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Revenue and Related Matters
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
Revenue and Related Matters Revenue and Related Matters
Our Business and Revenues

Gartner delivers its products and services globally through three reportable segments – Insights, Conferences and Consulting, as described below.

Insights

Insights revenues are derived from subscription contracts for insights products, representing substantially all of the segment’s revenue. The related revenues are deferred and recognized ratably over the applicable contract term (i.e., as services are provided over the contract period).

The Company enters into subscription contracts for published products that generally are for twelve-month periods or longer. Historically, approximately 80% to 85% of the Company’s annual and multi-year Insights subscription contracts provide for billing of the first full service period upon signing. In subsequent years, multi-year subscription contracts are normally billed prior to the contract’s anniversary date. Other Insights subscription contracts are usually invoiced in advance, commencing with the contract signing, on (i) a quarterly, monthly or other recurring basis or (ii) in accordance with a customized invoicing schedule. Insights contracts are generally non-cancelable and non-refundable, except for government contracts that may have cancellation or fiscal funding clauses, which have not historically resulted in material cancellations. When a subscription contract is invoiced, the Company records the billable amount as a fee receivable, representing its legally enforceable right to payment. The corresponding amount is recognized as deferred revenue until the underlying services are provided and control is transferred to the customer. In certain instances, the Company may have satisfied its performance obligations and earned revenue prior to invoicing the customer. In such cases, the Company records an unbilled receivable, which represents its right to payment for services already delivered but not yet billed.

Conferences

The Company earns revenues from both the attendees and exhibitors at Gartner conferences and meetings. Attendees are generally invoiced for the full attendance fee upon their completion of an online registration form or their signing of a contract, while exhibitors typically make several individual payments commencing with the signing of a contract. Almost all of the invoiced amounts are collected in advance of the related activity, resulting in the recording of deferred revenue. Both the attendee and exhibitor revenues are recognized as the related performance obligations are satisfied (i.e., when the related conference is held).

The Company defers certain costs directly related to specific conferences and meetings and expenses those costs in the period during which the related activity occurs. The Company’s policy is to defer only those costs that are incremental and directly
attributable to a specific activity, primarily prepaid site and production services costs. Other costs of organizing and producing conference activities, primarily Company personnel and non-conference specific expenses, are expensed in the period incurred.

Consulting 

Consulting revenues, primarily derived from custom consulting and measurement services, are principally generated from fixed fee or time and materials engagements. Revenues from fixed fee engagements are recognized as the Company works to satisfy its performance obligations, while revenues from time and materials engagements are recognized as work is delivered and/or services are provided. In both of these circumstances, performance obligations are satisfied and control of the services is passed to customers over time (i.e., during the duration of the contract or consulting engagement). On a contract-by-contract basis, the Company typically uses actual labor hours incurred compared to total expected labor hours to measure the Company’s performance in respect of fixed fee engagements. If labor and other costs on an individual contract are expected to exceed the total contract value or the contract’s funded ceiling amount, the Company reflects an adjustment to the contract’s overall profitability in the period determined. Revenues related to contract optimization engagements are contingent in nature and are only recognized at the point in time when all of the conditions related to their payment have been satisfied.

Consulting customers are invoiced based on the specific terms and conditions in their underlying contracts. They are typically invoiced after the Company has satisfied some or all of the related performance obligations and the related revenue has been recognized. The Company records fees receivable for amounts that are billed or billable. Contract assets are also recorded representing amounts for which the Company has recognized revenue but lacks the unconditional right to payment as of the balance sheet date due to the required continued performance under the relevant contract, progress billing milestones or other billing-related restrictions.

Fees derived from assisting organizations in selecting the right business software for their needs are recognized when the leads are provided to vendors.

Disaggregated Revenue

Disaggregated revenue by reportable segment is presented in the tables below for the years indicated (in thousands).

