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Social media shake-up
With backlash against X and Meta, not to mention uncertainty around TikTok’s long-term future in the US, now could be a good time to make moves on Reddit and BlueSky.
AI sounding boards
Focus groups are helpful but incredibly resource-heavy. Here’s an AI alternative: build attendee personas, feed them into your AI tool of choice, and ask it to impersonate your audience and critique new event ideas.
Live streaming 2.0
Live streaming can unlock new audiences and sponsorship opportunities. Festivals like Tomorrowland are redefining it as a premium, standalone experience – using cinematic production, multi-angle views, and interactive features.
Back to the future
Whether we like it or not, nostalgia acts are selling out venues up and down the country. Capitalise on the trend by celebrating retro themes likely to resonate with your audience.
Plain text, flashy results
If your email marketing is missing the mark, try adding plain text emails to your mix. What you lose in fancy design is often made up in engagement, with plain text emails more likely to avoid spam filters and stand out in busy inboxes.
WhatsApp Business
Don’t sleep on WhatsApp. It’s the most widely used messaging app in the world and generally outperforms other marketing channels. With CM, you can use it to broadcast new events, highlight offers and collect feedback..
Leaky checkouts
Make 2025 the year you fix that leaky checkout flow. Create a branded ticket shop, set up abandoned cart reminders through WhatsApp or email, and offer upsells in the form of merch and food & drink to make it count.
The unstoppable rise of vox pops
Vox pops are everywhere on social right now, proving there’s an endless appetite for hearing from everyday people. Try interviewing attendees as they leave your event, and use the footage for organic social and paid ads.
Unexpected collabs
Out-of-the-box brand collabs (think Snoop Dogg at the Paris Olympics) can be a great way to expand your reach and build affinity with your attendees. Seek out quirky brands and influencers that align with your vibe.
Experiential websites
Make your website an extension of your event. Follow the example of Amnesia, who relaunched their site last year with a design that complements the feeling of stepping into their Ibizan superclub with bold colours and shape shifting graphics.
Trend-tracking
The best promoters have an instinct for what is going to pop off and when. But keep an eye, too, on tools like Google Trends, Exploding Topics and SparkToro. Their suggestions won’t always be relevant, but they’re handy reference points.
Ticket ‘drops’
Drop culture, increasingly seen in fashion and food & drink circles, can work for events, too. Try releasing a limited batch of tickets, or offer time-limited discounts, to build buzz and jumpstart sales.
Post-event perks
Round your event off and surprise and delight attendees with a post-event perk. This could be something as simple as a wrap-up of the event or an exclusive playlist created by the headliner.
Wearable RFID
RFID wristbands and badges are a game-changer, helping to streamline entry, enable cashless payments, and provide insights into how attendees move around your event. Expect the technology to become more prevalent this year.
Ownable data
As we’ve seen, algorithms can change on a whim and make it harder to reach your hard-earned audience. Guard against this by using platforms like CM that allow you to manage and export your data as you please.
Voice search
Optimising for Siri and Alexa is no longer just a nice to have – it’s essential. You can optimise for it by ensuring your event basics are formatted clearly and packaged as ‘structured data’ on your website.
In-event engagement
Don’t limit your comms journey to pre and post-event – keep in touch with your attendees during your event, too, with targeted push notifications and alerts. Event apps are great for this and straightforward to create.
Process post-event feedback with AI
Save yourself the job of manually sifting through post-event feedback and survey data. AI can process it at scale and be tasked to identify trends, audience sentiment and future curation opportunities.
The power of superfans
An event brand’s growth is often driven by a smaller, core group of repeat attendees. Identify who they are and make them feel valued by bringing them into curation and showering them with perks.
No more stranger danger
A surprising new trend is gaining momentum: events made for solo attendees. Jump on this by offering discounted solo passes, designated spaces to connect with strangers, and AI-powered matchmaking.
Niche fusion
Targeting niches has always been a smart way to build an audience. Now we are seeing the next wave of that – niche fusion, with promoters blending subcultures to create fresh, unexpected events. K-pop cooking class, anyone?
Pricing flexes
The rise of alternative pricing models such as pay-what-you-can, referral incentives, and subscription-based access offers a good lesson: a more flexible approach to ticketing can benefit both organisers and attendees.
Year-round engagement
In 2025, algorithms tend to reward brands that publish content all year-round. Even if you host one event a year, continuously repurpose content to stay visible and drive momentum for your next onsale.
Predictive analytics
A new breed of AI-assisted predictive analytics tools such as IBM Watson can help event organisers forecast demand, optimise pricing, and fine-tune messaging and marketing.
Standout content
In 2025, every business is a content business. To cut through, approach your content creation with a spirit of experimentation and creativity. It doesn’t need to be slick, but it does need to stand out.
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