FUEL Tops Irish Eventex Rankings as European Research Highlights Growing Importance of Brand Relationships
The Dublin-based experiential agency FUEL has been ranked Ireland’s leading agency in the Eventex Top 100 Agencies 2026, as new European research points to a significant shift in how businesses measure the effectiveness of live brand experiences.
FUEL was the only Irish agency included in this year’s global rankings, placing 57th overall. The ranking, which measures performance across three editions of the Eventex Awards, assessed 3,851 entries from 79 countries.
It marks the sixth consecutive year that FUEL has claimed the top Irish position, according to the agency.
The recognition comes as new research from 27Names, the European live experience agency collective of which FUEL is a member, reveals that businesses are increasingly prioritising long-term customer relationships over traditional measures of reach and short-term commercial returns.
According to the European Experience Index (EEX) 2026, the proportion of clients identifying Return on Relationship (ROR) as a marketing priority has increased from 16% to 58% in just one year.
Relationship-building is now the second most important performance indicator for live experiences, behind audience engagement at 65%, while the importance attached to traditional sales pipeline impact has declined from 41% to 26%.
However, the research also highlights a significant measurement gap, with just 19% of corporate clients and 11% of agencies reporting that they have a validated methodology for measuring the commercial value of relationships.
The research, conducted by Newton X in May and June 2026, surveyed 196 senior corporate client leaders and 89 agency leaders across 27 European countries.
It also found that Irish and UK businesses face particularly strong expectations around corporate values and financial accountability.
Some 91% of respondents in the two markets said audiences demanded a values-first corporate purpose, while 82% required traditional financial return on investment (ROI) measures before approving event budgets.
The findings suggest that while brands increasingly recognise the longer-term benefits of experiential marketing, agencies are under pressure to demonstrate how investment in relationships, trust and advocacy translates into measurable business outcomes.
The research also points to a renewed preference for face-to-face experiences. Preference for physical activations has increased from 50% to 78%, while preference for digital web-conference formats has fallen from 33% to 10%.
FUEL co-founder and managing director Jamie Deasy said the findings reflected changing demands among Irish clients.
“The EEX findings reflect exactly what we’re hearing from clients in Ireland. Businesses want experiences that are true to their values, but they also need to demonstrate clear commercial returns.”
The ranking follows FUEL’s acquisition of Dublin and London-based sports marketing agency 53Six, whose clients include Arsenal, Juventus, UEFA, the IRFU and Leinster Rugby.
The acquisition combines FUEL’s experience in live events, creative production and branded entertainment with 53Six’s expertise in performance media, audience data and sports marketing.
According to Deasy, the acquisition will help the group address the growing requirement among clients to demonstrate the commercial effectiveness of experiential activity.
“The new research shows that only 19% of businesses have a validated way to measure the value of their relationships. Bringing 53Six into the FUEL group gives our clients that capability, connecting live experiences with the audience data to prove their return.”
Headquartered in Dublin, with teams in the UK and US, FUEL works across brand experience, employee engagement, content production and live events. Its client portfolio includes Google, Meta, Coca-Cola, PayPal, AIB, World Rugby and Universal Music Group.
The group is also involved in several major Irish festivals, including WellFest, Kaleidoscope and Beyond the Pale.
