As part of a series of interviews with the agencies at the top of the ranking, Eventeffect spoke to Marie, CEO of LIWLIG Sweden, and Niclas Rahm, CMO and COO at LIWLIG, about the group’s growth, changing client expectations and its ambition to become a significant European player.
LIWLIG has once again topped the ranking of the Nordic region’s largest event and brand experience agencies. What does that position say about the journey you have been on?
It is a strong endorsement of the progress we have made, both in Sweden and across the Nordic region, says Marie.
But for us, the figure is most meaningful as the outcome of a broader ambition, to build a new kind of agency for a market that is itself undergoing significant change.
We have created a Nordic platform with greater reach, a wider range of expertise and a broader offer, while keeping creativity and human connection at its heart.
It has never been about scale for scale’s sake. It is about building an organisation capable of helping clients address larger, more complex challenges. The fact that we are once again at the top of the ranking suggests the market sees value in that direction.
You have built something for which there is no obvious blueprint. How do you create an agency of this scale when there is no established model to follow?
The short answer is, you don’t. You build, test and learn as you go, says Niclas Rahm.
There are, of course, other agency groups and operating models we can draw inspiration from, but none that can simply be copied. Our challenge is to combine local expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial drive with the strength of a shared Nordic and international platform, without stripping away the qualities that made the individual businesses successful in the first place.
That means remaining curious about what is possible. Some initiatives work better than we anticipated, while others need further development. That is a natural part of creating something new.
For me, the important thing is that experimentation is not random. It has to be driven by strategic curiosity. We must continually seek to understand where the market is heading, what clients need and what we might create that does not yet exist.
It is this combination of a clear direction and constant curiosity that keeps us moving forward.
Buying behaviour is changing rapidly. What shifts are you seeing among clients, and what do they mean for an agency such as LIWLIG?
We are seeing a clear change in both how companies buy and what they expect from their partners, says Marie.
Many organisations are in the midst of major transformations, organisationally, technologically, culturally and commercially.
In that environment, it becomes increasingly difficult to commission a standalone communications initiative. You first need to understand the problem you are actually trying to solve and the impact each intervention is expected to deliver.
That is also changing our role. Clients increasingly want to involve us earlier, while the challenge is still being defined, so that we can understand the business from the outset, rather than simply receiving a brief and producing what it asks for. We welcome that. It is exactly where we want to be.
As our clients change, we need to change with them. That is one of the most important forces behind LIWLIG’s evolution.
You speak frequently about impact. What does that mean in practical terms when working with experiences?
For me, this is one of the most important shifts taking place across our industry, says Rahm.
As a sector, we need to become better at connecting what we create with what a business is actually trying to achieve. An event is not an outcome in itself. The question is what happens as a result.
Does it help people understand a transformation? Does it bring new energy to an organisation? Does it persuade customers to choose the brand? Does it grow a community? Does it equip the sales organisation to perform more effectively? Does it build momentum behind a new proposition?
When we start with those questions, the experience becomes a tool for the business, not simply a production.
The event isn’t the finish line. It’s the ignition point.
That is where I believe our industry has enormous potential to develop.
LIWLIG is the largest agency of its kind in the Nordic region. Your next ambition is to challenge Europe. What are you setting out to prove?
That it is possible to build an internationally relevant business from a Nordic base, says Marie.
The Nordic region has a very strong international reputation for creativity, innovation, design, sustainability and new approaches to organising businesses. We believe there is an opportunity to take that Nordic perspective into the wider European market.
But our ambition is not simply to export a Swedish or Nordic model. Europe comprises many different markets and cultures. We need to understand them and learn from them, while bringing with us the qualities that make LIWLIG distinctive.
Being the largest in the Nordic region is a position. Becoming a relevant European player is an entirely different ambition.
That is where our attention is now focused.
Looking five years ahead, what would you like LIWLIG to have changed within the industry?
I hope we will have helped broaden the industry’s understanding of what an event and brand experience agency can be, moving from a producer of individual events to a strategic partner that helps businesses create momentum, among people, within organisations, in the market and across the business itself, says Rahm.
I also believe the boundaries between communications, brand experience, content, community and live will become increasingly irrelevant. People do not experience companies through organisational silos, so why should we structure our industry around them?
Our ambition is not simply to describe where the industry is heading. We want to help define and shape that direction.
That is perhaps what makes this journey so exciting. We do not have a finished map. What we have is a clear direction, a strong conviction and an enduring curiosity about what is possible.
The Nordic region’s 20 largest event agencies and groups
The ranking is based on revenue for 2025. Figures are reported, provided by the companies or estimated.
| Rank | Event agency or group | Country | 2025 revenue, €m |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LIWLIG Group | Nordics | 146.0 |
| 2 | Z Event | Norway | 44.8 |
| 3 | Moment Group, Event & Communication | Sweden | 24.3 |
| 4 | Le Pacte Nordic | Sweden and Norway | 19.7 |
| 5 | Creative Meetings | Sweden | 19.6 |
| 6 | JCP | Norway | 18.1 |
| 7 | Onemotion IMC | Sweden | 17.2 |
| 8 | Norwegian Promotion Group | Norway | 16.4 |
| 9 | Ciceron International | Sweden | 15.9 |
| 10 | Eventually | Denmark | 15.6 |
| 11 | Avalon | Sweden | 15.4 |
| 12 | Factor Nova | Finland | 12.4 |
| 13 | Homage | Sweden | 11.6 |
| 14 | K&E Studios Group | Sweden | 11.1 |
| 15 | Lund Gruppen Arrangement | Norway | 10.7 |
| 16 | All In | Norway | 10.7 |
| 17 | Hummingbird Meetings & Events | Sweden | 10.5 |
| 18 | Lataamo Creative | Finland | 9.6 |
| 19 | BANG Agency | Sweden | 9.1 |
| 20 | Woltti Group | Finland | 8.6 |
