Four Insights on SXSW’s Evolving Brand Activation Landscape for 2026
SXSW has long served as an annual barometer for the experiential marketing industry with its roster of brand activations throughout the city of Austin helping to inform spending forecasts and tactical trends. The soon-to-be, 40-year-old tentpole was an early example of festivalized conference experiences, and has served as a breeding and proving ground for earned...
15 Experiential Tactics that Made a Racket at the US Open
In the days leading up to the 2025 US Open, the tournament was already scooping up headlines with a record-breaking Fan Week that saw nearly 240,000 tennis lovers walk through the gates of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. By the time the singles main draws kicked off on...
EM Sizzle Newsletter – 9/5/2025
09.05.25 Experiential marketing is officially coming to prime time. NBC has announced a new reality competition series, "On Brand with Jimmy Fallon," that has contestants creating real "high-profile" marketing campaigns for real companies, complete with "unbelievable activations." We'll all be watching. 📷 Photo of the Week When coffee chains began promoting pumpkin spiced...
Experience Design and Creative Process Benchmark Report
The Experience Design & Creative Process Benchmark Report delivers an unprecedented look inside the creative departments at top event agencies and exhibit builders. Coproduced with Highmark TechSystems, the report surveyed 200+ creatives across the U.S. to gauge how design teams are structured, how they function and how they are evolving. The data spans: • Department...