The Marketing Leaders’ Year-End Virtual Roundtable

The evolving landscape of event marketing: Insights and future directions

Over the last twelve months, following the transformative trends of prior years, event marketing across regions has continued to morph, impacting the size of events, choice of platforms, and levels of participant interaction. While virtual events initially surged in popularity, they subsequently encountered a plateau in enthusiasm among attendees and organisers. There’s been a palpable yearning for the resurgence of face-to-face interactions, though the high turnout and triumphs of pre-pandemic events seem challenging to replicate.

As we approach the end of 2023 and look towards 2024, marketers across the globe are navigating a nuanced landscape where historical attendance figures no longer serve as reliable predictors of success. Marketers across these diverse regions are adapting, probing the market for answers to pressing questions. Is the market ready to re-embrace virtual settings? Might the focus shift to more niche, in-person gatherings? And how will hybrid event structures be optimised?

• What new marketing challenges have arisen recently, and what innovative strategies are marketers employing in response?
• In the current climate, how can companies optimise their event marketing mix? Should they lean towards physical, virtual, or hybrid models? What’s the ideal scale?
• What are the emerging trends that are expected to define event marketing in 2024 and beyond?