Bring social amplification into the heart of experience design

"The growing emphasis on content creation and community amplification at live events is far from a trend. It reflects real business impact, with new data from the Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR) validating its importance. Want to go deeper? Ask The Drum Purchase intent Attendees who shared their experience on social media were nearly twice as likely to purchase as those who didn't (89% v 48%)."

"This matters as more consumers turn to content creators and their networks for recommendations and validation. Moreover, attendees posting content signals personal endorsement. That comes with increased trust - people tend not to risk their reputation on something they don't believe in. So, when your brand shows up in someone's feed, it's not just about increased reach. As trust deepens, so does likelihood to buy, with EMIR showing trust as one of the strongest predictors of purchase."

Experiential culture increasingly integrates creators and their networks into event architecture, from creator-only areas to influencer accreditation. Live events that enable attendee content creation deliver measurable business outcomes: attendees who shared experiences on social media were nearly twice as likely to purchase, with high post-event sharing among CPG (72%) and tech (61%) attendees. Social sharers drive recommendations and serve as a volunteer salesforce. Attendee-generated posts signal personal endorsement and build trust, which strongly predicts purchase. Effective event design prioritizes participatory, co-creative elements that deepen engagement, improve memory retention, and extend experiential reach beyond the event.

Read at The Drum