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Originally Posted On: https://www.etechrentals.com/event-marketing-strategies-for-2023-whats-new-and-effective/

Especially over the last few years with the pandemic wreaking havoc on the event industry, it has been paramount for event marketers to adapt the way they traditionally did things. It meant getting creative and trying new things, some that worked wonderfully and some that perhaps did not.

From this experience, new strategies within the event marketing industry have emerged. In this post, we will take a look at some of these new and effective event marketing strategies for 2023.

Environmentally-Conscious Events 

Being environmentally-friendly and taking steps to reduce carbon footprint is at the front of many people’s minds. More and more people are not only changing aspects of their everyday life to be more climate conscious, but also expecting companies (and events) to do so as well. We’ve talked about more sustainable events in the past and why that matters!

When you take into account everything that goes into events, like attendees’ travel whether driving or flying, the amount of energy required for large events (lights, screens, HVAC systems, etc.), and the amount of waste produced, it’s easy to see why people would be concerned about the carbon footprint the industry is making. So, what are some ways to reduce that?

• Hybrid-events that give people the option to attend virtually, thus reducing plane travel
• Passing out branded, reusable water bottles to limit waste
• Using LED lighting to reduce energy use

By taking these types of steps as part of your event marketing strategy, you can show attendees you care about being environmentally friendly, and standout from other events that may not be taking these steps.

Incorporating Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality 

In recent years, the use of virtual and augmented reality has greatly increased. The sector is believed to be worth close to $30 billion, and it is expected to grow even more in the years to come.

And now, VR and AR are appearing at trade shows and events frequently. VR headsets in particular, may be utilized for a variety of tasks, and they’re a terrific way to delight attendees. Some ideas of how to incorporate the headsets at your events include:

• Virtual reality to showcase your products and let people see what they would be like in real life
• Competitions of games to provide people a fun break and attract them to your booth (free throw shooting, mini golf, etc.)

The Virtual Cinema is an exhibition at SXSW 2023 that showcases outstanding VR cinema projects by talented international producers and lets SXSW attendees experience them. Each project is a unique experience and ranges from 5 to 40 minutes in length.

Doing this will not only be an immediate attraction for attendees to come speak with your team, it also will leave a lasting good impression. Their experience using the goggles with your company will likely be one they remember and maybe even talk about with others.

User-Generated Content Social Media Walls

In the past, brands have relied almost exclusively on internal resources or third-party contractors to produce content of an event. Whether it meant hiring outside videographers, photographers, and editors, or asking employees to handle it, it wasn’t common for the content to be made from the attendee’s perspective.

With the emergence of iPhones and social media though, that has changed. Now, many companies are realizing the power (and affordability) of encouraging users to take their own photos, videos, testimonials, and more to post to their own social channels. This type of user-generated content often comes across as more authentic to others and a more dependable look at how an event was.

However, especially with an older audience, it might require some teaching and incentive to get attendees to post. A great way to do this is to provide a hashtag to all attendees upon entry, and tell them you are running a contest where one person who posts a photo or video using the hashtag will be selected to win a prize. You can also have a picture perfect wall set up that is decorated with your branding and a nice facade as a good place for people to take the photos.

Additionally, you can utilize a different kind of wall, that isn’t a physical wall. A great idea is to have a social media wall that has live updates. If you aren’t familiar with social media walls, they are essentially large display screens that will pull in social media posts that your attendees are making about your event. This not only reminds people to post, but is another cool incentive if people want to see their post on the wall.

Strategic Partnerships With Other Brands 

The reality of the matter is that events are very expensive. For a lot of companies events take up quite a large percentage of their yearly marketing budget. One way to lower this cost though, is to partner with another company or brand to make it a dual event.

And even if the cost of the event isn’t shared, having another brand co-sponsoring your event can help you bring in interest from those that might be familiar with the partner brand, but not your company.

It’s important that the brand you partner with makes sense though. If there are no connections between what your company does, and what the partner company does, there will be a clear disconnect and it will make the brand story you are trying to tell confusing.

Renting Technology 

In the same money-saving vein as mentioned with co-branded events, renting your tech needs for events instead of buying is also a great financial decision. From iPads and iPhones, to laptops, VR headsets, and Wifi, eTech Rentals has all of your event technology needs at a fraction of the price of buying. Additionally our team of top-notch, experienced professionals are always available to help you determine what is needed, and solve any problems along the way. Reach out to us today for a free quote.