It’s been almost a year since my first trip to New Zealand. At the time I was working with the Crankworx Rotorua team. It was an absolute blast to work with such an agile, multi-talented communications team. Here are some growing event marketing trends that I expect will take centre stage in 2017:   

• Facebook Live - Live streaming is a freight train. From Facebook to Twitter to Periscope to Instagram, nearly every social media channel is integrating a live-streaming option into the way we produce content. Initially for brand managers, Facebook Live caused near hair-loss and cold sweats. There was very little creative control over what was produced once a brand “went live”. Instinctually, we want to always put forward a clear, polished representation of a brand to it’s fans. But we soon discovered there was beauty in imperfection. Fans could relate to and are transfixed by this raw and un-edited format. 

A great example from Crankworx Whistler:

• Gamification - Looking specifically at racing events, not all fans will be competing, some are pure spectators. To more holistically engage all event goers, gamifying the experience engages people on a whole new level. It is also a rad opportunity to capture demographic data or emails for remarketing campaigns. Mainstream sports have been doing this for years, so it's awesome to see a niche version for the bike community. 

Have a look at the Fantasy league, Crankworx rolled out in France last year:    

• Micro-Influencers - It’s wonderful to watch an event unfold through the social channels of various attendees, especially those with a decent sized social klout and eye for photography. These people immerse users into the feelings, sights and sounds of the event. It’s fantastic when a communication manager’s understands the value in supporting or building itineraries for a these Micro-Influencers. Talk about an amped-up version of word-of-mouth marketing!    

I love this example from @haydenkortemoore during the 2016 World Ski and Snowboard Festival: