As corporate event planners in Orange County, we are consistently asked what to do when standard conference room events aren’t moving the needle. Creating experiences that are truly memorable is the answer. 

Why This Works

Other marketing channels rely on exposure, impressions, clicks, etc. Whereas experiential marketing builds genuine connection and brand loyalty when done well. It gives consumers a chance to form their own opinion about your brand rather than trying to convince them of something you tell them about it.

Corporate event planning in Southern California is becoming increasingly important; and the statistics support experiential marketing: purchase rates increase 90% after attendees report a positive experience at a brand event. Additionally, event marketing creates an opportunity for organic content creation.

For B2B, this matters even more because relationships are everything. Loyalty and long term connections can be formed and strengthened at events. 

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It's Not Just About Aesthetics

The temptation with events is to think that bigger is better. While looks and feel matters, an effective activation is more about whether it moved your attendees closer to a purchase or strengthened an existing client relationship. Experiential marketing done correctly is part of your business strategy, your guests just don’t know it. 

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What Are Examples of Experiential Marketing Events? 

• Brand activations — an expression of brand identity at a public event, could be a pop up, a partnership with a local brand, etc
• Product or New Line launches — designed as a moment of first contact and creates exposure
• Corporate culture and team experiences — extremely important for strengthening internal relationships
• Client and relationship events — built to deepen trust with clients, celebrate success, and look forward to the future
• Leadership and professional development — end of year event for the leaders of your brand to rest, reflect, and dream about what comes next

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How To Measure Success

What was the goal going into the event? Did you achieve that goal? To be more specific, look at whether the event moved a specific metric, this could be retention, referrals, brand perception, etc.

This is where event planners come in. The right event planner should help you identify what your goal should be. 

This is how we operate at Westhaven. Every event starts by understanding your business and its goals. We have sat in your seat and understand the impact events have on your internal culture and brand appearance. We approach every event as if it were our own.

Experiential marketing is here to stay. In a world of saturated content and shortened attention spans, people will actually remember the events that they are a part of. If you are looking into business retreat planning, a brand launch, or any other event, we would love to connect and get started.

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