Event Marketing in 2026:
Beyond the Catering Budget
There’s something strange that happens when businesses think about event marketing.
Budgets get spent on catering and venue hire. Very little gets spent on actually marketing the event or measuring whether it worked.
Then they’re surprised when 200 people attend instead of 500, or when nobody remembers the event happened a month later.
Event marketing has changed dramatically in the last few years.
You can’t just book a room, put up some chairs, and hope people show up anymore. You need a proper strategy before, during, and after the event.
Before the event, you’re essentially running a marketing campaign. This is where most businesses get it wrong. They send an email a few days before and hope for good turnout. Instead, the best events have a months-long marketing calendar. Teasers go out early. You build anticipation. You remind people multiple times through multiple channels. You make it clear why they should care.
This is especially true for hybrid events.
People are busier and have more distractions than ever. You need compelling reasons for them to block out their calendar. You need to make it easy for them to register. You need to remind them as the date approaches.
During the event, you’re not just hosting anymore. You’re creating content. Someone should be taking photos and videos throughout the day. People should be able to easily share their experience on social media. You might want to live-stream key moments for people who couldn’t attend. You’re essentially turning the event itself into marketing material that extends far beyond the people in the room.
That’s the part that’s changed most dramatically. A local business that hosts a good event can now get visibility from people across the country who couldn’t attend but see the content shared online.
After the event is where the real impact happens.
The businesses that measure their events properly are tracking everything. Who attended? What did they engage with? How many sales came from attendees? Did they join your email list? Are they more likely to buy now?
You should also have a follow-up sequence.
Thank people for coming. Share the photos and videos from the event. Keep the momentum going. One event isn’t a marketing channel; it’s a moment in an ongoing relationship with your audience.
We’ve seen local businesses underestimate events because they only count the immediate sales. But an event that builds your community, creates content, and generates word-of-mouth marketing is actually quite valuable when you measure it properly.
The same event that costs £3,000 to run might generate £20,000 in sales directly.
But the content from that event might drive another £30,000 through social media and word-of-mouth. That’s the multiplier effect people miss.
Event marketing isn’t just something you do once a year in a fancy venue. It’s a strategy. And like any good strategy, it requires planning, execution, measurement, and ongoing optimisation.
