Technology is evolving at a faster and faster rate, and predicting the future is getting more and more challenging. That being said, we’ve surveyed some of our top partners, clients, suppliers and staff to get their opinion on what will be a much bigger deal in 2015.  Read on to find out what they think will be some of the biggest event marketing game changers this year.

RFID / Cashless ticketing- Todd Sims, CEO, Flavorus

The cost of using RFID wristbands is coming down and more events are using this tech to speed up admissions and improve engagement with customers.

In 2015 you can expect to see more events turning ‘cashless’, where you simply pay for everything inside the event using your wristband. This has huge benefits for event operators in that they can track everything, and users will love it as they don’t have to worry about losing their wallets or lining up at a bank machine.

In 2016 and beyond we’ll see this migrate over to mobile phones through the development of NFC (near field communications), where tickets and cash will be stored in your phone. There are some fascinating applications emerging here; want to find your friends at a large festival? Simply check the festival app using your phone and see where and when they last checked in!

Remarketing- Mike Schwarz, CEO, clubZone.com

In 2014 we saw around 30% of our clients embrace the power of Google & Facebook remarketing, and in 2015 I predict it will become a big focus for the majority of event marketers.

Slap some Facebook tracking code on your site and learn everything about your customers, including their age, sex, ethnicity, location, interests, income, behaviors and more. Then, use this data to better tailor your marketing campaigns.

Or, stick some code on your website and follow the customers who haven’t yet bought your tickets around 98% of the internet, and target them specifically with banner ads, or even pre-roll video advertisements on Youtube.

Cost per acquisition (CPA’s) via remarketing are much cheaper than other online channels and clients are really starting to embrace this. In 2015, marketing is going to get even more creepy 😉

Experiential Events- Scott Emslie, CEO, WetApe.com

I think that attendees are craving more engagement within their festival and event experiences. Over the last couple of years I have seen major growth in the number of experiential events that are happening in the market place.

Diner en Blanc, Harvest Haus, and Tough Mudder have all seen great success by putting the attendee/participant and at the center of the experience. I think that experiential events will continue to grow and push boundaries, and I look forward to being a part of this evolution in the special events world!

Technical Automation- Andrej Simunaj, CTO myZone Media Inc.

Nowadays there are A LOT MORE event producers hosting A LOT MORE events, and keeping on top of website content is becoming a challenge for those without slick technical automation.

In 2015 I predict more event based websites will push to automate 100% of their content, including event info, photos, social feeds, and much more. We are constantly connecting our clients’ sites with their Facebook pages so that they only have to update information in one place. We’re also building tools that allow people to automatically boost their event information on Facebook and Google advertising networks with a just a few clicks.

I think completely automated content will be a huge game changer in 2015, and I am grateful to be a part of the industry in  such an exciting time.

Mobile- Anthony Iavocone, Augme Technologies

“Near Field Communication (NFC) will open the floodgates for profound changes in the way we use our mobile devices. While today there’s a good deal of trial, error and confusion around mobile technology including apps, QR code, image recognition, and so on, NFC will soon dominate the way consumers secure coupons and deliver payments: Our phones will become our wallets.”

 Anthony was not wrong when he said this upon launching the mobile marketing platform AD LIFE; we are seeing the importance of mobile grow on a daily basis. Almost 50% of all visitors to clubZone.com are now coming from mobile devices, and mobile conversion rates improved 40% from 2013 to 2014. More people are spending more money on mobile, and event producers will need to embrace this in 2015 to maximize their sales and marketing exposure. If your website is not responsive, you are essentially telling half your customers that you don’t care about them.

Event Marketing in 2015

2015 will without a doubt be a huge year for event producers around the world. There are plenty of exciting changes and developments just lurking around the corner, and we can’t wait to be part of the action.

What do you think will be a big trend for event marketers in 2015? If you believe we missed out on something important, be sure to let us know in the comments below!