Events

Brand managers are choosing to spend more of their marketing budgets on some sort of in-person marketing: 79%of event planners say their corporate clients view events as their most important marketing/business development activity.

While hybrid is now part of planning for most major events, almost 70%of corporate events organized in North America in 2025 took place in-person. Which comes as no surprise, considering that fully 80% of consumers sayin-person events are the most trusted channel for discovering new products and services, and 66% are more likely to buy after interacting live with a brand.

From attending trade shows to hosting their own events to sponsoring high-visibility programs in partnership with media, sports teams or key business partners to being part of festivals and community events, the options for corporate marketers are nearly unlimited.

Trade show participation has grown every year since the pandemic. It’s estimated up to 15% of all U.S. businesses participated in at least one trade show last year.

Sporting events top the list of “experiential-marketing” activations. Other popular brand activations include festivals, sponsorships, pop-ups, community events and product samplings.

Event spend does not pull from print—rather, events create enormous need for visuals, graphics and printed items to support any successful event. Companies with strong visual branding see higher social media engagement, better attendance rates, and more positive feedback about their participation. Creativity is a key driver of success here. In the age of social media, marketers must think not only of making event visuals inviting, engaging and memorable on-site, but they also must think of creating “Instagram-able”moments or opportunities.

Boring, standard, expected, understated … are the opposite of what most event managers are going for in their planning. Events with compelling graphics encourage more photography and more social sharing. Post-event surveys consistently show that attendees remember and recommend events with distinctive visual experiences.

Organizations with recognizable but distinctive event branding can generate interest not just by potential customers but can create sponsorship opportunities, spark new distribution relationships, and position themselves with key talent for future recruiting efforts. This is true for trade show attendance and “owned” events alike.

Driving in-event engagement is key. Freebies and gamification rule—60% of event attendees say free promotional products lure them, 57% are drawn by contests.

Events do require late-night planning, last-minute adjustments, and fast response to real-time challenges that arise on location. So speed and flexibility are crucial for any supplier working within the tight deadlines of events. This is why working with the right graphics partner is essential.

12 Points companies support clients for their trade shows (supplying booth hardware and graphics, display signage, name badges, custom collateral, branded apparel and “SWAG” items). In addition, we work closely with clients to market to drive attendance, delivering direct mail campaigns and unique custom kitted invitations for VIPs and key customers and targets.

We work to fully brand and transform the visuals of a venue, including providing graphics installation and removal services, print programs and “game cards,” and more. Our promotional products team helps clients source specialty and one-of-a-kind, as well as standard give-away items or gifts.

The right partners can make or break the success of an event. The experience of the 12 Points team ensures our clients have one less thing to worry about, knowing their printing, graphics and promotional needs are taken care of.

*Sources: Wave Connect, Exhibitor magazine, bizjournals.com, G2

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