Reported by: Ian Davis, VP of Marketing @ Snöball
This was my third IMEX in a row and as an exhibitor focused on event marketing, I’ve learned that the week always starts the same way.
A quiet calm before the trade show floor opens. Then a rumbling roar as the hall is about to open for business. And finally a wave of energy and event professionals rushing down the aisles on a mission to make a meeting, see friends, or catch an education session with some of the top minds in industry.
There is tons of free coffee, and a strange mix of exhaustion and excitement that’s hard to describe unless you’ve been there.
I’ve been in this industry for seven years, and it’s been a crash course, not only in event tech. It’s been a crash course in meeting people. And maybe that’s what keeps me coming back? This year I was really looking to IMEX 2025 for event marketing lessons and conversations to further understand what makes others come back.
Scene 1 — The Tech2Grow was the place to be
This year I was delighted to be onsite with our snöballer-in-chief Rachel Stephan ❄️ as exhibitors spreading the good word about Snöball ❄️, and we were extra excited to be a part of DAHLIA+Agency’s Tech2Grow Collective.
It was a backyard picnic themed experience where hanging out felt like you were really in the neighborhood visiting some friends. We were also delighted to be positioned directly next to the Tech Education stage, where Dahlia El Gazzar 🧿and her team kept the highly curated sessions coming while infusing some breakout dance parties to keep the vibes sky high.
This also gave us an excellent ability to capture insight from the steady stream of big name industry thought leaders, so that we could in turn share their thoughts and advice with our event marketing community.
Scene 2 — The Data Exposes Opportunity
Out on the trade show floor, we had the chance to interview Ken Holsinger , SVP of Industry Research & Insights at Freeman Company. They had just released new data, and like always, everyone was talking about it.
Ken explained that their latest research had unearthed something profound, “Organizers believe 80 percent of attendees have a memorable moment…” but that in actuality, “attendees say only 40 percent do.”.
Quite a delta between the two opinions, but of course the attendee has to be right in this situation, it is their experience afterall. We all want to believe our events stick with people. But the latest findings seem to shed some doubt on that. Maybe we overestimate the big stuff. The lights, the production, the big keynote speaker, and underestimate the quiet parts that actually connect.
Ken added that, “when attendees have one meaningful moment, they are 85 percent more likely to come back.”. He pointed out that the average retention rate is around 30 percent, so that’s a massive leap if an organizer can pull it off.
So how do you plan for that? What can you do to deliver that seemingly intangible moment?
Ken says you need to ask them what they want. Design around that. Then check if you delivered. Simple, but real.
Scene 2 — Audiences Crave Experience & Connection
Later that day we talked with Liz Irving, CEO of Clarion Events Inc. – North America (one of our incredible clients).
Liz is a true leader whose team of organizers at Clarion are working on some truly ground-breaking event designs.
“The face-to-face experience,” she said, “is still the most trusted and powerful marketing medium.”
It’s easy to forget that when every conversation includes the words AI, integration, or automation.
“We’ve been working with all of our teams to say, what is your story? It’s not just, we’ve got exhibitors, we’ve got people, we’ve got products. You need to tell a story about your brand. Something that wins the hearts and minds and also is a little fun, right?”
And she’s right. Human experience is the one thing AI can’t replicate, and it’s why we organize and plan all year to come together. Experiences together in person simply cannot be automated away.
And Liz also discussed the power of peer-to-peer marketing.
“Peer to peer I think is the most powerful thing that we can do right now. All of my events have a peer to peer element.”
Of course that’s music to our ears, but it’s also a logical move given the nature of where our industry sits. We trust AI, but only so much. Real trust is human, person to person, firsthand experience and knowing on a personal level. So leveraging peer-to-peer marketing means empowering your brand’s community and their own personal networks to share your event organically.
Because peer-to-peer isn’t just a strategy. It’s real people sharing with each other what they care about authentically. It’s connection, not content.
Scene 3 — Peer-to-Peer Power in Person
Midweek, Rachel and snuck away from IMEX for a few and went up to the Venetian to visit one of our clients, RX Global, at the opening of their G2E 2025 event.
Seeing their peer-to-peer campaign results in person was such a satisfying experience for us snöballers.
We met with their portfolio marketing director, Samantha Nagel, told us, “We saw more than 50 percent conversions from people sharing through Snöball”.
This was amazing to hear first hand.
But what stuck with me wasn’t the number. It was the fact that she said, “It’s really easy to work with your team.”
That really hits home for us because we have a truly dedicated team of campaign managers who we are so proud to represent.
Scene 4 — The Human + AI Balancing Act
By the end of the week, I’d heard enough to realize everyone was saying the same thing in their own way: the future might be powered by AI, but it’s still led by people.
We’re all both dependent on AI while simultaneously feeling terrified of AI and the implications it raises about job security. What a time to be alive!
However, I heard a funny yet sincere line from industry titan David Adler, CEO of GatheringPoint.news, towards the end of his session on creative uses for AI as an event marketer.
“Remember, you are the overlord and AI is the underlord.” It’s an important distinction that we must not forget.
This means more than just telling AI what to do. As an event marketer it means being the architect of your content and strategy, and employing AI tools to make you faster, better, more efficient. Be creative, and don’t lose that unique human ability to come up with ideas that have never been thought of before. That’s our advantage, that’s what makes us the boss in this relationship with tech.
Because when it comes to marketing and organizing successful events, audiences crave authenticity. That’s the major key to attendee retention year over year.
People come back when they feel something real. They share when it means something to them.
That’s the part you can’t automate and it’s a beautifully human thing that makes our industry so special to be a part of.
Scene 6 — A Storybook IMEX Ending
One of the last moments of the week was watching Rachel win the Ultimate Ruckusmaker Award.
Rachel was shocked and moved to tears, while the room filled with people cheering. It was one of those moments that reminds you why this industry is so great. It’s the community of peers celebrating one another in person.
She’s built something real here, not just a company, but a way of thinking about marketing that puts people first. The award definitely reinforces the fact that this industry recognizes peer-to-peer marketing as an important pillar to the future of event marketing.
And it solidifies the primary theme we picked up on all week: our peers are what matter most in our events and our lives.
The Real ROI
So if we strip away the layers, the industry runs on one thing: people trying to connect.
That’s what makes a moment memorable. That’s what keeps attendees returning. That’s what makes marketing work.
So maybe the next big innovation isn’t a new platform or trend.
Maybe it’s remembering that the most powerful form of marketing is still someone saying, “You’ve got to come to this next year. You’ll love it.”
Until next time… Will we see you there?
P.S. – Be sure to stay tuned for our full interviews with Ken Holsinger and Liz Irving dropping next week! They shared a ton more insight that we are excited to share with you.
About Snöball
Snöball is the peer-to-peer event marketing platform that turns your attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors into your most powerful growth channel.
By making it easy for every participant to share personalized event content with their networks, Snöball helps organizers expand reach, drive qualified registrations, and measure real ROI, right down to who influenced each conversion.
From global conferences to association meetings and corporate events, Snöball powers campaigns that build trust, amplify engagement, and retain your audience so they keep coming back year after year.
Learn more at snoball.events.