By Primary Geographic Market (1)

Year Ended December 31, 2025
Primary Geographic MarketInsightsConferencesConsultingOtherTotal
United States and Canada$3,117,883 $381,544 $342,287 $190,887 $4,032,601 
Europe, Middle East and Africa1,323,266 194,995 148,946 26,525 1,693,732 
Other International631,421 68,204 61,266 10,002 770,893 
Total revenues $5,072,570 $644,743 $552,499 $227,414 $6,497,226 

Year Ended December 31, 2024
Primary Geographic MarketInsightsConferencesConsultingOtherTotal
United States and Canada$3,077,133 $354,011 $343,840 $242,746 $4,017,730 
Europe, Middle East and Africa1,169,314 165,306 142,849 40,346 1,517,815 
Other International582,604 63,907 71,848 13,507 731,866 
Total revenues $4,829,051 $583,224 $558,537 $296,599 $6,267,411 

Year Ended December 31, 2023
Primary Geographic MarketInsightsConferencesConsultingOtherTotal
United States and Canada$2,973,062 $317,531 $317,645 $302,804 $3,911,042 
Europe, Middle East and Africa1,009,500 140,640 130,471 51,459 1,332,070 
Other International533,473 46,993 66,630 16,748 663,844 
Total revenues$4,516,035 $505,164 $514,746 $371,011 $5,906,956 
(1)Revenue is reported based on where the sale is fulfilled.

The Company’s revenue is generated primarily through direct sales to clients by domestic and international sales forces and a network of independent international sales agents. Most of the Company’s products and services are provided on an integrated worldwide basis and, because of this integrated delivery approach, it is not practical to precisely separate Company’s revenue by geographic location. Accordingly, revenue information presented in the above tables is based on internal allocations, which involve certain management estimates and judgments.

By Timing of Revenue Recognition

Year Ended December 31, 2025
Timing of Revenue RecognitionInsightsConferencesConsultingOtherTotal
Transferred over time (1)$5,062,390 $— $398,551 $1,463 $5,462,404 
Transferred at a point in time (2)10,180 644,743 153,948 225,951 1,034,822 
Total revenues $5,072,570 $644,743 $552,499 $227,414 $6,497,226 

Year Ended December 31, 2024
Timing of Revenue RecognitionInsightsConferencesConsultingOtherTotal
Transferred over time (1)$4,818,254 $— $420,160 $2,689 $5,241,103 
Transferred at a point in time (2)10,797 583,224 138,377 293,910 1,026,308 
Total revenues $4,829,051 $583,224 $558,537 $296,599 $6,267,411 

Year Ended December 31, 2023
Timing of Revenue RecognitionInsightsConferencesConsultingOtherTotal
Transferred over time (1)$4,502,783 $— 400,171 3,838 $4,906,792 
Transferred at a point in time (2)13,252 505,164 114,575 367,173 1,000,164 
Total revenues$4,516,035 $505,164 $514,746 $371,011 $5,906,956 
(1)Insights revenues were recognized in connection with performance obligations that were satisfied over time using a time-elapsed output method to measure progress. Consulting revenues were recognized over time using labor hours as an input measurement basis.
(2)The revenues in this category were recognized in connection with performance obligations that were satisfied at the point in time that the contractual deliverables were provided to the customer.

Determining a measure of progress for performance obligations that are satisfied over time and when control transfers for performance obligations that are satisfied at a point in time requires management to make judgments that affect the timing of revenue recognition. A key factor in this determination is when the customer can direct the use of, and can obtain substantially all of the benefits from, the deliverable.

