, for over 45 active clients, having worked in more than 20 countries.
The business has achieved 22% year on year revenue growth over the past five years and continues to expand, including into new international territories. This includes the recently announced Noble Live FZCO acquisition in the Middle East,with Formation Global.
Two decades of live events have also produced some memorable numbers. asembl.’s largest single event welcomed an audience of 3,600 and the business has generated 378,000 kWh in solar power, enough to charge an electric car 4,000 times or cover more than a million miles. Then there are the requests. Over the years, the team has been asked to procure an actual elephant, drop someone from a helicopter in a cage, and fire a guest out of a cannon.
Earlier this year, major leadership appointments included Natalie Glasgow as managing director and Penny Noble as client relationship director. Looking ahead, Farley and Baxter say the industry will continue to be shaped by change and that the businesses best placed to succeed will be those able to adapt quickly while staying closely connected to their clients.
Farley said: “The past two decades haven’t changed the fact we’re in the human experience business and the next two decades won’t either.”