The next generation of events is the result of a shift in the industry and two years of digital accelerated. There are opportunities for marketers with the template reset.
There is a learning curve Business events still need to have an always on approach despite the return to in-person events.
Conferences, trade shows, road shows, and customer groups are some of the next- generation events. The good news for marketers is that they now have the chance to improve their event strategy and execution for the foreseeable future.
We queried marketing leaders about this new era and found several insights in the report, "Aligning Strategy, Teams and Tech for Success in a New Era of Events."
Virtual events are still relevant today.
Virtual events will continue to play an important role in next-gen events despite the fact that virtual fatigue is a fact of life. According to 20% of marketing leaders, virtual events still deliver huge reach.
After more than two years of virtual only events, marketers are eager to restart in-person events. It makes sense. The ability to nurture customer relationships at in-person events results in higher conversion rates. It is very important to restart in-person events according to three out of five marketers.
There are two years of learning and innovation.
B2B marketers used to be in a different world before the Pandemic. Silos made it hard for event leaders and marketing leaders to have a meaningful connection.
There were inefficiencies and missed opportunities due to the lack of collaboration between event planners and their marketing partners. More than half of the event managers planned events without marketing campaigns.
Forrester said that in-person event planners struggled to adopt virtual technology and digital practices that engage remote attendees and deliver value to sponsors and partners.
Lessons from the Pandemic are being learned by marketers.
More than half of marketers say events are owned and managed by marketing, orchestrated across the company, and aligned to aholistic marketing plan. The shift is a success. More than half of respondents think that event marketing will continue to mature and incorporate aholistic view of all events that are better aligned to marketing outcomes.
The unvarnished truth is the hybrid event.
It's difficult to pull off a successful hybrid event. Only 36% of marketers rate their ability to execute hybrid events as "effective" or "very effective", the lowest effectiveness rating of the other three major event types. The added complexity and technology that hybrid events need mean planners and marketers must more fully commit to the execution of these types of events.
Even though it's complex, hybrid events are appealing to marketers. The new catchword for the next-gen event channel is hybrid, due to the fact that the potential value of a hybrid event is more than it was before. Combining the breadth of virtual events with the depth of engagement at in-person events, hybrid events are unique to offer event organizers the best of both worlds. Carefully scope the goals of your event to make sure the effort of executing a hybrid event will result in returns on investment for your organization.
The next generation is here.
It isn't an option for organizations to return to pre-pandemic strategies for in-person events. There have been two years of virtual events. Digital components such as online event platforms and on-demand content are required for next-gen in-person events.
CMOs need to prepare to maximize the value of this next-gen event channel as the marketing world brims with excitement over the return of in-person events. It's a great chance to change events in the future.
You can download a free copy of the report "Aligning Strategy, Teams and Tech for Success in a New Era of Events"
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