Why Events Are a Powerful Part of Your Marketing Plan

Events have a magical way of bringing people into a story.

I've always been a theater kid. The way that a play or a performance can pull the audience, the actors, and even the crew into the world of the story being told is simply powerful. This whole idea informs my love of immersive event planning and interactive marketing.

There's a thrill that comes from event planning. You spend weeks organizing, planning, creating, and making sure every little detail is perfect and everyone else knows what to do, and then you get to watch the whole thing come together. It's a rewarding and satisfying experience, and you get to bring people together to enjoy that magic that's being created.

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Event planning is in my bones. Growing up in a Hispanic household, there was always a party, a celebration, a holiday, or a get-together, and I loved helping to plan as much as I could as a kid. Throughout high school and college, I would always jump at the opportunity to help organize events, fundraisers, retreats, and outings for different clubs and organizations. I very quickly learned that these events were imperative for driving awareness and recognition, attracting new members, and building rapport among existing members.

Right before the pandemic hit, I had the opportunity to work not only as the marketing director at a small venue where I helped plan and host themed community events for children and adults who wanted to escape into their favorite books, TV shows, movies, and eras, but also as part-time and contract promotional event support for iHeartMedia and for Allied Global Marketing, where I coordinated and hosted concerts, movie screenings, and promotional events for radio stations and film studios. When everything shut down, I worked as a temporary event coordinator at my local Food Bank, coordinating hybrid and virtual fundraising events. And my latest stint in events was as the marketing and event manager at a local business publication, where I ran corporate recognition events for 200-600 guests.

My experience has taught me that, whether you're bringing people together for a community event, raising funds for a nonprofit, celebrating and recognizing achievements, or promoting a business or a project, event planning gives you that face-to-face community-building aspect that really drives home your marketing and communications. You get to see your supporters in real life and celebrate with the people in your community who are building you up. You're establishing human connection, rapport, and loyalty that's only made possible when people come together. An event can be a powerful part of your marketing plan.

Every brand has a story, and when you put on an event, you're inviting people into your story, to experience it in real-time and in real life.