Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR): The Deeper Dive
Six decisions to make before the doors open.
Bring them to your next planning meeting.
Last year, the Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR) showed that live experiences connect to revenue. Attendees linked their experiences to trust, purchase intent and what they recommended.
The Deeper Dive gives you six decisions to make while there’s still time to change the experience.
We asked 2,000 B2B and B2C live event attendees what they noticed, what got in the way and what they did next.
Preview the six decisions below. The full report has the data and questions to ask behind each one. Then, the decisions are yours.
Get The Deeper Dive
Take the six decisions into your next planning meeting, and implement them with two practical tools:
- EMIR: The Deeper Dive: The six decisions attendees notice first, with the data behind each one, including B2B and B2C breakouts.
- EMIR Maturity Assessment Workbook: See where your experience program stands today, and which of the six decisions to tackle first.
- EMIR Finance Conversation Guide: Frame your event impact in ways Finance funds and make the business case for your decisions.
the six decisions. what attendees told us.
Most event plans cover what will be built, shown and scheduled. Fewer answer who will make
the brand feel credible, how fast the value lands, where people are invited in and what happens next. Each decision is something your team can change this week.
Who will people meet?
Attendees notice the people before the production. Trust often comes down to who answers the question.
said knowledgeable staff most increased their trust in the brand.
said professional interactions increased brand trust.
Will they see the value fast?
The strongest experiences aren't always the biggest. Often, they're the clearest.
said clearly understanding the benefit made the experience more valuable.
couldn't tell whether the experience was for them.
Where does watching become taking part?
Seeing a brand isn't the same as taking part. And people rarely take part without an invitation.
Nearly 2x hands-on participation was associated with nearly double the reported purchase intent of passive attendance.
said staff never invited them to take part.
What gets in the way?
A queue is part of the brand experience. So is the walk in, and the walk out.
named crowding and waiting times as their biggest frustration.
What will they repeat?
People trust people more than brands. Give them something worth saying.
said the missing piece was a simple message they could repeat.
said there wasn't an easy way to share.
What happens next, and who owns it?
The event doesn't end at the exit. Momentum needs an owner.
of B2B attendees took a next step during the event or within a week.
of B2C attendees acted the same day, and 29% within the week.
why these decisions are worth the meeting
These are the outcomes attendees reported after a successful branded experience. The Deeper Dive examines which experience choices showed up most often alongside them.
- 95% purchased or planned to purchase following the event.
- 77% purchased within 30 days of the event.
- 89% were more likely to choose the brand.
- 91% would recommend the brand to others.
*Strong intent = 8–10 on a 10-point scale. Purchase and action figures are self-reported, not verified sales.
about the report
Drawing on new research from 2,000 B2B and B2C attendees, The Deeper Dive turns what people noticed, valued and did next into six decisions: who people meet, how fast the value lands, where taking part begins, what gets in the way, what people repeat and what happens next.
EMIR showed that events are revenue drivers. The Deeper Dive shows what to decide before the doors open.
methodology
This proprietary study, designed and owned by Spiro and fielded in partnership with Qualtrics, surveyed 2,000 live event attendees (1,000 B2B and 1,000 B2C) who had attended a branded experience in the previous 12 months. Respondents were rigorously screened for relevance and data quality. The study examined the relationship between experience design and post-event outcomes, including purchase intent, pipeline action, brand advocacy and future engagement.
All findings are attendee-reported. They show associations, not proof of cause. The research gives teams better questions. It doesn't claim any single choice guarantees a result.
new to EMIR?
The original Experiential Marketing Impact Report (EMIR) explored how live experiences connect to purchase intent, advocacy, conversion and pipeline action.
Start there if you need the business case for events. Use The Deeper Dive to plan your next one.
Get EMIR: The Deeper Dive Today
EMIR made the case for events.
The Deeper Dive gives you six decisions to make before the doors open.