Event Marketing Examples

What is event marketing?

Event marketing involves promotional strategies that help improve event engagement and keep attendees interested in the event. Think Apple’s elaborate product launches, Salesforce’s successful annual tech meetup - Dreamforce, or Shopify’s hiring conference ‘Diversify’. Whether your event is promotional, educative, informative, or centered on selling a product/service, experiential event marketing strategies - like the ones we list, will benefit you.

Event marketing’s strong suite is the power of emotional connect. Attendees feel connected to your event by participating in an experience. This heavily impacts your recall value and ensures recurring footfalls to your event - because who wouldn’t want to be in the successful events club?

Is Event Marketing Essential or Optional?

It’s an option if you aren't big on engagement but otherwise it's essential to your event strategy. There are many benefits to event marketing, including:

1. Letting People Know About Your Brand: Fun events are memorable. Even if you are launching a product, doing it creatively is bound to stick. Think of Redbull’s music festivals that pull audiences in and give the brand an edge. You recall the brand and associate it with the type of activities it offers.
   
   
2. Improves Recall Value (A.K.A Keep Them Coming Back For More): How much effort do you put you into scouting attendees for your event? Just redirect it to your event marketing strategy and see recurring footfalls increase. Attendees love events that aren’t one boring session after another and have something for them to actively do. Attendee ‘movement’ results in long-term engagement. So get your attendees (both physically and mentally) moving and grooving.
   
   
3. Drives Sales Opportunities: Engagement makes people more present and more attuned to the services and products promoted at your event. Want to take ROI a step ahead? Loop exhibitors and sponsors in event marketing activities. You can host a community-talk that centers on speaking about your industry - no direct sales, just transparent conversations. Get attendees attention and that’s 50% of the sales battle won.
   

Tips For A Successful Event Marketing Strategy

1. Know Your Audience: Creating experiential events for a target audience who won’t resonate, isn’t the best idea. Go back to data from previous events, look at competitor’s profiles, and tap into your event management software to deep dive into your attendees needs. Then plan the event marketing experience.
   
   
2. Define Your Goal: Is it engagement? Is it ROI? Is it recurring footfalls or is it offering more spotlight to sponsors, exhibitors and others. Whatever your event goal may be, it’s important to define it and measure it with a metric.
   
   
3. Creative Themes and Ideas: Look around you for inspiration. Is an influencer collab going to give your audiences a fun time? Or does a networking gala seem more appropriate? Once your target audience is defined, go back to your brand's core values and the intent of your event - the overlap between all 3 gives you the idea of what themes to choose from.
   
   
4. Don’t deviate: If your brand's messaging up until now has been formal, subtle and clear then changing it up suddenly is not a good idea. Event marketing works off familiarity. If your brand is about products and you suddenly insert a concert that is not relevant, then it might be fun but will create no lasting impact. So stick to your brand values.
   
   
5. Make it fun: Keep it fun, light and exciting. The event marketing examples we list below have elements of all 3 and that’s what makes them so memorable.
   
   
6. Stick to a budget: It’s so tempting to hire a DJ, or go all out with the animations or even blow money on fancy, gourmet food. Wait a minute, experiences don’t have to be expensive to stick, they need to be targeted. If your audience loves to see you work towards a social cause then stick to it. Overshooting your event marketing budget will only lead you down a rabbit hole of unmet ROI.
   
   
7. Tech is your buddy: Leverage good tech from background sounds, VR to a solid event management software to make sure the event runs smoothly. You can also tap into post-event engagement if you are backed with accurate data, courtesy the event software.

Event Marketing Masterclass: 15 Events You Need to Study

1. Figma Annual Conference

Figma does a great job of fusing the live experience with the hybrid one. Figma ‘Watch Parties’ are a rage with virtual attendees getting the same access to content as in-person attendees. The in-person breaks don’t mean a blackout for hybrid attendees but instead a time when exclusive content is aired for hybrid attendees. This often includes deep dives, interviews and plugin showcases. It’s a great way of including the virtual attendees into the Figma experience.

Your Takeaway: Watch parties are a great way to bridge the gap between virtual and hybrid experiences. Often hybrid attendees feel alienated from the chatter of event-breaks, a problem that Figma creatively solves.

2. Notion’s Block By Block Conference

Notion is a productivity tool and its annual conference is a rage amongst productivity enthusiasts. The ‘Makewithnotion’ website is a great example of event marketing at the onset of the journey. The quirky website-part-event guide gives attendees a tangible experience of what to expect at the conference. They also leverage UGC content fabulously well with the use of #NotionConf hashtag. Attendees tag their experiences, workflows and any other hacks they discovered during the event.

The content basically generates itself.

Your Takeaway: Event marketing that loops in attendees is great for engagement. Hashtags, selfie booths, social media shoutouts and mentions - all of these create an aura of fun around the event. The FOMO makes everyone want to participate.

3. Salesforce’s Dreamforce

Dreamforce is the event to be at for anyone vaguely interested in the SaaS space. The annual event is fun and innovative. At Dreamforce attendees get access to personalized trail maps, thanks to a union of AI and machine learning, that offers personalized session recommendations to attendees. So attendees choose what’s interesting, paving the way for great engagement.
The latest innovation, ‘Dreamforest’ was the creation of a natural haven set in the middle of the Moscone Campus in SA. The space was complete with waterfalls, nature sounds and live plants. This offers a break from the meandering through indoor areas and quite literally offers a breath of fresh air to attendees. The space was complete with live music, great food, coffee and a space to network organically.

Your Takeaway: Experiential spaces offer a break from the regular booth landscape of events, allowing attendees to curiously explore the event and in turn exhibitors, sponsors and sessions.

4. HubSpot’s Inbound

Killer marketing ideas at a full-blown marketing event - it has to be HubSpot. HubSpot’s Inbound event attracts professionals from sales, marketing, business and creative professions. These folks are hungry to learn all about business and marketing and HubSpot offers the perfect immersive learning experience.

Take for instance ‘Takedown’. A novel live debate format that attendees love. It allows attendees to not only ask questions but also challenge the panelists. This is a great way to spike up the engagement. Hubspot also invites celebrity speakers like Ryan Reynolds and Serena Williams to head sessions. The power of celebrity is a huge crowd puller.

Your Takeaway: Debates fire up the adrenaline in all of us and are great to capture attendee attention. Everyone loves debating and even proving experts wrong. Give this a try at your event but ensure you have moderators at hand in case things get too heated up.

5. Adobe’s AdobeMax‍

The creative giant’s event, ‘AdobeMax’, aims at promoting educational tools without eliminating the fun. The event involves sessions, creative labs, fun workshops and pre-conference training. Attendees go back feeling creatively recharged with a kitty of new skills. They also have an adult’s playground within the community pavilion - a fun space with games and opportunity for attendees to network organically.

Your Takeaway: Creating physical spaces that don’t feel like a conference but rather like a fun sunday backyard party is what Adobe nails right. The ambiance is light-hearted, fun and casual and that leads to some serious engagement.

6. Red Bull’s Winter X Games‍

You are probably sipping one for that much-needed energy boost. Red Bull is a great example of event marketing done right. From collaborations with high-profile athletes, to targeting a niche but growing audience of adventure junkies - Red Bull’s strategy has never missed the mark. Red Bull hosts extreme sports events, which is the platform on which new products are launched.
The Winter X Games is just one example of this strategy put to good use. The launch of the ‘Winter Edition’ drink at strategic kiosks at the event, got the necessary eyeballs and sales.

Your Takeaway: Product launches when backed with a high octane event often heighten product sales.

7. Shopify’s Unite‍

While we discussed the extravagant approaches to event marketing above - Spotify’s Unite is an event that is immersive for a different reason. The event is attended by partners and developers from across the globe who deep-dive into the future of the brand. The event agenda is where the marketing magic happens.

The sessions are targeted and explore a niche problem that partners face. For instance, the event covers sessions on ‘“Shopify Dev Tools to Improve Your App Building Process”, “The Journey of Growing a Shopify App into a Venture-backed Startup” and “Effective Ways to Improve Your Online Store Performance”. These sessions engage attendees and the brand blends these sessions with workshops that help attendees immediately implement information.

Your Takeaway: Sessions and workshops work best when they complement each other. Include workshops in your event that help attendees immediately put the learnings to practice. ‍

8. Nike’s Breaking2‍

This list would be incomplete without a mention of the marketing gurus at Nike. While you can learn a lot about event marketing from analysing any of Nike’s events, we tell you about the “Breaking2” campaign. Nike partnered with long-distance runners to break the 2-hour marathon barrier. The runners wore high-end Nike shoes and gear and the world could tune in to watch - thanks to live streaming.

Your Takeaway: Partnering with industry experts, in this case athletes, gives the brand an image of truly caring about the products they create.  Shift the marketing attention from your products towards its utility and see the magic unfold. Your product won’t be sidelined, it will just fit better into the larger narrative of making a difference.‍

9. IKEA’s The Big Sleepover

Ever tried lounging on an IKEA bed? You probably did it sneakily, but IKEA knows their beds are soft and customers are tempted to rest on them. So they created the ‘Big Sleepover’ campaign. The campaign's premise was simple -  guests could sleep on the IKEA beds at the store, rest their heads on uber comfortable pillows and even be guided into restful sleep by sleep experts. 

The viral campaign took over social media and saw many footfalls. The event venue were the Ikea stores and for once, attendees came dressed in their pajamas. Goes without saying, sales picked up and how!

Your Takeaway: If users or people love a specific aspect of your product or service, then offer a free trial. This gives attendees a chance to experience your product without the commitment of high subscriptions. Rope them in, get them excited and see the sales multiply.

10. Patagonia’s Action Works Cafe‍

The outdoor apparel and accessories brand is big on activism with many events centering around environmental causes. Their “event” is actually multiple niche events spread throughout the year. For instance, Patagonia Action Works is a collective effort that supports multiple causes. It also has an ‘Action Works Cafe’ in London where sessions on topics like Carbon Literacy take place.

Your Takeaway: While these smaller event campaigns are perfect for not-for-profits, the same approach can be adopted by D2C brands that associate with a cause.

11. Apple Inc’s IPhone 6 Launch‍

You were looking for this and rightly so - Apple Inc is THE name in event marketing. Their product launches are never highly marketed but well orchestrated. Rather the lack of marketing is the marketing because of the anticipation it creates. Take for instance the 2014 iPhone 6 launch, where a life-size structure of the phone was covered in white curtains at the Apple HQ compound. The buzz was palpable causing the products to be booked even before the launch.

Your Takeaway:  Marketing isn’t always loud, it can be subtle but equally effective if you do it right. Create the right amount of anticipation but don’t forget to drop hints along the way. The hints will keep the attendees glued in.

12. Mailchimp’s Collision Conference‍

Mailchimp’s experiential marketing strategy led to the creation of the enamoring ‘Wonderwall’. The structure featured a mix of static and projection mapped content. When attendees touched the interactive spots, illuminated illustrations would form. These were unique and left attendees glued to the wall. It offered great engagement and a tactile experience to attendees.

Your Takeaway: Experiential events elevate engagement to a massive extent. Attendees enjoy your event more when they don’t just see the event, but also can feel it.‍

13. Apple Inc (Again) Today At Apple‍

Apple’s event marketing is so innovative it deserves a blog of its own. But here’s another honorary mention to the titan of experiential marketing. Apple’s ‘Today at Apple’ is a user centric event where users are briefed on using popular apple features. These can include developing skills around photography, coding, and health and fitness, while using apple’s suite of smart tools. It’s a great way to involve and engage users and not forget to gather real-time data on common adoption obstacles.

Your Takeaway:  Your users engaging with your products in real-time is a goldmine of information. Tap into it by organising intimate gatherings where users can use beta versions of your product. 

14. Canva Create‍

Think of creativity you can execute and you think of Canva. Canva’s annual event ‘Canva Create’ is a pop of colors, quirky mosaics, great merchandise and a stellar speaker lineup. The event is the perfect example of retaining and even amplifying brand identity. Attendees love the experience and the entire venue makes some for Instagram worthy pictures. The carnival feel of the event lends it a casual, fun experience that really stands out.

Your Takeaway:  Brand styling, visuals and values need to be highlighted through various elements at the event. It allows attendees to categorise your unique brand and come back for it.

15. Lululemon’s Sweatlife Festival‍

The title leaves you stumped but the event even more so for its innovative approach to all things fitness. This famous and trendy fitness apparel brand incorporates its attendees' love for movement by offering bootcamps in areas like yoga, boxing, pilates, and dance experiences. The holistic approach transfers into sessions organized on topics like community, work-life balance, body positivity and more.

Your Takeaway: Audiences love workshops and bootcamps. To incorporate these into your event is a great to up the ante on engagement.

Eventify Supports Your Event Marketing Strategy

These tried and tested ideas are absolutely worth copying. Incorporate the strategy behind these ideas into your own event without compromising on your unique branding. Your next event will be absolutely…memorable...wait, it shouldn’t be so for the wrong reasons. Planning larger than life events is not an easy feat, so while your energy is focused on creatively marketing the event, we will take care of the logistics of ticketing, badge printing, registrations, engagement and everything in between. Sounds great? Call us now for a demo.