Sentiment among potential attendees of marketing-focused in-person events is improving, signaling the likelihood of a strong recovery in 2022. Nearly 85% of marketers surveyed said it is at least somewhat likely that they will attend an in-person business conference in the first half of 2022; 38% said it is extremely likely they will do so.
The prospect of participation increases rapidly throughout 2021. While only 1-in-4 marketers who responded said it is likely they will attend an in-person event in the first half of 2021, half said it was likely in Q3 and ⅔ in Q4.
The results were derived from the March edition of the Events Participation Index survey, which has been fielded by the editors of MarTech since the beginning of the pandemic to help marketers understand the attitudes of the marketing community towards conference attendance.
The responses are encouraging for event exhibitors and sponsors. Events achieving more than 80% of pre-pandemic attendance are likely to be successful for the participating exhibitors and sponsors.
The increased likelihood that marketers will attend in-person events comes as more employers lift restrictions on business travel. Nearly 1-in-4 respondents said their companies already allow work travel. About 30% said their employers will lift restrictions in the third quarter, 17% said their employers will lift restrictions in the fourth quarter and 30% said their employers will not lift restrictions until 2022.
We look forward to coming together in-person again soon for both MarTech and SMX.