New CMO Council report looks at optimising events

According to the report, companies have an opportunity to reset and reimagine their event programs to better align them to marketing outcomes.

Because of the digital transformation across the meetings and events industry spurred by the pandemic, the NextGen events channel will span formats (e.g., virtual / webinar, in-person, hybrid) and types (e.g., conferences, trade shows, roadshows, customer groups). The channel aims to drive broader and deeper customer engagement.

Individuals can download the report here.

Key findings in the report are as follows: 

Virtual events still matter:
Virtual events continue to deliver tremendous reach and value, yet 64% of marketing leaders say their organisations are only moderately effective or not effective at executing virtual events. 

In-person events remain the top choice to nurture relationships and drive conversions:
60% say restarting in-person / hybrid events is very important, even critical.

Event marketing has matured:
65% say learnings over the last two years will lead to a more holistic view of events that are better aligned to marketing outcomes.

"With so much uncertainty, it has become even more important for organisations to have a clear understanding of all the events happening in their portfolio. In order to gain complete control and a clear picture of what's happening now and what lies ahead," says Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council.

"Through better management and with a focus on testing and learning, CMOs can ensure NextGen events are tied to business outcomes: brand awareness, lead generation, retention and loyalty," adds Neale-May. 

"The results from this new report highlight the significant impact the pandemic has had not just on meetings and events, but also on the roles and relationships between planners and marketers," says event chief marketing officer Patrick Smith.

"The digital transformation over the last two years has made events more measurable, enabling marketers to better understand the impact events have on their marketing efforts; and with the rise of virtual and hybrid events, the lines between event planning and digital marketing have blurred," adds Smith.

"This NextGen event channel means that marketing executives and planners need to work collaboratively, rather than in siloes, to better engage attendees. If they do this effectively, there is more potential to deliver greater event program impact and value across the organisation," concludes Smith.   

For more information, visit www.cmocouncil.org. You can also follow the CMO Council on Twitter.