Strategic Non‐Monetary Reward Integration in the European Event Sector: Enhancing Employee Engagement and Organizational Agility

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how non‐monetary investments influence productivity in the European event sector. The study uses panel data collected from Eurostat across 26 European countries from 2008 to 2020, with a total of 338 observations. The methodology applied is a two fixed‐effect regression along with a system GMM estimation to examine the relationship between investment per employee and labor productivity, considering personnel costs and company size. The results show that investment in technology, training, and workplace improvements contributes positively to productivity. However, the effect is reduced over time as these practices have become common across the sector. The findings suggest that competitiveness now depends less on financial investments and more on how organizations use their resources to sustain learning and innovation. The study provides insights for managers in the industry and policymakers and emphasizes the importance of capability building as a long‐term investment in competitiveness rather than a cost.