In a world of algorithms, tracking pixels, and hyper-targeted advertising, it can feel like marketing has become more science than art. Andrew Edell, Director of Experiential Marketing at Convene, is trying to change that. “Technology has pushed us into a personalized, automated world — which is great when you’re at home and you’re looking for a TV show to watch, and Netflix can offer something based on your preferences,” Andrew says. “But at the end of the day, we’re human and have human-natured tendencies. We need personal interaction, recognition, and connection. That’s where events and experiential marketing really come in.” Immersive, emotional connections were key themes in last week’s Working Lunch, a weekly show on LinkedIn where we pick the brains of experts in tech, business, and communications. In this episode, host Robyn Showers sat down with Andrew to learn more about the emerging field of experiential marketing. Speaking with someone who developed events around the world for global organizations like Facebook, and now leads the charge at Convene, there was many an insight to glean.     The growing demand for brand experiences that tap into those human tendencies — what Andrew calls “the experience economy” — is changing the game for businesses. “The way people are consuming goods and engaging with products is changing, and there are tons of studies that research and prove that,” he says. “Marketers and brands are taking notice, and it’s having an impact across all different industries.” Companies are also prioritizing long-term impact from events, too. According to the 2019 Experiential Marketing Trend Report from AgencyEA, 60% of B2B marketers say that “extending an event’s reach beyond the live experience is imperative to the success of their experiential marketing strategy.” Andrew agrees. “When we look at events at Convene, we want to make sure that when people leave, the event doesn’t end,” he says. “We want to make sure that the moments, experiences, and engagements can be captured and usable across the company.” Learn more from Andrew’s extensive career in experiential marketing below. Of course, executing great brand experiences goes far beyond logistics, day-of checklists, and great swag. Andrew’s advice is to lead with your audience. When decisions are made through the lens of putting your guests first, your experiential marketing will be more memorable. “To be successful, we need to understand our audience. You can throw the greatest event of all time, but if it’s not targeted or directed to the people who are there, it’s a complete miss. Taking the time to understand your audience, what they want, and what they’re looking to get out of an event is super important.” Tune in to future episodes of Working Lunch on the Vimeo Enterprise LinkedIn page on Wednesday at 2 PM ET. As always, you can find every episode on our Showcase page. Featured articles in this week’s episode:

• 2019 Experiential Marketing Trend Report (AgencyEA)
• The Future of Experiential Marketing (AdAge)