8 Innovative Event Marketing Trends, Examples, and Tips

By Intelligent Relations Team

December 14, 2023

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There goes a saying, “If you build it, they will come.” While this may be partially true, simply setting up an event isn’t enough to attract attendees. 

For a marketing event to be successful, you’ll need to generate buzz and make it accessible to a wide audience. This can be challenging if you’re not sure how to target your audience in a meaningful way. 

Budgeting is another common issue with event marketing. Allocating funds effectively while maximizing the impact of the event can be challenging. This is especially true for startups and small businesses.

Plus, there are a lot of moving parts that go into planning and marketing an event. That involves venue selection, implementing the right technology, and getting the word out.

Understanding and implementing the latest event marketing trends allows for a more engaging and memorable experience. Knowing how to accomplish this isn’t always as easy as it sounds.

That’s why we’ve compiled 8 of the most relevant trends in event marketing. 

Plus, we’ve included examples and tips, so you can better implement each of these trends.

Event Marketing Trends 2024

• Public Relations
• Interactive Video
• Personalized experiences
• Hybrid Events
• Artificial Intelligence
• Gamification
• Social Media
• Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

1. Public Relations Can Create Buzz Around Your Event

PR helps in creating awareness about an event, making it one of the top event marketing trends you’ll want to adopt. 

More importantly, it adds a layer of credibility to your event. 

You can generate buzz through teasers, press releases, media interviews, and social media interactions. But coverage in reputable media outlets, endorsements from influencers, and positive press releases can enhance the perceived value of your event.

Through well-crafted PR strategies, you can:

• Reach your target audience more effectively. 
• Tailor messaging to resonate with specific groups. 
• Ensure that your event attracts the right attendees.
• Create excitement and anticipation.

Ready to adopt PR as one of your event marketing trends?

For successful campaigns, create a compelling narrative around your event. 

This means identifying what makes your event unique, newsworthy, or of interest to your target audience. Focus on aspects such as special guests, unique experiences, innovative topics, or community impact.

Also, establish strong relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers in your industry. Provide them with all the necessary information, resources, and potential story angles to make covering your event as easy as possible. 

Below, you can see how using an AI PR tool like IR would allow you to pair with the most relevant journalists, media outlets, and influencers covering events in your industry:

Pro Tip: Identify and partner with influencers whose audience aligns with your target attendees. Use social media to amplify your PR efforts. This includes sharing press releases, media coverage, and influencer posts on your event’s social media channels. 

Need to free up time and resources on your event PR efforts? Want to ensure the best possible results? Book a free demo and find out how we can streamline the process.

PR is a great add to your general marketing mix. Ready to get started? For more PR ideas and tips, check out our article: 18 Top PR Trends Shaping the Industry in 2024

2. Interactive Video Can Enhance Engagement

Experts predict video will soon dominate online content, emphasizing its significant impact on digital marketing initiatives. Already, about 90% of consumers rely on videos when making decisions, especially those with interactive elements. 

Making your videos more interactive can notably influence customers to prefer your events. They build pre-event excitement and foster interaction during the event. This helps transform passive viewing into a more enjoyable and memorable engagement.

Want to use video as one of your event marketing trends? 

You’ll want to try using interactive videos to create buzz around your event. Develop short, engaging teaser videos. These should highlight key speakers, topics, or unique experiences attendees can expect. 

Incorporate clickable elements that lead viewers to more detailed information or direct them to the registration page.

Also, enhance engagement by embedding Q&A or poll features in your videos. This can be particularly effective in the lead-up to the event. It allows potential attendees to voice their interests or concerns.

Mindstamp is one interactive video platform you can use. Here is a demo that shows how interactive video works: 

Pro Tip: After an event, send out interactive videos as part of your follow-up strategy. These videos can include highlights of the event, key takeaways, or even teasers for future events. Embed calls-to-action, feedback surveys, or social media share buttons.

