Many pop culture moments marked 2024, from Brat summer, to Moo Deng the pigmy hippo, to the Willy Wonka fiasco in Glasgow, to the “Glicked” phenomenon, to the viral break dancer from the Paris Games. But industry pros made an impact, too, activating experiences that challenged perceptions, pushed boundaries, drove loyalty and delivered joy. Following is a look at the experiential campaigns that caught your eye over the last 12 months—Event Marketer’s top 10 most-read stories of 2024.
Brands Bring Shower Portals, Manifest Stations and Surpr-ICES to Coachella 2024
Arguably the industry’s most important music festival, Indio, CA-based Coachella was once again hosted at the Empire Polo Club, and featured headlining performances by No Doubt, Lana Del Ray, Tyler, The Creator and Doja Cat; a new blockchain-based scavenger hunt dubbed Coachella Quests; and a new stage that was home to extended sets. But beyond the music was a swell of brand activity that served as a barometer for forthcoming festival trends. We rounded up some of the festival’s best experiential marketing ideas, from shower portals to manifest stations to self-care retreats. Read more.
Live from Austin: Our Picks for Top Experiential Trends at SXSW 2024
We hit the ground in Austin during the 38th annual SXSW conference and festivals in search of fresh experiential marketing trends—and the brands activating around the tentpole event certainly delivered. From Shipt’s guerrilla teams zipping around the streets in “Cruizin’ Coolers,” to Tide’s hands-on science experiments, to Audible’s downtown carnival, to Reddit’s b-to-b café, these were the activations and themes that stood out. Read more.
CES 2024: We Came, We Saw, We Recapped the Best Exhibit Experiences
Unexpected textures, appearances and pivots. Less intricate architecture and more thrills. Storytelling over information. Clear sustainable messaging and practices. CES always delivers a few surprises and dark horses from the exhibit world, but the 2024 show marked a major shift toward experience over showcase among the big names on the floor. Read more.
Google’s Inclusive Event Design Guide Provides a Blueprint for Accessible Experiences
Fourteen years in the making, Google released its “Inclusive Event Design Guide” to support event professionals in creating in-person, virtual and hybrid programs that are inclusive and accessible for all attendees.
Michelle Rosen Sapir, group business lead, brand and reputation events and experiences at Google, spearheaded the “Inclusive Event Design Guide” project, along with Melissa Luu, event manager-events and experiences. She walked us through the guide’s evolution and development process, as well as highlights from the report and best practices marketers can start to incorporate into their event programs. Read more.
Brands Hit the Jackpot with Activations at Super Bowl LVIII in Vegas
Experiential was the play during Super Bowl LVIII, and brands went big to engage the more than 330,000 visitors who descended on Las Vegas for the big game. Within every type of venue or footprint the city offered were brand experiences—special events, one-of-a-kind photo ops, invite-only parties, one-night-only concerts and multiday activations that had people moving across the Strip. Read more.
EM Takes a Rare Peek Inside Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Masters Experience
There’s no price tag on Mercedes-Benz’s hospitality program at the Masters golf tournament. Indeed, it’s an experience that can’t be bought—one that is only available to VIP customers and those who win an annual lottery. EM was fortunate enough to secure a press pass for the exclusive “once in a lifetime” opportunity, so we traveled to Augusta, GA, to explore a customer-centric sponsorship strategy around the tradition-rich men’s golf tournament on the PGA Tour. Read more.
College Campuses are Hot Spots for Engaging Gen Z
Gen Z is notoriously difficult to reach through traditional marketing channels, so a group of savvy brands met the demo where they are—on college campuses. Whether they had a new membership program to promote or a new product collection to show off, brands drew in young consumers with Instagrammable backdrops and dynamic experiences primed for TikTok. Swag and a few prize opportunities don’t hurt either. Read more.
Eight Exhibit Trends Spotted on the Show Floor at NRF
As NRF attendees buzzed about retail media networks and supply chain logistics, EM was on the floor sipping free coffee at every turn, and hunting down the top design and engagement tactics across 300,000 square feet of expo space. Mock self-service check-outs, color-coded vignettes and mini theater spaces were among top trends we spotted. Read more.
HPE Delivers the First-ever Corporate Event Keynote at Sphere
Step aside, U2. The event marketing world took the Las Vegas Sphere by storm this year, beginning with a groundbreaking HPE presentation hosted in June at its Discover conference—the first-ever keynote delivered at the coveted venue for a corporate event. Indeed, Sphere provides an “unparalleled digital canvas for brands to connect with their audiences that resonates in new and innovative ways.” CMO Jim Jackson weighs in on reimagining the general session experience for HPE, and the industry at large. Read more.
NBA All-Star Sponsors Place Fans at Center Court
There was a whole lot of good, clean fun to be found among fan activations at the 73rd annual NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Whether at the NBA Crossover fan event at the convention center, or in pop-up spaces of their own, sponsors leaned into playful strategies that placed attendees at the center of the action. From Ticketmaster’s retro arcade to Foot Locker’s supersized clinic, check out a snapshot of the action. Read more.
