Event Marketing Looks Very Different Post-Pandemic

Flexible options are the norm as events cater to varying preferences

Since the pandemic halted in-person events five years ago, interest in getting together in real life (IRL) has soared. Event marketing is making a resurgence, but these aren’t the events of the pre-pandemic era. Expectations have changed and new technology has emerged to help event planners better engage with their audiences—wherever they are.

How planners are embracing the shifts

“Over the past 24 months, event marketing has been taking an increasingly prominent role in our campaigns for our international clients,” says Aaron Henry, founder and managing director at Foundeast Asia Co., Ltd., an international marketing agency with offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Dallas. Most of these, he says, now include events within the scope of work.

For instance, he shares: “We just organized the European Union’s presence at the United Nations Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development 2025 in Bangkok. We’ve also organized the launch of G-FAIR, the South Korean government’s top SME fair, in Bangkok, and the presence for the Italian Trade Agency at THAIFEX-Anuga, Thailand’s largest food fair.”

Henry attributes the increased interest in event marketing “to an overall decline in the performance of digital advertising.” Especially for those companies focused on lead generation, he says, “well-strategized events and real human interaction can be an effective approach to meeting goals.”

Steven Spieczny agrees. Spieczny is VP of marketing at Kognic, an AI company that provides specialized annotation platforms for autonomous systems in the automotive and robotics industries. “We’ve seen a strong return to events as a key piece of our strategy,” he says. “With all the mania around SaaS and how digital marketing rules, the irony is that offline events are clearly the silver bullet to find new qualified leads and accelerate ongoing business discussions for many software/high tech businesses,” he says. But, he adds, it’s important to integrate the two.

Today’s attendees, more than ever, are looking for meaning and connections in addition to seeking answers and insights into their business questions and challenges.

The Psychology of Events

People want to make personal connections, says Adam Ortman, consumer psychologist, marketing author, and president of marketing agency Kinetic319. They value interpersonal relationships. He points to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to support this. “The second tier from the bottom of the hierarchy is really about relationships—needing to feel a sense of belonging to a community.”

The pandemic limited these interactions, forcing people to sit at their desks all day and then on their couches in the evening. Especially for those working remotely, the isolation took a toll. That experience, though, has shifted expectations when it comes to events. The events that succeed today look and feel different from the events we attended pre-pandemic.

Vivienne Errington-Barnes, CEO and founder of Shift + Alt Events, says that events are taking on a far less formal look and feel today. “The distinction between work events and social events is fading,” she says. “During the pandemic, we were all on video conferencing calls, and we could see each other’s bedrooms and living rooms and got a glimpse into people’s personal spaces. That feeling of informality has transferred into corporate events.”

Events are also becoming more experiential, Errington-Barnes notes. “The kind of corporate events we plan now are the kind of thing you would do on the weekend,” she shares. “For example, we planned a corporate wine-tasting event where the wines were represented through the five senses. With two wines per sense, guests had to taste each and guess which was related to each activation. For sight, we had two dancers representing each wine in cones of light; for sound, we had two musicians playing different instruments, and so on.”

Today’s events, says Errington-Barnes, need to be fun, even if they’re corporate events. That feeling of fun also impacts how attendees participate in events.

“Formal dress codes are becoming less important, and the traditional posh luxury aesthetic is giving way to a more rustic, family-style approach,” says Errington-Barnes. “Instead of plated, seated three-course dinners, events now lean towards communal sharing experiences.”

Changing expectations are impacting event planners of all kinds, and across all industries.

Changing Expectations

Events in 2025, says Errington-Barnes, “are taking a bit more of a risk in curating experiences that feel distinctive rather than overly mainstream.” It’s not just about the information that is being presented—but the experience that is being delivered.

“Companies are becoming more thoughtful in regard to how they’re leveraging attendees’ time,” says Ortman. “Their time is more valuable than ever in 2025.” In addition, he says, they’re also being more intentional about how they’re incorporating their brand and what topics and content they’re showcasing.

“You see a lot more flexibility in the actual agenda,” Ortman says. “You maybe have some offshoot meeting times, or maybe smaller roundtable times rather than large keynote events.”

Spieczny says he’s seeing “a clear trend and uptake for smaller events that are hyper focused on intra-industry themes versus mega events—like CES—which are too broad.”

Errington-Barnes agrees that event format is shifting with delivery now focused on creating less separation between speakers, performers, and guests. “Fireside chats are no longer held on elevated stages but instead on the same level as attendees,” she shares. “More progressive event formats are liking the idea of circles rather than traditional front-facing setups. They want speakers to become part of the audience in a concentric layout, making interactions more organic and less hierarchical.”

Seating is also evolving, says Errington-Barnes, and becoming more casual and comfortable. “You’ll now see events where maybe there are sofas in the front, straight-back chairs behind them, and a few armchairs mixed in, she says. “The goal is to create a setting that feels more like a living room, encouraging conversation and connection.”

Exhibitor expectations are also changing, says Zachary Rischitelli, Owner at Real FiG Advertising + Marketing. “Exhibitors no longer want to just show a product,” he says. “Now they need clear, measurable results in the form of target contacts, deals, and instant analytics of engagement.” The standard stands with handouts and banners are also outdated, he says. Instead, he says, exhibitors are focused on “interactive zones, where technologies themselves conduct a dialogue with the audience.”

Despite the many changes, though, there are still some things that haven’t changed—like the need for plenty of food and a comfortable setting. There must be enough food to fill people up, says Errington-Barnes, lighting will define whether people connect or not (she recommends warm, soft yellow lighting rather than white), and temperature is paramount, she says.

Technology, of course, has had a significant impact on the shifting event landscape and how content is delivered, captured, and shared.

