Each year, almost 1,000 event marketing executives gather at the Event Marketing Summit (#emslive) to hear emerging trends, best practices, and insights from leading brands. Check out our top 10 takeaways from #emslive—including an early look at new EventTrack2014 research unveiled during the conference.

1. Top 10 Takeaways
From #emslive
All image credits: Getty Images

2. What is
top-of-mind
for EMS attendees?

3. Looking to use new ideas to update or upgrade
existing event marketing & trade show campaigns
Trying to find new and better ways to
combine live events with social media & tech
Interested in learning new measurement
techniques for proving event marketing ROI
Trying to convert events from
tactical to “strategic”
89%
79%
65%
47%
(Source: Event Marketer Magazine)

4. New research
shows positive
upswing for the
event industry:

5. (Source: Event Marketing Institute and Mosaic)
Industry is

6. Events are the #1 channel
for launching products
(Source: Event Marketing Institute and Mosaic)

7. Experiential
budgets are
funded directly
by corporate
(and not pulling from
other marketing buckets)
(Source: Event Marketing Institute and Mosaic)

8. Brands are
building
life-long
relationships
with great
experiences
(Source: Event Marketing Institute and Mosaic)

9. #1 Top 5 Event & Experiential
Marketing Goals & Strategies
(Source: EventTrack 2014)
79%78%
59%
52% 51%

10. #2 Perception Changes After
Participating in Events &
Experiences
(Source: EventTrack 2014)
70%
2013
2014
79%
More
Positive
More
Negative Same
2%
2%
23%
21%

11. #3 Event ROI Continues to Improve
(Source: EventTrack 2014)
2013 2014 CHANGE
1 to 1 return 6% 4% -2%
2 to 1 20% 18% -2%
3 to 1 16% 16% 0%
4 to 1 7% 10% 3%
5 to 1 5% 4% -1%
Greater than 5 to 1 7% 14% 7%
N/A 39% 34% -5%

12. 29%
22%
#4 Measured Programs Get Funded
Faster
(Source: EventTrack 2014)
2013
2014
71%
78%
YES NO
A higher percentage
of brands say they’re
measuring their event &
experiential marketing
programs

13. “Is every
moment of
experience our
customer has at
our event providing
them with return on
investment of their
time?”
#5
—Michael Trovalli, VP-Global Events, SAP

14. “Every event has to
be bigger and
better—anything else
isn’t acceptable. Our
expectations
continually increase.”
#6
—Rob Pace, Senior VP-Marketing and Events, HP

15. “Engagement: keep it
simple, authentic, and
relevant to the product
attributes.”
#7
—Victor Torregroza, Manager-Corporate Event Marketing, Intel

16. “Rather than creating
content for events, it is
more powerful to
create events FOR
content. Events now
serve as powerful
content platforms!”
#8
—Matt Statman, CEO, Motive

17. “Relevant storytelling#9
—Marijke Maartense,
Global Director-Marketing Communications, Philips Healthcare
starts with understanding
where customers are
on THEIR decision
journey.”

18. “Second screens are
becoming a force of
disruption. But you have
to make sure it doesn’t
become a distraction
away from the
experience itself.”
#10
—Scott Webb, VP, Web Audio Visual

19. Kristin Veach
Chief Communications & Growth Strategist
About The Author
Connect with me!
@kristin_veach
/kristinveach‎