8 Event Marketing Trends That Will Surprise You ... and What These Imply for Your Event

Is your event marketing strategy based on informed decisions? Is it in tune with current trends and forecasts? Tune into some recent stats reported recently by industry influencers to align your interactive and content marketing strategies with the direction in which the rest of the world is moving.

- Nearly one third of companies send press releases to promote their events. (Source: Hubspot)
Strategy: Aggregate your exhibitor's press releases on your event website to enable attendees to see them on your website.

Three Critical Questions to Ask a Prospective Mobile App Vendor

Most of the time, event mobile apps are selected well after the event management software is in place. Mobile apps are relatively new to trade shows and conferences and implementing the core operations software normally takes priority. This basic chronology can cause integration headaches for event organizers unless they ask some important questions of the mobile app vendor.

Three Critical Questions to Ask a Prospective Mobile App Vendor

Most of the time, event mobile apps are selected well after the event management software is in place. Mobile apps are relatively new to trade shows and conferences and implementing the core operations software normally takes priority. This basic chronology can cause integration headaches for event organizers unless they ask some important questions of the mobile app vendor.

NAB Show Finds Year-round News Feed Valuable Way to Engage Attendees

The National Association of Broadcasters was looking for a way of extending the presence of its annual NAB Show past the days on the showfloor and found the solution in IndustryTracker.

ExpoBee’s IndustryTracker is a year-round news feed that includes news from all exhibitors, as well as industry blogs and publications, and the tool is also highly beneficial for attendee planning and post-show follow-up.

NAB Show Finds Year-round News Feed Valuable Way to Engage Attendees

The National Association of Broadcasters was looking for a way of extending the presence of its annual NAB Show past the days on the showfloor and found the solution in IndustryTracker.

ExpoBee’s IndustryTracker is a year-round news feed that includes news from all exhibitors, as well as industry blogs and publications, and the tool is also highly beneficial for attendee planning and post-show follow-up.

PCMA’s Convening Leaders Experiments with a Hackathon

The Professional Convention Management Association continued with their tradition of experimentation by introducing a hackathon, sponsored by FreemanXP and QuickMobile, at this year’s Convening Leaders. The idea was to provide education and provoke interest for PCMA attendees in how mobile technologies can be used at events.

The first hackathons date back to 1999, but they became more mainstream in the mid 2000s. A hackathon is an event where software developers come together to collaborate in a specific project. The key to the hackathon is its intensity.

PCMA’s Convening Leaders Experiments with a Hackathon

The Professional Convention Management Association continued with their tradition of experimentation by introducing a hackathon, sponsored by FreemanXP and QuickMobile, at this year’s Convening Leaders. The idea was to provide education and provoke interest for PCMA attendees in how mobile technologies can be used at events.

The first hackathons date back to 1999, but they became more mainstream in the mid 2000s. A hackathon is an event where software developers come together to collaborate in a specific project. The key to the hackathon is its intensity.

Social Media Rules the GRAMMY Awards

This past Sunday the GRAMMYs aired on CBS and if you were on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest or Instagram at the time you were bound to see discussions and images covering the performances, outfits, and winners. 

GRAMMY.com recently announced, “Music’s biggest night is TV’s biggest social event of the 2013-2014 season with a record-breaking 34 million social media interactions.” This is an event manager’s dream! 

Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.    Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.   The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.    MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.     MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.