Contributed by Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
Featuring Alex Sobol, Co-Founder at The Millennium Alliance
If you’re looking for evidence of sales and marketing’s obsession with hard numbers and ROI, consider the rapid rise of retail media networks (RMNs) within the ad tech sector. RMNs promise to get brands much closer to high-purchase intent consumers, both online and in-store, while providing direct line of sight into return on campaign spend. In a world where every marketing dollar needs to prove its value, brands are reallocating their spend in favor of highly targeted, measurable channels like this, versus more traditional, top-of-funnel approaches like linear TV and radio.
We’re seeing this trend play out similarly in in-person B2B event marketing. Even with the increased emphasis on digital channels like social selling, in-person interactions between buyers and sellers continue to be viewed as an irreplaceable piece of the sales puzzle. In fact, 87% of business managers believe in-person meetings are still central to strong business relationships.
However, the expectations for in-person B2B events are changing rapidly for both buyers and sellers. In many ways, the mega tradeshows that characterized Y2K and the early aughts are diminishing in influence, as today’s attendees seek more meaningful, intimate networking and personalized content over crowded, chaotic exhibition halls.
Not surprisingly, sales and marketing teams are now prioritizing these more intimate in-person events over the mega tradeshows, with one recent survey showing 34% year-over-year (1H 2024 – 1H 2025) growth in small (under 150 attendees) in-person gatherings. In contrast, the number of organizations planning more hosted large events fell 12% year over year from 2024 to 2025.
Curious what’s driving this shift and what it means for the future of B2B events? Read the full article to learn more here.
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Our website, regular Web casts, e-newsletters, white papers, broadcasts and more, all provide our readers easy access to the most relevant trends, strategies, exclusive research, expert voices, and cutting-edge case studies designed to help them sell more, manage better, and market smarter.
For more information, visit www.salesandmarketing.com.