Want to use your event footage as part of a bigger video marketing strategy? Then you’ll want to check out our article for tips and ideas: Top 10 Video Marketing Trends for 2024 [+ Tips]

3. Personalized Experiences Ensure You Reach the Right Attendees

Why is personalization one of the top event marketing trends? 

First, because it’s versatile, ranging from customizing food and snack menus to swag bags and name tags. Ultimately because it helps enhance event memorability and enjoyment. 

Most event planners use personalization because it boosts marketing ROI. But keep in mind that attendees desire to feel valued and acknowledged as more than just another face in the crowd. 

And while data is crucial for personalization, it’s important to remember the irreplaceable value of face-to-face engagement. Personal connections increase satisfaction and strengthen brand trust. So, the more personal you get the better your personalization efforts.

To make this part of your strategy, craft personalized communications before, during, and after your event. Use attendees’ full names and reference their interests in emails, app notifications, and social media interactions. 

Post-event, send personalized follow-up messages thanking them for attending and provide content relevant to their experience at the event. This approach fosters a sense of attention and appreciation.

This video shows how event personalization works in greater detail: 

Pro Tip: Offer interactive elements such as customizable schedules. Allow attendees to choose the sessions they are interested in. Also, incorporate features in your event app that allow attendees to interact with speakers, participate in live polls, or connect with other attendees.

4. Hybrid Events Cater to the Interests of All Attendees

In the post-pandemic era, virtual events became the primary marketing tool out of necessity. Since we’ve been transitioning back to in-person events, hybrid events have become one of the leading B2B event marketing trends. 

While it’s unrealistic to assume everyone is eager to join large gatherings, some people prefer in-person attendance. Hybrid events offer the best of both worlds. 

Using hybrid events ensures that remote attendees feel as involved and valued as those attending in person. This method caters to a diverse range of preferences and comfort levels with physical gatherings.

To make your events hybrid, use technology to bridge the gap between physical and digital attendees. This can include live-streaming in-person sessions to online participants and enabling real-time interaction between both groups.

Design content specifically for your remote audience to keep them engaged. This could involve exclusive virtual breakout sessions, online networking opportunities, or interactive workshops.

Zoom is a platform often used for hybrid events. Here is an in-depth explanation of hybrid events, with behind-the-scenes footage from Zoom: 

Pro Tip: Tailor your marketing strategy to appeal to both in-person and virtual attendees. Highlight the unique benefits of each format in your promotional materials.

5. Artificial Intelligence Can Streamline Your Event Marketing Efforts

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing events, making it one of the most innovative event marketing trends for 2024. 

With the growth of data collection and platform sophistication, AI’s impact is expanding. It can aid in various stages of event planning, including things like ticket management, sales, and personalization. 

AI’s capabilities also extend to automating post-event follow-ups and enhancing attendee networking experiences. The thing to remember is that AI technology isn’t just a tool for efficiency; it’s a catalyst for innovative marketing strategies.

How do you use AI as one of your event marketing trends in 2024?

If you’ve hosted an event before, you can start by using tools with AI predictive analytics capabilities to analyze past attendee behavior and preferences. This can help you tailor your marketing messages and recommend attendees specific events or sessions. This helps you ensure that your marketing efforts resonate with each individual.

More generally, you can use AI to automate routine tasks such as those related to email marketing, social media posting, and customer service relations. This will save you time and allow for more consistent engagement with your audience.

One popular AI tool used for event marketing is ClickUp. It can write event plans and help streamline event planning tasks. Here’s an example of how it works: 

Pro Tip: Use AI to collect and analyze real-time data during the event. This can include attendee feedback, engagement levels, and social media interactions. This real-time analysis allows for quick adaptations to improve ongoing and future events.

Adding AI to your marketing efforts can help with personalization and automation. Want to find out more? Read our article: 8 AI Marketing Trends for 2024 and Beyond (+Tips & Ideas)

6. Gamification Adds Fun to Events

Gamification involves applying game-design elements in non-game contexts, a trend gaining traction among marketers. But why is it one of the top event marketing trends? 

It turns passive event participation into an active experience. For example, gamification often incorporates scoring, competition, and achievements.

