[Infographic] The Visual Guide to the State of Event Marketing in 2018
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David Doe

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Research Summary

What 739 Global Brands Have Taught Us About Events

Investment and Growth
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Measurement and Results
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Technology and Data
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X
Habits of Event Optimizers
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With the rise of data and technology, events are now scalable, predictable, and measurable. The problem? Only a small percentage of companies know about it.

In this research summary, we share the newest insights from a Harvard Business Review Analytic Services Report. Get findings from 739 enterprise brands on the benchmarks, budgets, and tends in event marketing, as well as the crucial differentiators of those paving the way for the rest of the industry.

Research Summary

What 739 Global Brands Have Taught Us About Events

Jump to:

I. Investment and Growth
Text goes here
X
II. Measurement and Results
Text goes here
X
III. Technology and Data
Text goes here
X
IV. Habits of Event Optimizers
Text goes here
X
V. Appendix
Text goes here
X

With the rise of data and technology, events are now scalable, predictable, and measurable... but only a small portion of companies know about it.

We're sharing top insights from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services' event marketing study -- including stats, findings, and takeaways from 739 enterprise brands around the world.


Read on for benchmarks, budgets, and trends in event marketing, plus the crucial differentiators of those paving the way for the rest of the industry.

A Visual Guide to the State of Event Marketing in 2018

 

Jump to:

I. Investment and Growth
Text goes here
X
II. Measurement and Results
Text goes here
X
III. Technology and Data
Text goes here
X
IV. Habits of Event Optimizers
Text goes here
X
V. Appendix
Text goes here
X

With the rise of data and technology, events are now scalable, predictable, and measurable... but only a small portion of companies know about it.

Harvard Business Review Analytic Services just released a study on event marketing, and let's just say, the findings are eye-opening... 👀

 

In the following infographic, we summarize them for you: all the benchmarks, budgets, and trends from the 739 enterprise brands surveyed in the report, plus the crucial differentiators of those outshining the rest of the industry.

What 739 Global Brands Have Taught Us About Events

Jump to:

I. Investment and Growth
Text goes here
X
II. Measurement and Results
Text goes here
X
III. Technology and Data
Text goes here
X
IV. Habits of Event Optimizers
Text goes here
X
V. Appendix
Text goes here
X

With the rise of data and technology, events are now scalable, predictable, and measurable... but only a small portion of companies know about it.

We're sharing top insights from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services' event marketing study -- including stats, findings, and takeaways from 739 enterprise brands around the world.


Read on for benchmarks, budgets, and trends in event marketing, plus the crucial differentiators of those paving the way for the rest of the industry.

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[Infographic] The Visual Guide to the State of Event Marketing in 2018
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Investment and Growth

The majority of brands are investing in events.

of orgs prioritize

hosted events.

of orgs prioritize

sponsored events.

93% of orgs prioritize hosted events

85% of orgs prioritize sponsored events

And they spend the most on educational events.

FIGURE 1

 Top Event Types

HOSTED

One-Day Conferences (54%)

Product Trainings (46%)

Business or Channel Partner (45%)

SPONSORED

Industry Trade Shows (54%)

One-Day Conferences (43%)

Business or Channel Partner (41%)

We are big on events here. They're one of our top tactics for attracting and connecting with customers.

Eric Stahl, SVP of Product Marketing for Salesforce Integration Cloud

When it comes to hiring, 1:5 is the most common ratio of event roles to other marketing roles.

FIGURE 2

Employees in Marketing Department vs. Employees Responsible for Events

10,000 +

EMPLOYEES

1,000 - 9,999

E MPLOYEES

FEWER THAN

1,000 EMPLOYEES

Mean number of marketing deparment employees

Mean number of marketing employees responsible for event planning

And they plan to spend more on events in the future.

52% say event marketing outperforms the rest of their other marketing channels.

And they're spending at a growing rate.

"Face-to-face interactions at these events are incredibly important and powerful, and create very meaningful connections for us."

Julie Hogan, Global Face-to-Face Marketing Director, Facebook

FIGURE 3

52% of brands say events drive more ROI than any other marketing channel.

1/3 spend more than 20% of marketing budgets on events.

4 in 10 plan to spend more on hosted events next year.

