Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
95% of marketers agree that live events provide valuable opportunities to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world
80% of marketers believe live events are critical to their company's success
31% of event marketers believe that events are the single most effective marketing channel
21% of total corporate marketing budgets are allocated to events on average
65% of brands say that their event budget will increase in the coming year
Only 23% of event marketers can successfully prove ROI to their leadership
90% of event organizers believe technology can have a major positive impact on the success of their events
53% of event professionals are comfortable getting to grips with new event technology
89% of event planners use social media to engage attendees before the event
93% of event professionals plan to invest in virtual events moving forward
71% of event planners continue to employ a digital strategy even with live events returning
34% of event organizers consider hybrid events to be the most effective format for future events
68% of B2B marketers use events for lead generation
79% of US marketers generate sales using event marketing
87% of C-suite executives believe in the power of live events for networking
Budget & ROI
- 121% of total corporate marketing budgets are allocated to events on average
- 265% of brands say that their event budget will increase in the coming year
- 3Only 23% of event marketers can successfully prove ROI to their leadership
- 452% of marketing leaders cite proving ROI as their biggest challenge in event marketing
- 5The average cost per attendee for a virtual event is $500-$1000 versus $1500-$2500 for in-person
- 6Companies spurring growth spend more than 25% of their budget on events
- 733% of event marketers allocate the majority of their budget to venue rentals
- 827% of the budget is typically spent on catering/food and beverage for in-person events
- 9Sponsorship is identified as the primary revenue source for 36% of event organizers
- 1075% of sponsors are constantly looking for new partnerships to invest their budgets in
- 1184% of event professionals say that they struggle to secure event budget
- 12B2B companies allocate approximately 29% of their marketing budgets to events
- 1390% of event marketers view maximizing budget as their biggest priority
- 14The average ROI for events is between 25-34%
- 1546% of organizers say that their sponsorship income has increased over the last year
- 1682% of corporate event planners are concerned with budget constraints
- 1718% of the average event budget is allocated to marketing and promotion
- 1829% of marketers say that increasing revenue from events is their primary objective
- 1955% of event organizers are planning to invest more in event technology to secure ROI
- 20Experiential marketing ROI is measured by social media buzz for 45% of large companies
Interpretation
Marketers are betting big on events, allocating roughly a fifth of budgets and planning increases, yet with only 23% able to prove ROI while costs for venues, catering and attendees remain high, brands are frantically chasing sponsors, tech and social buzz as stopgap metrics to try to turn experiential spend into reliable revenue.
Connection & Lead Gen
- 168% of B2B marketers use events for lead generation
- 279% of US marketers generate sales using event marketing
- 387% of C-suite executives believe in the power of live events for networking
- 464% of event attendees say networking is their main reason for attending an event
- 597% of B2B marketers believe that in-person events have a major impact on achieving business outcomes
- 6B2B events generate $1.07 trillion in direct spending annually
- 744% of event marketers experience a 3:1 leads-to-close ratio with event leads
- 883% of B2B marketers say that events are critical for lead nurturing
- 976% of marketers say events are their top lead generation channel
- 1095% of businesses view events as a primary way to form face-to-face connections with clients
- 1175% of leads generated at events are considered sales-qualified
- 1247% of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep at an event
- 1374% of attendees say that networking opportunities drive their decision to attend
- 1450% of marketers capture information from attendees at events to update their CRM leads
- 15The close rate for event leads is 20% higher than dealing with cold leads
- 1680% of trade show leads are not followed up on
- 17Events provide the highest conversion rates of any specialized marketing channel
- 1877% of marketers use events to engage with existing accounts (Account-Based Marketing)
- 1981% of attendees typically visit a trade show to see new products or services in person
- 20B2B marketers who use events generate 2x more leads than those who do not
Interpretation
Live events are a B2B gold mine trusted by 87% of C-suite executives and 97% of marketers, generating $1.07 trillion and twice the leads of non-event strategies with higher conversion and sales-qualified rates, yet companies routinely squander that advantage by failing to capture or follow up on those leads.