For performance obligations recognized in accordance with a time-elapsed output method, the Company’s efforts are expended consistently throughout the contractual period and the Company transfers control evenly by providing stand-ready services. For performance obligations satisfied under Consulting fixed fee or time and materials engagements, the Company believes that labor hours are the best measure of depicting the Company’s progress because labor output corresponds directly to the value of the Company’s performance to date as control is transferred.
For customer contracts that are greater than one year in duration, the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that are unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied) as of December 31, 2025 was approximately $6.4 billion. The Company expects to recognize $3.9 billion, $2.0 billion and $0.5 billion of this revenue (most of which pertains to Insights) during the year ending December 31, 2026, the year ending December 31, 2027 and thereafter, respectively. The Company applies a practical expedient allowed in FASB ASC Topic 606 and, accordingly, it does not disclose such performance obligation information for customer contracts that have original durations of one year or less. The Company’s performance obligations for contracts meeting this ASC 606 disclosure exclusion primarily include: (i) stand-ready services under Insights subscription contracts; (ii) holding conferences and meetings where attendees and exhibitors can participate; and (iii) providing customized Consulting solutions for clients under fixed fee or time and materials engagements. The remaining duration of these performance obligations is generally less than one year, which aligns with the period that the parties have enforceable rights and obligations under the affected contracts.

Customer Contract Assets and Liabilities

The payment terms and conditions in the Company’s customer contracts vary. In some cases, customers prepay and, in other cases, after the Company conducts a credit evaluation, payment may be due in arrears. Because the timing of the Company’s service delivery typically differs from the timing of customer payments, the Company recognizes either a contract asset (the Company performs either fully or partially under the contract but a contingency remains) or a contract liability (upfront customer payments precede the Company’s performance, resulting in deferred revenue). Amounts recorded as contract assets are reclassified to fees receivable when all of the outstanding conditions have been resolved and the Company’s right to payment becomes unconditional. Contracts with payments due in arrears are also recognized as fees receivable. As contractual performance obligations are satisfied, the Company correspondingly relieves its contract liabilities and records the associated revenue.

The table below provides information regarding certain of the Company’s balance sheet accounts that pertain to its contracts with customers (in thousands).
December 31,
20252024
Assets:
Fees receivable, gross (1)$1,689,522 $1,704,725 
Contract assets recorded in Prepaid expenses and other current assets (2)$40,534 $31,056 
Contract liabilities:
Deferred revenues (current liability) (3)$2,810,056 $2,762,927 
Non-current deferred revenues recorded in Other liabilities (3)31,569 27,389 
Total contract liabilities$2,841,625 $2,790,316 
(1)Fees receivable represent an unconditional right of payment from the Company’s customers and include both billed and unbilled amounts.
(2)Contract assets represent recognized revenue for which the Company does not have an unconditional right to payment as of the balance sheet date because the project may be subject to a progress billing milestone or some other billing restriction.
(3)Deferred revenues represent amounts (i) for which the Company has received an upfront customer payment or (ii) that pertain to recognized fees receivable. Both situations occur before the completion of the Company’s performance obligation(s).

The Company recognized revenue of $2.4 billion, $2.3 billion and $2.0 billion during 2025, 2024 and 2023 respectively, which was attributable to deferred revenues that were recorded at the beginning of each such year. Those amounts primarily consisted of (i) Insights revenues and (ii) Conferences revenues pertaining to conferences and meetings that occurred during the reporting periods. During 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not record any material impairments related to its contract assets.

Costs of Obtaining and Fulfilling a Customer Contract

When the Company concludes that a liability should be recognized for the costs of obtaining a customer contract and determines how such liability should be measured, certain commissions are capitalized as a recoverable direct incremental cost of obtaining the underlying contract. No other amounts are capitalized as a cost of obtaining or fulfilling a customer contract because no expenditures have been identified that meet the requisite capitalization criteria. For Insights and Consulting, the
Company amortizes deferred commissions on a systematic basis that aligns with the transfer to customers of the services to which the commissions relate. For Conferences, deferred commissions are expensed during the period when the related conference or meeting occurs.
During 2025, 2024 and 2023, deferred commission amortization expense was $612.3 million, $574.3 million and $550.5 million, respectively, and was included in Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company classifies Deferred commissions as a current asset on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at both December 31, 2025 and 2024 because those costs were, or will be, amortized over the twelve months following the respective balance sheet dates.