Face-to-face interactions at these events are incredibly important and powerful, and create very meaningful connections for us.

Julie Hogan, Global Face-to-Face Marketing Director, Facebook

Did you know? The fastest growing companies — those who have grown 30% or more in revenue in the last 2 years — are increasing event activity the most.

Did you know? The fastest growing companies — those who have grown 30% or more in revenue in the last 2 years — are increasing event activity the most.

Revenue growth correlates with event activity

Key attributes of those significantly increasing event activity in the past two years.

HOSTED EVENTS

30% + Revenue Growth

Event Tech Adopters

1000 - 9999 Employees

SPONSORED EVENTS

30% + Revenue Growth

Easy to Show Event Impact

APAC

The fastest growing companies — those who have grown 30% or more in revenue in the last 2 years — are increasing event activity the most.

FIGURE 4

Key Attributes of Those Increasing Event Activity in the Past Two Years

HOSTED EVENTS

30% + Revenue Growth

Event Tech Adopters

1000 - 9999 Employees

SPONSORED EVENTS

30% + Revenue Growth

Easy to Show Revenue Impact

APAC

Investment and Growth

Most brands are investing in events.

of orgs prioritize

hosted events.

of orgs prioritize

sponsored events.

93% of orgs prioritize hosted events

85% of orgs prioritize sponsored events

And they're spending most of their $$$ on educational events.

FIGURE 1

 Most Popular Event Types

HOSTED

One-Day Conferences (54%)

Product Trainings (46%)

Business or Channel Partner (45%)

SPONSORED

Industry Trade Shows (54%)

One-Day Conferences (43%)

Business or Channel Partner (41%)

We are big on events here. They're one of our top tactics for attracting and connecting with customers.

Eric Stahl, SVP of Product Marketing for Salesforce Integration Cloud

When it comes to hiring, 1:4 is the most common ratio of event roles to other marketing roles.

FIGURE 2

Employees in Marketing Department vs. Employees Responsible for Events

10,000 +

EMPLOYEES

1,000 - 9,999

E MPLOYEES

FEWER THAN

1,000 EMPLOYEES

state of event marketing employees

Mean number of marketing department employees

state of event marketing events staff

Mean number of marketing employees responsible for event planning

The future looks bright. Most plan to invest more on events next year.

52% say event marketing outperforms the rest of their other marketing channels.

And they're spending at a growing rate.

"Face-to-face interactions at these events are incredibly important and powerful, and create very meaningful connections for us."

Julie Hogan, Global Face-to-Face Marketing Director, Facebook

FIGURE 3

state of event marketing event ROI

52% of brands say events drive more ROI than any other marketing channel.

1/3 spend more than 20% of marketing budgets on events.

state of event marketing event budget
state of event marketing hosted events

4 in 10 plan to spend more on hosted events next year.

Face-to-face interactions at these events are incredibly important and powerful, and create very meaningful connections for us.

Julie Hogan, Global Face-to-Face Marketing Director, Facebook

Did you know? The fastest growing companies — those who have grown 30% or more in revenue in the last 2 years — are increasing event activity the most.

Did you know? The fastest growing companies — those who have grown 30% or more in revenue in the last 2 years — are increasing event activity the most.

Revenue growth correlates with event activity

Key attributes of those significantly increasing event activity in the past two years.

HOSTED EVENTS

30% + Revenue Growth

Event Tech Adopters

1000 - 9999 Employees

SPONSORED EVENTS

30% + Revenue Growth

Easy to Show Event Impact

APAC

Especially the fastest-growing companies, the event tech adopters, and those who find it easiest to measure ROI. 

FIGURE 4

Key Attributes of Those Increasing Event Activity in the Past Two Years

HOSTED EVENTS

state of event marketing revenue growth

30% + Revenue Growth

state of event marketing tech adopters

Event Tech Adopters

state of event marketing large team

1000 - 9999 Employees

SPONSORED EVENTS

state of event marketing revenue growth

30% + Revenue Growth

state of event marketing revenue impact

Easy to Show Revenue Impact

state of event marketing apac

APAC

Measurement and Results

When it comes to proving event ROI, most companies are having trouble.

FIGURE 5

Only 23% of event marketers can measure the ROI of

their events.

Note: The brands who find it easy to measure ROI are increasing event spend the most.

