Field and event marketing have always been dynamic, but the past six years have brought a rollercoaster of transformation to the industry. As someone who has spent over a decade in this space, I’ve witnessed firsthand how field marketing has evolved from pre-pandemic extravagance to post-pandemic recalibration, and now, into an era of economic uncertainty. Let’s explore these shifts and what they mean for the future of field and event marketing professionals.
The Pre-Pandemic Boom: Events Were Everything
In the years leading up to 2020, in-person events were a cornerstone of B2B marketing. Tradeshows were a signifier of industry presence – if your company wasn’t exhibiting at the biggest conferences, you weren’t seen as a key player. Companies poured massive budgets into event marketing, sometimes without a clear strategy beyond the need to “be there.”
Beyond tradeshows, there was a growing focus on hosted events, where brands could create curated experiences for their prospects and customers. The bigger and more memorable, the better. These initiatives allowed for more strategic, high-impact engagement. But, as with all industries enjoying unchecked growth, the event marketing world was operating under the assumption that things would continue as they were indefinitely. And in some cases, companies had event marketing teams simply because “everyone does”.