23 Event Marketing Statistics You Need to Know

When it comes down to it, so much of event planning and specifically event marketing relies on crunching numbers. Whether you’re trying to persuade management that you need a budget increase, or you’re simply looking to enhance your event marketing strategies, it’s important to ground your argument in data and factual evidence. You always want to be able to pull true, relevant stats out of your back pocket when your ideas are challenged. In fact, the lifeline of your event might just depend upon it. That’s why we’ve collected some statistics to help you in the process of your event marketing. All of these stats are recent, relevant and really helpful to fall back on when you need them.

Budgeting, Negotiating and Navigating Management

When your management asks you to put your money where your mouth is, you want to have the facts to back up the budget. Whether you’re trying to increase or justify your budget, or simply pitching a new concept for your event marketing to upper-level execs, check out these numbers:

• Most marketers (31%) believe that event marketing is the single-most effective marketing channel. (Endless Events, 2018)
• 80% of businesses that are over-performing in regards to their company goals will increase their live event budgets next year. (Endless Events, 2018)
• An overwhelming majority of C-Suite executives (87%) believe in the power of live events and plan on investing in them more in the future. (Endless Events, 2018)
• Less than 50% of marketers have a standardized process to measure event sponsorship. (Marketing Profs, 2018)
• 79% of US marketers generate sales using event marketing. (Statista, 2018)

The Power of In-Person Events

In-person events are proved to make powerful impressions on attendees. These stats back that up:

• 95% of marketers agree that live events provide attendees with a valuable opportunity to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world. (Endless Events, 2018)
• 65% of attendees said live events helped them have a better understanding of a product or service. (EMI & Mosaic, 2016)
• 70% of users become regular customers after an experiential marketing event. (EMI & Mosaic, 2016)
• 84% of event attendees say that they have a more positive opinion about the company, brand, product or service being promoted after the event. (EMI & Mosaic, 2016)

Let’s Talk Strategy

Unsure about the best route to take for your event marketing? There are so many strategies out there, so it can be hard to tell which is best for you and your event. These numbers will tell you what other event planners have found to be the most effective:

• 75% of content marketers said that in-person events are the most effective content marketing strategy. (Content Marketing Institute, 2016)
• Facebook has 2 billion active monthly users and utilizing their Facebook Live video will provide a noticeable boost in the feeds of your followers. (Statista, 2017)
• Almost everyone (96%) is using social media event marketing to increase awareness about their events. (Stova & Little Bird Told Media, 2018)
• 51% of event professionals find the biggest challenge in using social media being how to use it effectively. (Eventforte, 2015)
• 40% of event marketers believe email marketing is the most effective channel for promoting an event. (Endless Events, 2018)

Engagement and Event Tech

Not only is it important to make sure your event marketing is effective, but also that your event and its objectives are engaging. From event tech to enhancing attendee experience, these reports have proven the power of engagement:

• An overwhelming majority of event marketers (86%) believe that technology can have a major positive impact on the success of their events. (Endless Events, 2018)
• About 34% of event attendees said they would make a post about an experience on their social media pages. (EMI & Mosaic, 2016)
• 88% of event attendees said that access to meeting or event schedules in an event app is extremely important. (Marketing Charts, 2018)
• 90% of event technology adopters consider themselves well positioned for future success, versus 65% of non-adopters. (Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, 2018)

Reflecting on ROI

At the end of the day, one of the most important measurements in event marketing and event success is ROI. Without a measurement of ROI, it can be nearly impossible to quantify the effectiveness of your event marketing strategies, which is key to evaluating your execution and improving for your next event. Learn more here:

• Almost 60% of event management software users are able to measure ROI. (Endless Events, 2018)
• 68% of B2B marketers agree that live events help generate the most leads, while case studies help convert and accelerate the most leads. (Marketing Charts, 2018)
• 75% of companies with event budgets between $50-100 million say they expect an ROI of more than 5:1 for live event and experiential programs. (EMI & Mosaic, 2016)
• 86% report that attendee satisfaction is their best gauge on event success. (Eventforte, 2015)
• Leads generated and pipeline opportunities are the most commonly used event success metrics. (Marketing Charts, 2018)