Data is king. Every marketer knows it but too often valuable hours are wasted compiling hundreds of data points into a useful format when the time could be used to analyze the metrics and show real results faster and more efficiently. How you ask can I analyze without having first compiled? Welcome to the 21st century event peeps and meet your new best friend: the dashboard. It lets your event management software do the counting so you can do what you do best.

In 2001 Saturn relied on gas and diesel-powered trucks to tow its vehicles from coast to coast for its mobile tours. But a lot  has changed since then. Today the vehicles are doing the towing and the company is exploring new methods to reduce its carbon footprint while marketing its way across the country.

Inflatable structures are more than a lot of hot air. At fairs festivals even on the trade show floor these gigantic colorful creations can help sponsors advertisers and exhibitors stand out from the crowd. State Farm places inflatable billboards on golf course lakes at its LPGA-sponsored events (BBI Inflatable Display Systems handles). Nokia Studio a mobile entertainment experience last summer traveled to music festivals with a cube-shaped structure made out of an inflatable wall system and shipping containers (Landmark Creations handles).

In this new era of thrift marketers are scouting out off-the-beaten-path venues like unsold homes and local cafés where they can throw their events and skip the expense associated with custom-built environments. An added bonus with these unconventional spaces is that the target demo often comes with the package.

The energy drink market is on a high. Turbo charged by top-selling brands like Monster Red Bull and Rockstar the highly-caffeinated offshoots of the soft drink category have not only grown in popularity over the past decade to the tune of $6.5 billion in annual sales they continue to fly off the shelves while other soda and juice drink sales remain flat.