Connecting the Dots at the Experiential Marketing Summit #EMS2016

I’ve spent the last few days at the Experiential Marketing Summit (EMS) with several of my GES Events Team colleagues. This conference seems to be a bit of what I like to call an “ink blotter” event. It reflects back to each participant and what they see through their own lens of experience, ideas and attitude.

For me, there are 4 key messages that have emerged as a central part of EMS and the events industry:

1. Culture Kicks Strategy’s Ass.

Pepsi’s Adam Harter, Vice President of Consumer Engagement, presented this message at EMS’s opening keynote. He discussed that a brand’s relevance comes from its connection to culture. It’s not a multi-cultural strategy, like the way marketing has operated in the past, but as a genuine connection to trends and attitudes that transcend cultural segments.

2. The Days Of the “Land Grab” are Over.

Dan Hilbert, SVP of GES’ Events Group, opened the first keynote session by sharing his views on big brands engaging with agencies, and agencies partnering, rather than competing with other agencies as a strategy to better serve clients. The old-school, adversarial approach will only hurt the client or brand in the long run because it limits valuable resources.

3. Events Are One, Holistic Thing.

Many brands and some agencies view events similar to silos, or individual entities rather than as one integrated effort. This may seem simple, but consider how many parts of an event are developed by multiple teams working on the keynote, breakouts and expo space. With this strategy, the event will have a difficult time keeping a cohesive message, story and strategy. This is not to say that one agency should always do everything because all of us need support in certain areas that are outside of our realm of expertise. This goes back to the previous point about agencies working together to achieve their clients’ goals.

4. Events are evolving.

We’ve been noticing the evolution of events being used more as a channel to build community —for example, instead of simply delivering messages, it’s about creating movements. We’re being asked by our clients to add more sophistication to meet the expectations of their audiences. And to do that, we must be more than producers, we must be communication strategists and movement-makers (who also happen to produce very well).

In short, I’m excited about the future of the events industry. As a group, we’re getting better at serving the clients’ real needs through careful research and transforming into thinking partners.

If this kind of Thinking Partner would be helpful to you, I encourage you to learn more about how GES can help make your next event an experience that exceeds both goals and expectations.