A cohort of ambitious attendees rose with the sun on April 15 for day two of the Experiential Marketing Summit (EMS) at the annual morning 5K through the Las Vegas Strip, while others kicked things off with a moment of mindfulness during a guided morning meditation inside the MGM Grand. And then it was off to the races with a lively breakfast featuring trivia contests and tunes delivered by dj Aaron Smalls to get the juices flowing, followed by the first keynote of the show, an interactive exploration of the “science of limitation,” delivered by global creativity expert, artist and author Phil Hansen. And what an (eye) opening keynote it was.
Among Hansen’s array of meaningful takeaways was to embrace limitation, recognize that intentional limitations enhance creativity and that having a “creative buddy” (someone who’s curious, supportive and unafraid to critique you) provides a powerful sounding board for ideas.
“Giving ourselves intentional limitations is a really powerful way to reshape not just that singular project, but our whole mindset about little challenges,” Hansen said. “…Anytime there’s something big in our lives, instead of telling each other to seize the day, we should remind ourselves as much as we can to seize the limitation.”
HOT TOPICS
The day’s variety of packed panels and sessions delved into a wide range of subjects, including flagship event strategies with Canva, money-can’t-buy experiences with BMO, sponsorship ROI with Visa, logistics tactics with FOX Sports, budgeting negotiations with Cognizant, the trade show booth of the future with Johnson & Johnson and Alcon, and plenty of topics and teachers in between. And among the sessions, a few trends emerged:
Collaboration & Transparency
Partnerships are more important than ever, and today’s successful collabs require communication, mutual respect, and clear expectations that foster trust and transparency. Initial friction in partnerships can be overcome through constructive problem-solving and honest conversations.
Emotional Impact
Event marketers are in the business of making people feel something, which makes crafting emotionally impactful experiences crucial to long-term engagement. Every aspect of an event or experience, from the invitation to the final farewell, should capture the essence of the brand and foster genuine connections.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a subject on most marketers’ minds, and eco-friendly practices and long-term solutions are increasingly being prioritized within the industry. Reusable materials, digital content, and modular designs that minimize environmental impact while maximizing utility were among key topics.
Inclusivity
From offering alcohol-free beverages and networking hours that don’t revolve around the bar, to providing culturally sensitive accommodations and mentorship programs for BIPOC professionals, inclusivity is an essential piece of the event marketing puzzle.
EMS EXPERIENCES
It wouldn’t be EMS if the agenda wasn’t chock-full of experiences designed to help the audience level up and chill out. When they weren’t soaking in content, attendees could go green at the Sustainability Lounge, pet some pooches at the Paws & Reflect Studio, attend a lunch-and-learn, arrange one-on-one meetups in the Brewed Awakening Café, experience a “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition and enjoy manicures at the Highmark Hub.
EVENING ACTIVITIES
In the evening, conferencegoers once again mixed, mingled, demoed and dined during a happy hour in the Hall of Ideas. Birds of a feather gathered at dedicated meetups, including a mixer presented by EMS and the Experiential Designer and Producers Association, and a contest for sneakerheads that had attendees traveling down the “catwalk” to show off their best kicks.
Outside of the MGM, night owls met up for an exclusive EMS After Dark networking event at Clique at The Cosmopolitan, followed by the option to dance the night away with VIP access to three of Sin City’s hottest nightclubs.
Meditation by morning, nightclubs by night… only at EMS.
More scenes from EMS 2025 Day Two:
