Pro to Pro

22 Experiential Statistics for 2022

As we all know, XP has gone through unprecedented upheaval in the last two years — and the industry has responded with admirable creativity and resiliency, adapting to the ever-fickle realities and necessary pivots of gather-planning. Yet, the subjective power of face-to-face (or even screen-to-screen) connection, interactivity, and experience is often overshadowed by the overwhelming and well-established objective power of social media and digital analytics.

Of course, you understand the value of experiential marketing and strategy — you’re reading XP Land after all. As a professional already in the know, it’s your job to deliver upon XP’s importance and you know its effectiveness is real.

To prepare for your 2022 events, whether IRL, hybrid or virtual (but probably all three), we’ve identified 22 bold numbers—proof points you can use now to plan, advocate for and demonstrate the tangible power of XP. Use these stats to pave your XP path this year. Add these facts to your decks, RFPs and pitches to illustrate the value of XP-fueled community, engagement and connection, and to help you craft your XP strategies (all of these numbers are from surveys conducted from 2020 to 2021—the modern pandemic era). 

22 Experiential Statistics for 2022:

1. BUDGETS: Post-pandemic, 81% of brands believe their event and experiential budgets will match or exceed their pre-virus levels. (EventTrack)
2. GOALS: 55% of marketers share that the top three goals for their online events include: customer relations, education, and retention. (Bizabbo)
3. REPEAT CUSTOMERS: 70% of people turn into repeat customers after attending experiential marketing events. (Finance Online)
4. REACH: An overwhelming majority (80.2%) of event organizers have been able to reach a wider audience with virtual events. (Bizzabo)
5. CUSTOMIZATION: Consumers are now 10-15% more likely to upgrade or personalize their experiences. (Experiential Trends)
6. VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE: 72% of survey respondents are expecting to attend the same number of online events (or more) as they currently are, once in-person events return. (Vimeo)
7. GIVEAWAYS: Only 30% of virtual events’ hosts use giveaways to engage their audience. (Markletic)
8. ATTENTION SPAN: More than half (67.7%) of event marketers find it more difficult to keep attendees engaged during sessions at virtual events. (Bizzabo)
9. VIRTUAL FORMAT: In Q1 2021, conferences accounted for 34% of all online events. Next in line are meeting and networking experiences, which account for 24% of virtual events, followed by internal events (19%) and classes/workshops (11%). (Benchmark Report)
10. MOBILE: 27% of all virtual/hybrid meetings will make use of a mobile app. (AMEX)
11. HYBRID: 68% of event professionals are looking for hybrid event technology that supports both in-person and virtual events. (Bizzabo)
12. IN-PERSON EVENTS: 52% of survey respondents believe investment in in-person events will increase in the future. (Content Marketing Institute)
13. EVENT FORMAT: More than 75% say live, in-person and live (hybrid), and online events are valuable. In comparison, only 64% find pre-recorded, online events valuable. (Vimeo)
14. VIRTUAL EXECUTION: 65% of marketers say it takes more than six weeks to prepare and market large-sized virtual events. (Markletic)
15. IMPACT: An incredible 85% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy after participating in experiences and events. (Finance Online)
16. PRODUCTION: The majority (62.6%) of event marketers work with a production services company to help execute their virtual events. (Bizzabo)
17. CONTENT & SPEAKERS: 64% and 63% of participants agree that the quality of speakers and relevance of content, respectively encourage them to sign up for events. (Vimeo)
18. TECHNOLOGY: 70% of event organizers opine that “good microphones are critical” for the success of online events. They also agree on microphones being more important than cameras, which they ranked second in event success importance. (Markletic)
19. HYBRID SOFTWARE: The majority of organizers (59.4%) are looking for a hybrid software solution that will manage both in-person and virtual events. (Bizzabo)
20. HYBRID FORMAT: Half (50.7%) of executives predict that all live events will include a virtual piece from now on. (Marketing Charts)
21. 2022 VIBE: 73% percent of suppliers and 66% of planners said that COVID-19 vaccines and boosters have made them more optimistic about what is possible. (PCMA)
22. DATA: 74% of event professionals surveyed agreed that data drives their decision-making process. A study concluded that using data to make event decisions will move to the forefront. (Endless Events)