Insight #2

The brands who find it easy to measure ROI are increasing event spend the most. 

Note: The brands who find it easy to measure ROI are increasing event spend the most.

The top event metrics they're tracking are number of attendees and qualified sales leads.

FIGURE 6

Top 5 Event Metrics Tracked

1

Number of attendees

2

# of qualified sales leads

3

Brand awareness

4

Social / press mentions

5

# of sales pipeline generated

"If we increase foot traffic [with events], sales go up."

–Nicolas Glandon, Director of Retail Operations, EMEA, for Estée Lauder Companies' MAC Cosmetics

If we increase foot traffic [with events], sales go up.

Nicolas Glandon, Director of Retail Operations, EMEA, for Estée Lauder Companies' MAC Cosmetics

Measurement and Results

When it comes to proving event ROI, most companies are struggling.

FIGURE 5

Only 23% of event marketers can measure the ROI of

their events.

 

Note: ROI matters to budgets. The brands who find it easy to measure ROI are increasing  their event spend the most.

state of event marketing measure ROI

Insight #2

The brands who find it easy to measure ROI are increasing event spend the most. 

Note: The brands who find it easy to measure ROI are increasing event spend the most.

The top event metrics they're tracking are number of attendees and qualified sales leads.

FIGURE 6

Top 5 Event Metrics Tracked

Number of attendees

# of qualified sales leads

Brand awareness

Social / press mentions

# of sales pipeline generated

"If we increase foot traffic [with events], sales go up."

–Nicolas Glandon, Director of Retail Operations, EMEA, for Estée Lauder Companies' MAC Cosmetics

If we increase foot traffic [with events], sales go up.

Nicolas Glandon, Director of Retail Operations, EMEA, for Estée Lauder Companies' MAC Cosmetics

Technology and Data

Brands who have adopted event tech are better at measuring full-funnel metrics and event ROI.

Event tech adopters are better at measuring the full funnel metrics.

FIGURE 7

Event Metrics Tracked: Best Adopters vs. Non-Adopters

BEST ADOPTERS

NON-ADOPTERS

Number of attendees

Number of qualified leads

Amount of sales pipeline

FIGURE 8

ROI Measurement Comparison

Tech Adopters

ABLE TO TRACK ROI — 37%

UNABLE TO TRACK ROI — 45%

DON'T KNOW — 18%

Non-Adopters

ABLE TO TRACK ROI — 23%

UNABLE TO TRACK ROI — 67%

DON'T KNOW — 11%

"We like to focus on the amount of pipeline that's generated by our events, and track that pipeline right down to actual sales."

– Eric Stahl, Salesforce

But it's not just about ROI. Tech adopters also share 5 additional benefits to the entire event process.

FIGURE 9

Top 5 Benefits of Event Tech

1

Improved ability to track and measure events

2

Improved event registration and attendance

3

Increased process productivity

4

Better attendee experience

5

Better planning and execution to goals / strategy

Brands who have adopted event tech are better at measuring event ROI than non-adopters.

Tech matters. 90% of event tech adopters consider themselves better positioned for future success (vs. 65% of non-adopters).

Technology and Data

Brands who use event tech are better at measuring full-funnel metrics and event ROI.

Event tech adopters are better at measuring the full funnel metrics.

FIGURE 7

Event Metrics Tracked: Best Adopters vs. Non-Adopters

BEST ADOPTERS

NON-ADOPTERS

Number of attendees

Number of qualified leads

Amount of sales pipeline

FIGURE 8

ROI Measurement Comparison

Tech Adopters

state of event marketing ROI tech adopters

ABLE TO TRACK ROI — 37%

UNABLE TO TRACK ROI — 45%

DON'T KNOW — 18%

Non-Adopters

state of event marketing ROI non adopters

ABLE TO TRACK ROI — 23%

UNABLE TO TRACK ROI — 67%

DON'T KNOW — 11%

"We like to focus on the amount of pipeline that's generated by our events, and track that pipeline right down to actual sales."


– Eric Stahl, Salesforce

But it's not just ROI. Tech adopters also share 5 additional benefits to the entire event process.

FIGURE 9

Top 5 Benefits of Event Tech

Improved ability to track and measure events

Improved event registration and attendance