Event Technology
- 190% of event organizers believe technology can have a major positive impact on the success of their events
- 253% of event professionals are comfortable getting to grips with new event technology
- 389% of event planners use social media to engage attendees before the event
- 459% of event marketers perform a technology audit at least once a year
- 5Event apps see an adoption rate of over 60% when used effectively
- 678% of event professionals say they have increased their use of event tech since 2020
- 776% of event planners who use an event app seeing a positive ROI
- 862% of marketers use event apps to drive attendee engagement
- 951% of event professionals use gamification technology to keep attendees engaged
- 10Facial recognition is being tested by 20% of major event organizers for check-in
- 1130% of event organizers use VR or AR to enhance the attendee experience
- 1268% of event marketers use automation tools for registration and email follow-ups
- 1396% of event professionals use email marketing software to promote their events
- 1440% of event planners use matchmaking software to facilitate networking
- 1588% of event professionals said data collection is a vital part of event technology
- 1658% of marketers use social media tools for live-streaming during events
- 1727% of planners are investing in contactless check-in technology
- 18Integration with CRM is the most requested feature in event management software for 66% of marketers
- 1943% of event marketers use chatbots to answer attendee questions
- 2091% of event organizers say a mobile app is relevant to their events
Interpretation
Think of modern events as tech fueled orchestras where email and mobile apps set the rhythm, social media, automation and data drive engagement and ROI, and organizers are rapidly adopting gamification, chatbots, VR, AR, facial recognition and contactless check in while prioritizing CRM integration and regular tech audits, yet the ironic twist is that although 90 percent say technology can make or break an event, only about half feel comfortable with new tools.
Strategy & Impact
- 195% of marketers agree that live events provide valuable opportunities to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world
- 280% of marketers believe live events are critical to their company's success
- 331% of event marketers believe that events are the single most effective marketing channel
- 452% of respondents say event marketing drives more business value than other marketing channels
- 560% of business leaders believe that events are the most critical marketing channel for achieving business goals
- 641% of marketers consider events to be the single most effective channel over email marketing and content marketing
- 7Organizing an event is considered a top-three stressor for general marketers
- 874% of consumers say engaging with branded event marketing experiences makes them more likely to buy the products being promoted
- 991% of consumers say they have more positive feelings about a brand after attending events
- 1085% of consumers are likely to purchase after participating in events and experiences
- 1163% of marketers plan to increase the number of events they organize in the coming year
- 12Marketing to existing customers is the primary goal for 25% of event organizers
- 13Brand awareness is cited as the main goal for 23% of event marketers
- 1493% of event marketers plan to host events in the next year
- 1540% of events are now pivoting to a Series or Recurring Model rather than one-off instances
- 16Most event marketers need 3-6 weeks to successfully promote a small event
- 17Large scale conferences typically require at least 6 months of active marketing planning
- 1898% of consumers feel more inclined to purchase after attending an activation
- 1974% of attendees say that they have a more positive opinion about the company, brand, or product being promoted after an event
- 2070% of users become regular customers after an experiential marketing event
Interpretation
These stats make it clear that live events are the high-return, human-first engine of modern marketing, driving brand love, loyalty and purchases far more effectively than other channels and prompting nearly all marketers to ramp up events despite the stress and weeks-to-months of planning they demand.
Virtual & Hybrid Models
- 193% of event professionals plan to invest in virtual events moving forward
- 271% of event planners continue to employ a digital strategy even with live events returning
- 334% of event organizers consider hybrid events to be the most effective format for future events
- 467% of companies use virtual events to reach a global audience
- 5Virtual events are up to 75% less expensive to produce than in-person events
- 680% of virtual event attendees join for educational purposes
- 757% of attendees prefer to attend the first day of an event in-person and subsequent days virtually in hybrid models
- 868% of event marketers say a hybrid solution is largely more difficult to execute than a single format
- 9The biggest challenge for virtual events is engagement according to 38% of marketers
- 1045% of virtual events are single-day events
- 1162% of organizers say the future of events is hybrid
- 12Networking is cited as the biggest disadvantage of virtual events by 69% of marketers
- 13Average attendance rate for virtual events is 40-50% of registrants
- 1430% of people are more likely to speak to a person in a virtual booth than a real one
- 15Hybrid events can increase event reach by 200%
- 1690% of virtual event organizers use on-demand content to extend lead generation
- 1750.7% of executives think that in the future all live events will have a virtual dimension
- 1849% of businesses organize between 20-30 virtual events per year
- 1992% of attendees want the option to attend virtually even if an in-person component exists
- 20Virtual event platforms market size is expected to reach $18.66 billion by 2030
Interpretation
These stats show that virtual and hybrid events have become the Swiss Army knife of event marketing, offering massive cost savings, global reach and on-demand lead generation that most planners now insist on, yet they remain hampered by engagement, networking and execution headaches so the future looks omnichannel rather than purely live.
