Event and Experiential Marketing

March 19, 2026

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What are current trends and best practices for event marketing?

"Next-gen" events can drive depth and breadth of customer engagement that lead to better brand awareness, lead generation, retention, and loyalty. However, with the hybridization of events, inflation and budgets tightening for companies and individuals alike, an ongoing concern marketers face revolves around event and activation strategies, which can also be something of a moving target.

It comes without surprise that despite living in an increasingly digital world, with virtual events now part of the norm, many people still value physical events as a way to connect with each other as well as brands, according to Inspira. Instead of forgoing one for the other, marketers should embrace a varied and holistic approach to events that meets the needs of various audiences. Integrated marketing can help foster connections and community; Inspira noted that 92 percent of marketers "are strengthening post-event follow-up to drive ROI, while 77 percent are focused on building year-round engagement."

Further, Cvent stressed the importance for teams to make sure brand events are personalized, relevant, and authentic. This approach doesn't always translate as more attendees equals more success; if anything, marketers should be tracking engagement, rather than just attendance.

Cvent wrote that "exclusivity, often delivered through micro events, is gaining momentum. People are more selective with their time and attention. They want peer-to-peer learning, relevant conversations, and the chance to engage with others who share similar challenges and priorities. This shift isn't about chasing registration numbers. It's about getting the right people in the room. Ten highly engaged attendees learning from one another, asking thoughtful questions, and building relationships can deliver far more value than a packed room with shallow interaction."

In addition, leading with authenticity and personalization can help marketers plan events that provide value and meaning for attendees. Following up after the event with supplemental information, videos, and other offerings can boost engagement.

Moreover, a more localized approach can aid this strategy, and provide a way to speak authentically and effectively to different groups, as well as create more intimate and accessible settings. Bigger isn't always better. For instance, Apple does this on a micro-level experientially as it focuses on building community within its physical stores.

Blaine Rueber, director of strategic brand communications at Pernod Ricard, discussed how local marketing helped build lasting momentum for the brand in an ANA interview, noting that "local activities helped to sustain national buzz throughout the monthlong St. Patrick's Day season, provide in-market opportunities for consumer engagement and also had positive sales implications. We credit local market activity for contributing to the 7.8 percent increase in week-over-week sales during the week of St. Patrick's Day in the off-premise. We saw increases week-over-week for Jameson Original in key markets where we activated, including 33 percent in Chicago, 10.9 percent in Las Vegas, 5.6 percent in New York, and 2.6 percent in Los Angeles."

At the end of the day, consumers are just people who live in their local communities; so, while people collectively live in a globalized world, starting "small" and staying local can create a bigger splash as the experience could continue to foster engagement beyond the event itself. Localized events can also extend to coverage and partnering with influencers to shed light on local communities.

For example, Misti Dragano, SVP of communications at Moore, explained how to leverage influencers for physical events, stating, "Where we've seen some success is taking physical events and sharing them more broadly, outside of the communities where they are occurring. For example, American Legion was one of our clients, and they have the Legion baseball games, which are in Shelby, North Carolina. Nobody is going to Shelby to watch high school baseball, even if it is some of the best players in the country. But we sent baseball influencers down to interview the players, talk about the importance of Legion baseball, and take it out to the broader community. So those types of activations might be a better approach from an event perspective. Or if you have an event that has a virtual component to it, some of those challenges would be lessened in that instance as well. But it is hard to get people to a specific local event."

Below are resources on event strategies that provide a general sense and flavor of event strategies and trends today and tomorrow.

Trends and Best Practices

What the Year Ahead Might Hold for Experiential Marketing. The Drum, January 2026.
The Drum wrote that "experiential marketing isn't just a nice-to-have – it's a strategic growth driver that delivers measurable results in trust, sales, deeper connections, and long-term brand equity. As the latest Bellwether Report showed, U.K. event budgets are increasing, and the IRL category showed the highest budget optimism for the coming year. In 2025, The Drum made some internal predictions about 10 trends that they believed would dominate and inspire. Looking back their strike rate was great – four have gone from strength to strength 'cross pollination, sense maximized, fandom power, and unexpected piggybacks) and the remaining six have been steady influences on all IRL marketing throughout the year. For 2026, they focus on one tech observation from 2025 that has morphed into something more powerful, and two new trends."
9 Event Trends You Should Know for 2026. Cvent, December 2025.
Cvent wrote that "events in 2026 will be defined by intentionality. AI is becoming operational, trust is harder to earn, and outcomes matter more than ever. At the same time, audiences are more selective, choosing experiences that feel intentional, relevant, and worth their time. So how can you navigate these shifts?" This article looks at nine event trends shaping the year ahead, and how they'll impact your strategy in 2026, as noted in the piece:

Trend No. 1: AI goes operational
Trend No. 2: Trust is a brand differentiator
Trend No. 3: B2B still demands authentic emotion
Trend No. 4: Personalization is attendee-led
Trend No. 5: Exclusivity and micro-events drive demand and engagement
Trend No. 6: The era of purposeful event spaces
Trend No. 7: Tech designed for all
Trend No. 8: Cost is driving sourcing decisions
Trend No. 9: Measurable outcomes are more crucial than ever

Also of possible interest from Cvent, see Experiential Marketing: The Complete Guide 2026.