For educational or informative events, gamification can make learning more interactive. This approach often leads to better retention of information. Participants are more likely to remember content that they interacted with in a game-like environment.

When using gamification, create games that are relevant to your event’s theme or your product. For example, if you’re hosting a tech conference, you might design a game that involves solving puzzles related to the latest tech trends. 

Design the game in such a way that participants learn about key features or benefits as they progress. This approach helps in embedding your product knowledge in an entertaining format.

EventMobi is one of the top event tools with built-in gamification features. Here is an example of what this feature looks like:

Pro Tip: Motivate participants by offering rewards or incentives for completing challenges. These could be physical prizes, exclusive access to certain parts of the event, digital badges, discounts on your products or services, or recognition on social media platforms.

7. Social Media is an Excellent Place to Promote Your Events

Social media is still an excellent place to promote and stream events, making it one of the top event marketing trends.

Social media platforms have a vast and diverse user base. This offers event access to a wide audience. Plus, compared to traditional marketing channels, social media is often more cost-effective. Especially for smaller organizations or events with limited budgets.

Additionally, social media allows for real-time interaction. You can quickly respond to queries and update attendees on event details. Plus, you can create a buzz around an event as it happens.

When leveraging social media as one of your event marketing trends, start by developing a unique, catchy, and memorable hashtag for your event. You should use your hashtag across all social media platforms. That will help you organize the conversations around the event, while increasing visibility and brand awareness, and event awareness. 

Next, be sure to share engaging visuals such as photos, videos, and infographics. Prior to the event, share behind-the-scenes content, teasers, speaker introductions, and other promotional materials to build excitement.

Here is an example of social media events on Facebook: 

Pro Tip: Social media is a two-way communication channel. Actively engage with your audience before, during, or after events. Respond to comments and participate in conversations. Also, run contests, Q&A sessions, and polls to foster interaction.

Want to see the latest trends in social media marketing? We’ve got you covered! Check it out: 9 Top Social Media Marketing Trends Taking the World by Storm

8. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Can Provide an Immersive Experience for Attendees

Why are augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) among the most innovative B2B event marketing trends for 2024? 

AR and VR technologies offer immersive experiences that traditional event formats cannot match. They engage attendees in a more interactive and captivating way, making events memorable and unique.

AR and VR provide innovative ways for brands to showcase their products and services. For instance, AR can bring a product to life in the user’s environment. VR can transport users to a completely different world, offering unique branding experiences.

Participants from around the world can join virtual spaces, making events more accessible and inclusive. This is especially significant in the context of continued concerns around global travel and gatherings due to health and safety reasons.

The key to a successful AR/VR event is a seamless, user-friendly experience. Ensure that the technology is accessible and easy to use for attendees. This might involve providing clear instructions, user support, and making the experience as intuitive as possible.

The content within these virtual environments should be relevant and add value to the overall event goals. For example, use VR for immersive product demos or AR for interactive event guides and information dissemination.

Onirix is a leading augmented reality platform used for events. Here is an example of what it looks like: 

Pro Tip: To ensure maximum participation, promote the AR and VR aspects of your event in advance. Educate potential attendees about the technology, how to access it, and what to expect. This can be done through social media, email campaigns, and the event website.

Interested in integrating new technology as part of bettering your marketing and PR strategies? Learn more here: 8 Marketing Technology Trends That Can Supercharge Your Marketing Efforts

Key Takeaways on the Latest Event Marketing Trends

So, you’ve planned your event. Now it’s time to apply these strategies to making it memorable and marketing it. Effective event marketing requires an understanding of your audiences and technology. 

Of course, it’s important to strike a balance between technology use and providing a meaningful experience. Your event marketing efforts should include engagement, education, and ease of access. 

By staying current on the latest event marketing trends, you can set your event apart from many others. Try these trends and ideas out and determine which ones work best for your brand, event, and audience. 

Have an important event coming up? Need help with event PR and marketing initiatives? Let us help! Simply book a free consultation with us and we will help you prepare for your event.