• by Ray Schultz , February 7, 2018

Here’s another report showing that email is the best channel for promoting events. Event Marketing 2018, a study by Bizzabo shows that 40% believe that email is tops, and the total is even higher for B2B marketers — 46%.

Personal relationships are a distant second, with only 16% citing them. Next is content marketing, at 9%.

Organic social media is fourth, with 8% saying they are enthusiastic overall. But the percentage is higher for B2C marketers — 13%. 

However, email ranks third as the most effective marketing channel, chosen by 25%. It is topped by live events (31%) and content marketing (27%).

It is no surprise, however, that live events win on this question: The survey sample is made up of 400 mid- to senior-level event marketers from around the globe — events are what they do. The question is why the percentage is so low.

They certainly have their hands full: 36% say their biggest challenge is to increase event registrations, 29% to increase revenue from events, 19% to lower event-related costs, 9% to increase brand awareness and 7% to increase attendee satisfaction. 

Still, Bizzabo reports “unparalleled growth in marketing led events,” writes Alon Alroy, CMO and co-founder, Bizzabo. This is fueled by a “new generation of technologies” -- chief among them being event management software, a $28 billion industry unto itself, Alroy says.

Of those polled, 86% agree that technology will have a major positive impact on the success of their events. Only 1% disagrees, and 13% are neutral.

And the respondents are bullish, with 63% saying they will increase their budgets for event organizing and/or marketing in the coming year. The same percentage expects to increase the number of events.

Alroy also reports that 80% of over-performing businesses will increase their live-event budgets next year. And 95% agree that live events provide attendees with “a valuable opportunity to form in-person connections in an increasingly digital world.”

Last year, a survey of 406 event professionals by Cvent found that email is the most-used channel in event marketing — almost all attendees receive it before conferences. And it is important in post-event follow-up.