The Role of Technology

“Technology has become central to the enhancement of attendee experiences,” says Liz Holden, EVP, experiential and events, at advertising agency Mod Op. “We are seeing an appetite for blended experiences that include both IRL and digital/online extensions,” she says. “AI in particular is on the cusp of transforming both the process of creating and producing events as well as the attendee experience itself. AI enables a whole new level of customization and engagement, where attendees can have frictionless experience that is truly tailored to their individual needs and interests.”

Regardless of the environment, though, Holden stresses the importance of interactivity—“whether analog or digital, experiences are more of a two-way dialogue with consumers.” The boundary between these experiences is also shifting, she says, thanks to technology. In fact, in many cases, she says, the boundaries are disappearing altogether.

“There have been massive advances in spatial LED and other related technologies that have transformed the way we can immerse audiences in AR/VR at scale,” Holden says. “A limitation of these technologies in the past has always been the individual nature of the experience. Today, though, with the kinds of holographic-like projection now available—think the Sphere—multiple people can experience these immersive digital environments together in a more authentic way.”

Today, says Spieczny, “Most events now have concurrent online versions of their live events to leverage from afar, again both in a pre- during and post- event context, such as attendee lists, streaming of key presentations, etc.” That helps in delivery, but it’s also an aid in gaining intelligence from the event.

“It’s really interesting to see how they’re leaning into technology to help them,” Ortman says. Technology now means that event planners have the option to leverage the digital environment for skill building, and leverage in-person events for high value and relationship building, he says.

Technology also offers planners an opportunity to extend the value of an event beyond the event itself. “Companies are using events to maybe launch a podcast, or get content for influencers, or video or images for the future,” he notes. And, of course, technology plays an important role in measuring and evaluating the success of events.

Measuring Success

Event planners shouldn’t just seek input after an event, Ortman stresses. In fact, he says, gathering input prior to the event can help ensure that the content meets attendee needs.

Measuring event success has traditionally meant evaluating how many people attended the event and how well the event met their needs. Simple enough. But, today’s technology offers new ways of evaluating success, Ortman points out.

For instance, he notes, event planners, presenters, and exhibitors can use digital campaigns and online advertising to target event attendees during the event, delivering up content that is highly relevant to them and encouraging engagement. When working with clients, he says, “we help them create digital campaigns and have advertising on the web only targeting about a mile to two and a half miles around the conference center.” That allows for very specific geotargeting that can reach target audiences at the event venue or in the immediate area.

Rischitelli also points out that data can be actively used during the event. “Before we looked at analytics ‘post factum’,” he says. “Now organizers, exhibitors, and even the participants themselves receive useful information in real time and can change their strategy on the go.”

These inputs and insights are helping event planners find new and increasingly innovative ways to connect with their audiences before, during, and after events.

Best Practices for Successful Events

Cast a wide net when planning events, Ortman advises—“get marketing in the room, get PR in the room, get your org comm people in the room, so that everyone can brainstorm.” Involving other departments within the organization with planning, he says, can help improve reach and impact.

Ortman advises being very focused and thoughtful in planning, to ensure that the event is:

• • • Appropriate for your product or service.
    • Meaningful to your attendees—that it provides value.
    • Designed to impact your brand in a meaningful way.

Game publishers can provide a good example of innovative ways to hold events designed to engage attendees, incorporating both on- and offline opportunities for interaction. Nativex is a good example of this, says Yikai Li, the company’s general manager of global business. Li offers some best practice suggestions based on experience in the gaming industry that can be used by event planners in any industry.

• • • Set your objectives. “Are you looking for an event that will help you recruit new players to your game? If so, seek out influencers with a big following among your target demographic and invite them (and their followers) along. The content they generate will be invaluable in attracting new players. If you aim to reward existing players for their loyalty, invite them along and reward them with “money can’t buy” prizes such as exclusive merchandise and the opportunity to meet the game’s designers.” That same approach can be used with prospects and customers for any brand.
    • Find your niche. “Whatever event or offline promotion you organize, make sure it’s on-message with the type of people you are trying to attract. This applies to the choice of venue, the prizes on offer, the activities people can take part in, and even the food and drink you give them when they are there. The more it looks like a great day out for your target audience, the more likely they are to want to get involved and shout about it afterward.”
    • Integrate offline and online. “Explore ways to extend the game into an offline experience or promotional event. If you’re partnering with a QSR, consider rebranding the outlet during the activation — turning it into the real-world equivalent of a homepage takeover. Introduce limited-time menu items inspired by in-game characters to boost engagement and authenticity. And no matter what you do offline, be sure to amplify the experience across your online channels.” Consider how you could do the same with any type of product or service offering that you’re promoting via an event.

One very important best practice to help leverage the most value from events, which can be very time-consuming and costly—consider long-tail opportunities, advises Henry. “Everything we produce, from digital collateral to videos and photos, is typically intended to be used beyond the event—from social marketing to repurposing.” At a recent event for the European Union, for instance, his company produced a long-form video with its partners to display at the event, along with a series of cutdowns to share over time on social media “We maximize the usage of the assets we create,” he says.

Finally, make sure to have contingency plans in place, Henry advises. “The best laid plans often go awry,” he says. “Considering everything that can go wrong, such as production timelines, leads us to develop solutions for worst case scenarios before they might happen.”

What does the future hold? “That’s a good question,” says Ortman. “I think that we’re going to still [see] a little bit of a ramp up here, probably in the next two years, and then I’ll see, probably, I expect more of a plateauing effect as we get into that, because we can only wear pants so many days.”

(Note: A version of this piece originally appeared in destination CRM.)