๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป.
They're expensive, hard to scale, and often uninspired: Half-day at a 3-star hotel, sales keynote, product demo, maybe a customer story if you were lucky.
Surely we can easily replace a lot of the effort and inefficiency inherent with events with digital programs that are better targeted?
For years, I felt the same way too. But then I completely changed my mind.
Why?
Events aren't the problem. It was how they're applied.
We know thereโs always been a genuine thirst for human connection. But five years on from the pandemic people more than ever just want to get off screens and meet face-to-face.
But that doesnโt make events easy. If anything, the bar is higher.
If youโre going to run an event in 2025, you have to nail:
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ : Why should anyone care?
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ : Who exactly are we bringing together?
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ : What will they remember and talk about?
The best event teams (and I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best) think pre-show โ show โ post-show. They blend physical with digital. And they obsess over WIIFY (Whatโs In It For You).
Once youโve nailed the purpose, audience, and experience, itโs time to make them extraordinary. Here are 3 ways Iโve done it:
๐ญ. ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ. Deliver insights they canโt get elsewhere. We built content-rich hands-on labs, created on-demand โboxed setโ replays, networking groups and took content on the road to extend impact all year.
๐ฎ. ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ. Bring in speakers with impact, interest and relevance. Iโve worked with Victoria Beckham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson and many more to inspire and challenge thinking.
๐ฏ.๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป. Make it a moment theyโll remember. From Simple Minds, Jess Glynne and Manic Street Preachers playing conference parties, to winching a Tesla from the ceiling, to Michelin-starred VIP dinners - we made it an experience.
In 2025, AI can handle the grunt work, leaving you free to focus on creating something unforgettable.
Raise your game, and your events will become the cornerstone of your marketing plan.