After years of virtual-only connections and faltering hybrid attempts, in-person events are making a comeback — and it’s a breath of fresh air. What’s even more fascinating is that businesses aren’t going back to traditional event marketing. They reinvent it. This is one of the reasons why almost 65% of corporate event organizers expect live meeting attendance figures to increase over the next three years.
Interestingly, what makes modern in-person events stand out is their virtual component. In the old days, in person meant clipboards, pens and mindsets of what happens at the event, stays at the event; now, events prioritize digital goodies, pre- and post-event highlights, and attendee UGC. For marketers, mastering this intersection requires a marriage of distinct elements to create a cohesive event marketing strategy.
It’s called SoLoMo – an acronym for SOsky, Therecal and mobile – and increases attendance rates and outcomes.
Successful SoLoMo: 3 quick case studies
“Really? Another marketing acronym? Yes I know. But SoLoMo has become the backbone of modern event promotion. Industry reports reveal that in-person business events increased by 40.3% in just the first five months of 2024 – and 2025 looks just as promising.
How can your brand leverage SoLoMo? Here’s how three totally different companies knocked it out of the park.
Pilot.com, a provider of small business accounting and CFO services, has successfully launched its new “Entrepreneur Exclusive” series with a SoLoMo strategy, debuting in Nashville.
They advertised the event on social media, using a strategy that included UGC and leveraging speaker voices on LinkedIn. They created a mobile-optimized landing page, accessible via QR codes sent to locals via direct mailers. Instead of recruiting outsiders, Pilot brought in local experts who could connect with participants who were small business owners. For example, their keynote speaker was Brittany Hodak, a Tennessee native and customer loyalty expert, who shared her “Superfan Formula.” Financial experts from Nashville took the stage, followed by several local CEOs who had successfully built seven-figure-plus businesses.
Advice: Take advantage of the premises. Every city has local legends and every entrepreneur can benefit from a larger, more diverse network, regardless of their success or location.
Dig Deeper: How to Develop a Winning Event Strategy: A 7-Step Framework
2. Create strategic FOMO
Elation Lighting, a professional lighting company, executed a SoLoMo strategy to generate hype for new products it launched at LDI, one of its industry’s largest trade shows in Las Vegas.
They built anticipation through clever social media teasers that capitalized on current trends and showcased their live light show exhibits while leveraging FOMO (fear of missing out). After heavily emphasizing this mobile-first promotion, they shifted their focus to the local market. public, using location-based advertising and email blasts targeting event attendees and surrounding areas. This generated large crowds at their booth and helped them win the Best First Product award.
Advice: Create FOMO and get attendees excited about being informed. This will drive traffic to your booth and increase the chances that they will brag about the event on social media and to their peers.
3. Stand out with experiential marketing
Aeroflow Breastpumps, a company that helps moms receive breast pumps and supplies through insurance, used SoLoMo to connect with customers when they partnered with Pumpspotting’s “Boob Bus” – a breast pumping station mint green breastfeeding mobile that toured the United States.
Aeroflow’s partnership with Pumpspotting allowed them to create an immersive experience tailored to the needs of busy breastfeeding moms (their target audience), catering to them locally in cities across the country. At each stop, Aeroflow experts answered questions. They handed out themed giveaways, such as squeezable stress balls (because what mom isn’t stressed?) and “bus passes” to attendees with a mobile-optimized QR code to their registration form eligibility for free insurance. With its bold, mission-driven experiment, Aeroflow generated social media buzz before, during and after the tour, letting moms know when the Boob Bus was headed to their town.
Advice: Choose memorable gifts. The Aeroflow Breast Stress Balls have been a hit. Participants posted about themselves on social media and gave video interviews in exchange for this silly gift.
Dig Deeper: Beyond Attendance: Unlocking B2B Growth Through Event Strategies
Best practice tips for your next SoLoMo campaign
Maintaining a clear focus on value creation makes a huge difference. By mixing social Reached with local authenticity and mobile optimized content, businesses create events that people want to attend – and your brand can too.
Make the experience measurable
While not everything meaningful is measurable, your event strategy should include clear, trackable calls to action that generate quantifiable data. This means implementing digital touchpoints, like QR codes linking to specific landing pages, UTM codes on event links, unique promo codes for attendees and much more. These tools help track ROI and create valuable first-party data for future marketing efforts.
Give them something to take away
Physical takeout reminds attendees of your brand during and after your event. You need to make sure your item provides some value – no one wants another meaningless branded pen. The best takeaways solve a problem, like Aeroflow stress balls and bus passes providing access to safe pumping spaces, or create an immediate opportunity for engagement. For example, what Pilot picked up was access to a limited-time offer of free office hours with a financial expert.
Dig Deeper: 3 tips to maximize your ROI during events
Don’t forget post-event follow-up
Within 24 hours, send personalized email follow-ups referencing specific moments or conversations from your event. Include media coverage and notable events that people can share on their social networks.
Post-event offers should indicate a pathway from event attendance to continued engagement. Design promotions that leverage the event experience. Elation, for example, offered exclusive product prizes to attendees. Make sure your offer feels like a natural extension of the event rather than a hard sell.
The future of in-person events is here
Successful events are not about choosing between digital or physical experiences, but about creating seamless interactions between the two worlds. Instead of isolated moments, modern events are catalysts for ongoing engagement. And once you master your own SoLoMo approach, you’ll create a unique brand experience that resonates and lasts.
Dig Deeper: How to Repurpose Marketing Event Content
Contributing authors are invited to create content for MarTech and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the martech community. Our contributors work under the supervision of the writing and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.
