Alexa, play “The Show Must Go On” by Queen
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What does FOMO look like in 2022?
In the Before Times, experiential pros created FOMO (fear of missing out, an explainer no one needed) as a super savvy marketing tool. And damn, did it work. But, during the pandemic, cancelled concert tickets helped pay for Pelotons, vacation money went toward new hot tubs and reimbursed flights funded PlayStations and Xboxes.
In the face of uncertainty, we brought XP home, a trend we’ve seen at CES this week.
“The most influential tech event in the world,” which wraps today, looked a little, uh, roomier this year than the last IRL event in January 2020. Google, Amazon, Microsoft and other big fish had the budgets to cancel their exhibitions at the last minute and bring CES home (there is JOMO on skipping a possible Covid exposure) while Apple, GM and Samsung chose to stay the course in Vegas.
If you want to catch up on all the CES action and announcements from the week, WIRED covered 83 highlights from the show. Big shout out to the event’s XP team that had to start over many, many times. Send over your Venmos, because you all deserve a drink on us.
But, even with last minute cancellations and ever-changing formats, the show must go on. There will be exciting, successful and safe experiences this year. But, what does FOMO even look like in 2022? And how do we pull it off?
KEEP IT SHORT(ER) & SWEET(ER): Pop-ups — and their cousin, installations — reduce XP’s barrier to entry for both brands as well as consumers. In 2022, FOMO will be more about capturing someone’s attention (and wowing them) for a few hours rather than an entire weekend. Experiential attention spans are also getting shorter and shorter.
OFFER CHOICES & BE FLEXIBLE: Just like we can watch The Bachelor in the back of a Lyft or listen to murder podcasts on a run (just us?), your audience will expect events to be consumed in a manner that fits their schedules. Attendees have their eagle eyes focused on the word “hybrid” in your marketing and promotions, so they can choose how to experience it. But also: consider whether you should offer a full-keynote, shortened summary, audio version or white paper.
PROVIDE 100% ACCESSIBILITY: In 2019, the big trend was VIP access. Each attendee felt more important than the last, as they crossed the velvet ropes to private activations away from the peasants. Drop the aspirational tone for an accessible one, providing consumers with opportunities that are both attainable and connective.
In 2022, FOMO won’t be about which events and experiences have the coolest tech or buzziest influencers. Sure, the content needs to bring them in, but this year is about making sure they don’t miss out (DOMO?) because there are so many ways to experience our content.
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. To prepare for your 2022 events, whether IRL, hybrid or virtual (but probably all three), we’ve identified 22 bold numbers—proof points for your decks, RFPs and pitches to illustrate the value of XP-fueled community, engagement and connection.
1. BUDGETS: Post-pandemic, 81% of brands believe their event and experiential budgets will match or exceed their pre-virus levels. (EventTrack)
2. REPEAT CUSTOMERS: 70% of people turn into repeat customers after attending experiential marketing events. (Finance Online)
3. REACH: An overwhelming majority (80.2%) of event organizers have been able to reach a wider audience with virtual events. (Bizzabo)
4. CUSTOMIZATION: Consumers are now 10-15% more likely to upgrade or personalize their experiences. (Experiential Trends)