Why Encore Bought FIRST — and What the Deal Reveals About the Future of the Gathering Economy

Why Encore didn’t buy an agency, but an operating system for the future of gatherings

When Encore acquired FIRST, the announcement arrived without drama. There were no claims of disruption, no breathless talk of reinvention, no attempt to dress the transaction up as a creative coup. And yet, taken seriously and placed in context, the deal may prove to be one of the most structurally significant moves the events industry has seen in decad…