holistic marketing plan .

The future looks even brighter too , with 65 % believing event marketing will continue to mature and include a holistic view of all events that are better aligned to marketing outcomes .

A hybrid future ? Eying the best of both worlds , many CMOs say they ’ re now planning to run hybrid formats in order to gain the benefits of customer intimacy and brand reach . For one reason or another , many people are still unable to travel to an in-person event . A hybrid event opens registration to them .

However , CMO Council members warn of two factors to keep in mind when planning for hybrid events - the financial reality and the potential cannibalisation of in-person registrations .

If marketers promote the virtual path too much or send hybrid-event invitations haphazardly , fewer people may physically attend the event . Hybrid events therefore require savvy orchestration .

“ A hybrid event is double the cost , double the resources , because you ’ re essentially doing what you did in 2019 and adding a virtual presence like you did in 2020 ,” explains Sonia Sahney , CMO of MI and CT at GE Healthcare . “ At least in my marketing budget for next year , I ’ ve allocated close to 1.8x for hybrid events .”

GfK ’ s Garcia Villanueva says : “ For hybrid events , you know who you want to form closer bonds with , so you invite those people only to the live event . You know who ’ s probably not going to travel , so you invite those to the digital one For those

who haven ’ t engaged with your communications , you offer digital at the last minute . That was a massive learning for us .”

Reimagining the NextGen event If marketers can infuse in-person events with digital elements , they can create a more immersive attendee experience . According to the study , the top three digital components that marketers plan to add to in- person events are online platforms ( both web and mobile ), on-demand content and connecting digital and in-person audiences .

Digital components also lead to richer attendee profiling and ROI measurement , better digital content delivery , deeper engagement and better outcomes .

HCL Software ’ s Arnold , for instance , plans to have his video editing team produce highquality videos of presentations at in-person events . This will extend the value of in- person events long after everyone goes home .

Also , NextGen in-person events are more likely to be smaller , more numerous , and more specialised . When the CMO Council asked how in-person / hybrid events will compare with pre-pandemic in-person events , marketers overwhelming said they ’ ll be smaller in size .

Moreover , there are still a lot of unknowns with NextGen events . Which event formats best match which event types ? What digital components and content produce a more immersive attendee experience ? Which event activities lead to attendee satisfaction , higher engagement rates , and lead volume and conversion ?

CMOs are taking measures to find answers to these questions .

“ IF MARKETERS PROMOTE THE VIRTUAL PATH TOO MUCH OR SEND HYBRID-EVENT INVITATIONS HAPHAZARDLY , FEWER PEOPLE MAY PHYSICALLY ATTEND THE EVENT . HYBRID EVENTS THEREFORE REQUIRE SAVVY ORCHESTRATION ”

When respondents were asked how they ’ re preparing for NextGen events , 71 % said they plan to experiment and trial new event formats , agendas or designs . This will be a year of learning .

“ We know events are going to be a massive channel for not only lead-generation but brandbuilding and retention , and that ’ s why I ’ ve restructured my team and put into place a much more strategic play ,” says CMO Roni Millard of Equifax Australia . “ Throughout 2022 , we ’ re going to be testing and learning about different event types and technology to see what ’ s working and to track how we ’ re doing . We need to be smarter in the formulation of ROI .”

In terms of the events themselves , Millard plans to inject hybrid elements . This way , she

can deliver face-to-face customer interactions while still informing others virtually .

“ The pandemic has shown us what we can do virtually , how we can have presenters on different screens and has educated us on how to use technology a lot smarter ,” she says .

For HCL Software ’ s Arnold however , he plans to take a more cautious approach . tracking attendance and engagement before pivoting to a hybrid format .

“ We need to first get some data around live events before we make any major changes ,” he says . “ We ’ re going to keep virtual and live events separate for now and maybe shift down the road when we understand what attendance is going to look like .”

In summary Cvent ’ s CMO , Patrick Smith summarises the report ’ s findings by saying : “ The digital transformation within the meetings and events channel has driven positive changes that will remain even after in-person events fully come back . Engagement will remain top of mind , event ROI will be more accurate and teams will know how to deliver compelling events regardless of format or type . It has also created event teams that are more tech savvy and aligned more closely with the marketing department , and it has also fostered an evolution of the technology used to support them .

“ This tighter alignment between teams and tech will allow CMOs to look closer and more holistically across an entire channel of events , aiming to draw out deep insights and scrutinise both single-event and crossevent performance of any format or type .”