Blog

In a year where designer dolls and love stories grabbed the world’s attention, event marketers also leaned into niche interests and the speed of pop culture across their campaigns. These were among themes across the nearly 50 installments of our Trend of the Week column in 2025, and as the wheels turn for 2026, we’ve rounded up the trends that drew the most clicks and interest from experiential marketers—fodder for the next big idea, or trend.   1. Mocktail Movement Offering non-alcoholic cocktails...

In 2025, EM expanded the scope of its Experiential in Color recognition program to include a new mentorship initiative led by a steering committee of industry professionals. We spoke with three mentor/mentee pairs about what the experience has meant to them. Mentor Gerry Rojas and mentee Natalie Azcona know all too well how the events industry is constantly moving forward, but they still make time to catch up when they can, even if it’s for just 15 minutes every few weeks. The pair has built their...

Christmastime is here again, and our calendars, inboxes and social feeds have been overflowing with festive pop-ups, holiday markets, light shows and takeovers that have us feeling that warm, merry spirit. We’d have to travel around the world on Santa’s magic time to hit all of the brand activations taking place this month, so we’re highlighting 12 of the best experiences of the holiday season.   BATH & BODY WORKS At the beginning of November, Bath & Body Works debuted its holiday campaign...

To capture the fleeting attention of passersby, you have to go big or go home, and this year, we’ve seen brands popping up towering installations of recognizable icons that have had consumers doing a double take, pulling out their phones to snap photos or even just stopping for a moment to admire the temporary monuments. As part of its 2025 Wrapped campaign, Spotify went “paws up” in Brazil with an almost 11-foot-tall sculpture of a red hand in a raised paw position, an homage to Lady Gaga’s Little...

Free Guide Speed. Cost. Performance. Evaluating Temporary Hard Structures vs. Fabric for Your Outdoor Events. Outdoor event design is undergoing a profound evolution as audiences expect intentional and elevated environments that deliver immersive and unique brand experiences on a new level. Download the just-released Event Ops: Beyond the Tent guide and dig into: Trends. The growing demand for scalable, reusable, weather-resistant infrastructure. Best Practices. Why logistics, perception, and optimization...

In the age of distraction and content overload, experience builders are leaning on the five senses to tap into the memory-making circuits of the brain. And this year, more events are incorporating moments for brands to literally get in the ears of their target audiences (and effectively, be one-on-one) with listening booths that surround them with music, themes and product information. Take Netflix and Spotify’s Graveyard Gala. The September event invited 300 fans, influencers, press and top Spotify...

Your Survival Kit for Experiential Marketing Are you maximizing the impact of your branded events? This white paper delivers tactics, frameworks, and insights you need to rise above the noise and create unforgettable experiences. Discover how to stay ahead of trends, capture audience attention, and drive return on emotion with high-impact activations. Inside you’ll learn: The 5 pillars of high-impact events every experiential marketer must know How to design for culture over channels by prioritizing...

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW THIS WEEK This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover the House of Brining, UV lotion and a “Doctor Who” stunt at Stonehenge.   CONSUMERS STOP BY THE HOUSE OF BRINING FOR A TURKEY SPA DAY If the concept of a “turkey spa day” doesn’t grab your attention, surely nothing will. And it’s exactly what Diamond Crystal Salt delivered in NYC a week before Thanksgiving with its House of Brining activation. On Nov. 20, consumers who had pre-registered on a microsite...

Identifying the right venue for the right experience is among an event prof’s top challenges, but upscale-leaning brands have been solving for the pain point by checking into hotels to host pop-up experiences that offer atmosphere, built-in amenities and plenty of space to spread out. From rooftop retail cabanas to self-care suites, here’s how marketers are delivering room service. It was only a matter of time before HBO Max turned its fictional luxury resort hotel chain into reality—if only for...

Tucked inside a suburban mall about 19 miles outside of Philadelphia sits a vibrant playground where lights, cameras and calls to action transform superfans into the heroes and villains from their favorite films and series. The fog is thick, the plots love twisting, and the rivalry is real. Welcome, outcasts, pirates, demon hunters and debutantes… You’ve entered Netflix House. The permanent experiential venue, which opened Nov. 12 at King of Prussia mall, spans two floors of high-tech games, themed...