Event Highlights From the Experiential Marketing Summit in Chicago

CM sister pub Event Marketer held its annual Experiential Marketing Summit last week, live and in person at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Following are a few post-event highlights from the show, from executives at companies like YouTube, Cisco, Walmart and others. For the full recap, check out the post-event coverage in Event Marketer here.

Key themes of the show, which took place in-person after nearly 18 months, were a sense of cautious optimism; technology as an equalizer; an uptick in smaller and regional events; and leveraging data in fresh ways. Examples of marketers pivoting during COVID were front and center, naturally, and it started with Soo Young Kim, head of global programs and experiences at YouTube, who discussed how hyper-personalization—a key strategy used for its all-virtual Brandcast upfront event—continues to guide plans for 2022. Converting the event to digital was not without its challenges, but YouTube rose to the occasion. To sum it up with a quote: “Scarcity brings clarity.” And the focus moving forward will be on quality events rather than quantity.

Another keynote, featuring Alex Sapiz, vp-global events at Cisco, looked at the challenges and the opportunities brought on by the pandemic. For instance, with geographical barriers no longer an obstacle, unprecedented accessibility for attendees benefited the business. Moreover, the industry channeled its creativity and tapped new technologies to re-scale events, which in turn led to an increased commitment to sustainability on Cisco’s part.

For more highlights from EMS Chicago, read on in Event Marketer.