Be The Machine's CEO Patrick West forecasts what will hit in the experiential marketing world in 2024. This is his annual predictions on events and experiences relevant to marketers, agencies and suppliers alike.

1. 2024 PREDICTIONS
EVENTS & EXPERIENCES

2. IN-HOUSE
EXPERIENTIAL
EXPANSION
More brands will
expand their in-house
marketing departments
with experiential
teams.
Agencies will
have a tougher
time scoring
contracts.
The best will
shine as the
industry
matures.

3. US vs THEM
ELECTION
Trump vs Biden will
dominate headlines as
brands carefully
navigate the culture
wars (see: Bud Light).
We expect tensions to
run even higher in
2024 as some choose
sides.

4. FAN
CONS
The hottest fan events in ‘24 won’t
be sports games or concerts … it’ll
be conventions centered around
subcultures. The massive event
immersion that is a fan con can’t
be ignored by brands. So many
deep sub-cultures exist, filled with
passionate fans.

5. UNIQUE
EVENT
SPACES
The hotel ballroom,
convention center floor,
and mall plaza …
boring, boring, boring.
Attendees want
something memorable.
A great experience
needs an equally great
venue. Expect to see
factories, barns,
stadiums, ranches and
more unique locales in
event recaps.

6. PLAYSPACES People want to
have fun.
Marketers who
focus on that
simple concept will
build playspaces
into their all-ages
experiences. Great
for building
crowds, dwell
time, content,
shares, and so
much more.

7. GREAT OUTDOORS
Where are people headed in 2024? We’re forecasting a major crowd
push to parks, mountains, and beaches. Gen Z overindexes in their
love of nature. They now are flexing their spending power and
cultural influence so brands who stage outdoor experiences will be
smiling.

8. TIK-TOK
ABOVE ALL If you aren’t building
experiences with a social
creator mindset, you are late
to the party. And if Tik-Tok
isn’t the social platform
commanding your attention,
you will miss the whole damn
party in 2024. Forget dance
moves; it’s crowd-sourcing,
retail, collabs, offline
influencers, etc.

9. BRAND
PARTNERSHIPS
SPARKLE
Big brands see the value in partnerships with smaller-cooler-local brands that resonate at events.
These win-win deals are more about connections, awareness & affinity than ROI analysis but
require bold thinking and trendhunting to work.

10. SECONDARY
CITIES
Raleigh, Denver, Philly, Louisville
… just some of the great cities
that can host B2B and B2C
events at lower costs and ease of
attendance. Vegas, NYC, etc. get
the spotlight but companies
seeking simpler, cheaper and
more convenient options will
explore secondary markets.

11. THE EVENT APP WARS
Apps have become a must-have for all shapes and sizes of events. But
the big boy developers and brands will soon be gunning for a major
piece of this business. Get ready for consolidation, cuts, and new
features.

12. PATRICK WEST
PATRICK@THEMACHINENYC.COM
914.216.8948
WWW.THEMACHINENYC.COM
@BETHEMACHINENYC BE THE MACHINE