Event-Led Growth: “Put Some Paint Where It Ain’t”

Lindsey Davidson Wyatt of Wyatt Creative states, “If you’re not considering Event-Led Growth (ELG) for your property, you’re missing a crucial chance to stay competitive and drive meaningful engagement in this pivotal year.”  91% of consumers stated they would be more likely to buy a brand’s product or service after taking part in a brand activation or experience (G2, Dec 2023). I’ve got a feeling we’ll be hearing statements and statistics like these quite a bit over the next couple of years.

As we put a ribbon on the year, I’ve heard from leaders across the industry that staring down the barrel of 2025 has hospitality strategists urgently identifying sustainable possibilities for incremental revenue lift. Leaders are ideating “like the rent’s due” because, in many cases, it is. So here’s an unoriginal but timely thought: Event Led Growth. I tend to agree with Lindsey. Events and activations, large and small, can add to a business financially and meaningfully elevate brand cache.

Since moving to Atlanta, I’ve dramatically scaled back my participation in industry events. But, I attended the International Luxury Hotel Association’s Inspire Conference at The Fontainebleau in Las Vegas earlier this month. I spoke on a panel entitled “The Future of Travel & the Experiential Guest.” A week prior, I spoke on a panel at The AH&LA Hospitality Show about marketing in a competitive environment. There was endless conversation at both events about programming and adjacent topics. For those in the lifestyle swim lane, this isn’t uncharted territory. However, Mckinsey released a study by Jules Seeley, Ryan Mann, and Vik Krishnan with Alex Gersovitz a couple of months ago where they noted that “despite the enduring excitement about experiences and the large pool of value they represent, the travel industry has yet to crack the code on an approach that can simultaneously please travelers, make sense for experience providers, and produce profit at scale for distributors and larger stakeholders.”  In a sea of recent think pieces about the “experience economy” the prevailing notion seems to be that we’re falling short.

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