10 Event Trends Reshaping Live Experiences. Events Calendar, October 2025.
Per the piece, "People's expectations of live events have changed in the past few years. Compared to the past, you need much stronger motivators to drive live event attendance. Fortunately, the same technological revolution that disrupted the events industry is now offering solutions that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago. Think AI that reads the room and adjusts your meeting agenda on the fly. Picture conferences where you can hop between real-world workshops and personalized virtual sessions. Far from killing traditional events, these tools are making them better than ever. This explores ten event industry trends that are transforming live events from "just another gathering" into unforgettable experiences."
Infographic: From First Impressions to Lasting Connections: How Integrated Experiences Drive Brand Loyalty. ANA, May 2025.
Integrated experiences are taking over, and brands are all in. With 80 percent of companies ramping up their experiential marketing spending: pouring between $500,000 and $1 million annually into activations — live events are more than a moment, they're the foundation of lasting connections. Marketers are getting smart too: Ninety-two percent are strengthening post-event follow-up to drive ROI, while 77 percent are focused on building year-round engagement. The numbers don't lie — success isn't just about how many show up; it's about creating meaningful relationships that last.
The Rise of Experiential Marketing: Engaging All 5 Senses. LBB, March 2025.
LBB wrote, "In a world saturated with digital noise, forging real, memorable connections has never been more essential. Enter experiential marketing: a strategy that transcends mere transactions, turning brand interactions into unforgettable, hands-on experiences. In 2025, this approach is more powerful than ever. Why? Because today's consumers don't just want to make purchases—they want to be moved. They seek meaningful moments that ignite emotion and leave an imprint long after the experience fades."
Five Ways Brands Can Leverage Experiential Marketing to Build Genuine Relationships with Consumers. ANA, January 2025.
To get the most out of the experience, marketers need to consider how they're going to build genuine relationships with consumers. Here, we offer five foundational ideas to foster connection, trust, and loyalty, making the relationship between brand and consumer far more meaningful.
Experiential Marketing 101: Basic Best Practices. ANA, January 2025.
ANA's on-demand training course "Brand Activations That Drive Results" offers six best practices for conducting experiential events:

Have a clear purpose: Think about what customers need and develop the activation with that in mind.
Immerse customers in the brand: Go beyond 2-D and engage attendees' sense of touch, etc.
Bake in PR: Involve public relations in the early stages of activation's development to give them the runway and the opportunity to offer input necessary to create buzz-generating PR.
Consider integrating with existing events: Doing so can provide an opportunity to test ideas that can be scaled later.
Ensure digital scalability: Use hashtags and make selfie spots and filters available to guests to promote sharing on social media.
Innovate: The experiential space is a crowded one, so you'll have to think creatively to stand out.

Examples

McDonald's Stages an Experiential Sauce-Customization Event. ANA, November 2025.
The pop-up tapped into fans' love of mixing the QSR's sauces in personalized ways to promote a new menu item, McCrispy Strips.
Miller Lite's Tryout Campaign Scored Big in Ohio. ANA, October 2025.
Miller Lite launched an experiential campaign that invited Ohio fans to compete in pro-level challenges alongside local athletes. Centered around its 96-calorie message, the "Pro for a Day" activation engaged participants through live tryouts with NFL, MLB, and MLS teams. The hands-on experience drove strong engagement, boosted brand sentiment, and helped Miller Lite surpass Bud Light to become Ohio's No. 1 beer.

Thermo Fisher Brings NYC Experience to Conference-Goers. ANA, July 2025.
Thermo Fisher Scientific created an immersive NYC-themed experience for attendees of DCAT Week, hosted by the Drug, Chemical and Associated Technologies Association.

Visa Hosts Immersive Experiences Across Europe for Its Corporate Consumers. ANA, July 2025.
Visa Europe Ltd utilized a multi-media campaign culminating in an immersive experience to reach corporate consumers.
Experiential Marketing for Events: 21+ Examples That Actually Worked. Skift, May 2025.
You already create memorable moments. Experiential marketing takes those moments and turns them into powerful brand stories that people talk about, share, and remember. It turns your audience into active participants instead of passive observers. Around 70 percent of consumers become repeat customers after a great brand experience. For event professionals, this is a huge opportunity. This breaks down exactly what makes experiential marketing work, the best campaign examples, and how you can use it to create unforgettable brand experiences.

Tools

Event Marketing Plan Playbook. ANA/Demand Metric.
Use this step-by-step playbook and set of 21 premium tools and templates to create a comprehensive event marketing plan.

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Source

"Event and Experiential Marketing." ANA, 2026.