Davies Tanner

What Davies Tanner does

Davies Tanner is an independent UK-based PR and brand communications agency operating as Davies Tanner Marketing Services Ltd, a private limited company headquartered in Kemsing, Sevenoaks, with 11-50 employees. Founded in 1997, the firm specializes exclusively in the business events sector, providing PR and communications services to venues, hotels, destinations, trade shows, trade associations, and government/advocacy organizations. Service modules span strategy and planning, media and influencer relations, social and digital content, exhibitions and live events, content creation, and advocacy and government relations. Revenue is generated primarily through retainer-based agency engagements with enterprise and government clients, supplemented by project-based work.

The agency's strategic positioning is reinforced by institutional roles that competitors cannot easily replicate: it founded The Business of Events (TBOE) industry think tank, serves as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events, and acts as special advisor to the UK Events Industry Board. The firm operates a multi-brand portfolio including the core Davies Tanner (DT) agency for B2B, The Audience for B2C consumer communications (launched April 2024), and Studio for digital content and analytics. Notable client outcomes include £80 million in pre-opening enquiries generated for The Belfry's largest events space and 530+ million media reach for the Meet In Wales campaign.

The agency has no disclosed technology platform or proprietary software; its value proposition rests on deep sector expertise, 30+ years of industry relationships, and demonstrable campaign results. It has not raised external funding and operates without institutional investment, appearing to be founder-managed. Named PR Agency of the Year at the CN Agency Awards 2024, Davies Tanner maintains a 100% client retention rate and 100% employee retention rate, with nearly half the team having tenures exceeding nine years.

Name

Davies Tanner

Legal name

davies tanner Marketing Services Ltd

Website

https://daviestanner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Davies Tanner is an independent UK PR agency specializing exclusively in the business events sector, providing retainer-based communications services to venues, hotels, destinations, trade associations, and government bodies, supported by its founding role in industry think tank The Business of Events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Tunbridge Wells

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. PR Services - Retained Agency Work: Davies Tanner generates revenue through retainer-based PR and communications services for venues, hotels, destinations, and events companies. They offer both short-term project work and long-term retained client relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Davies Tanner is a specialist public relations and brand communications agency that delivers PR, media relations, content, and government advocacy services exclusively to the business events sector. Its core offering consists of retained PR campaigns for venues, hotels, destinations, trade shows, and trade associations, supported by sub-brands such as The Audience (consumer PR), Studio (digital content), and The Business of Events (industry think tank and policy unit).

Product overview

Davies Tanner is a specialist PR agency for the business events industry operating under a multi-brand portfolio structure. The core Davies Tanner agency provides B2B PR services for venues, hotels, destinations, and trade associations, while The Audience handles B2C communications. The Business of Events (TBOE) serves as their policy and research arm, and Studio delivers digital content and social media services. Service modules include Strategy & Planning, Media & Influencer Relations, Social & Digital, Exhibitions & Live Events, Content Creation, and Advocacy & Government Relations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Business of Events (TBOE): An independent Think Tank and Policy Unit for the events industry, founded by Davies Tanner.
• Studio
• The Audience

Products and services

• Davies Tanner PR Services (B2B Communications for Business Events) Retained and project-based B2B PR and communications services for venues, hotels, destinations, trade shows, and trade associations in the business events sector, including media relations, thought leadership, content creation, influencer engagement, and campaign execution.
• The Business of Events (TBOE) Independent Think Tank and Policy Unit for the events industry, founded by Davies Tanner, that shapes policy, conducts research, and supports long-term sector growth.
• The Audience (Consumer PR Agency) Consumer-focused sister PR agency brand launched by Davies Tanner to deliver B2C communications for events-sector clients, complementing the parent agency's B2B focus.
• Studio (Digital Content Brand) Digital content sub-brand of Davies Tanner providing analytics, social media strategy, video marketing, and digital content campaigns based on cultural and social behavior analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• £80million in enquiries generated for The Belfry pre-opening
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IAPCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026ICC Wales (client) joined IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organisers) as a Convention Centre Partner for 2026, gaining access to IAPCO Education Programme including EDGE Seminars and enhanced brand visibility.
• ICCAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 May 2023ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) appointed Davies Tanner as Global Communication Partner, responsible for global PR and communications activities.
• VisitScotland Business EventscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership supporting VisitScotland Business Events with communications, PR, and campaign work including annual Journey conference events.
• The Business of Events (TBOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavies Tanner founded The Business of Events (TBOE), an independent Think Tank and Policy Unit for the events industry that shapes policy and supports sector growth.
• All-Party Parliamentary Group for EventscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavies Tanner serves as secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Events, providing government relations and advocacy for the business events industry.
• The AudiencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavies Tanner launched The Audience as a consumer-focused sister agency to handle B2C communications, complementing DT's B2B focus.
• PCMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavies Tanner serves as PCMA's global agency of record, managing PR and communications for their flagship Convening Leaders event.
• UK Events Industry BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavies Tanner serves as special advisors to the UK Events Industry Board and Business Visits & Events Partnership.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FleishmanHillard: Global PR and communications network with established travel, hospitality, and events practices. Comparable as a competitor for enterprise hospitality and events mandates, but operating at a much larger scale and broader sector footprint than Davies Tanner's UK-specialist model.
• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with dedicated travel, hospitality and lifestyle capabilities. Competes for global enterprise communications briefs in the same venues/hotels/destinations category, but with substantially deeper resources and global reach.
• Weber Shandwick: Major global PR network with a strong travel, tourism and hospitality practice. Directly relevant as a competitor for enterprise PR engagements with hotels, destinations, and events organisations, though it operates globally rather than as a niche UK specialist.
• Hill & Knowlton: Global communications consultancy with deep travel, tourism and hospitality expertise. Comparable as a competitor for enterprise and government events-sector mandates, though with a much broader geographic and service footprint than the UK specialist.
• Burson: Global communications network (formed from BCW and Hill & Knowlton) with significant travel, hospitality and corporate communications capabilities. Relevant incumbent competitor for global events-industry clients, though operating at substantially greater scale than Davies Tanner.

Direct peers

• Beattie Communications: UK integrated communications group providing PR, public affairs, and digital services. Comparable as a UK-headquartered multi-discipline communications firm of similar scale, competing for mid-market enterprise clients across consumer and B2B.
• Citypress: UK-based PR consultancy serving corporate, property, and consumer clients. Comparable as a UK-headquartered specialist PR firm of similar scale competing for mid-market enterprise and association retainers.
• Harvard PR: UK specialist PR firm serving technology and B2B brands. A direct comparability peer given its UK base, specialist positioning, and similar headcount tier to Davies Tanner's specialist agency model.
• The PHA Group: UK integrated communications group offering PR, public affairs, and digital services. Comparable as a similarly sized UK-based multi-discipline communications firm competing in the same enterprise and association client pool.
• Brands2Life: UK-based specialist B2B PR and communications agency of comparable size, focused on technology and B2B sectors. Comparable as a similarly sized, specialist UK PR firm competing for mid-market enterprise retainers with deep vertical expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/daviestannerpr
• Facebookfacebook.com/daviestanner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/daviestanner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Davies Tanner