Event marketers believe live events are helping them build trust with audiences, but most are not measuring that impact effectively, according to new research from Cvent.
The survey of more than 900 event and marketing professionals across 12 countries found that 96% are confident their marketing activity is building trust. More than four in five (81%) said trust in their organisation increased after customers attended an in-person event.
However, only 28% said they have a strong framework in place to measure the impact of events on trust. Nearly half (49%) said their current approach needs improvement.
The findings come as pressure to prove event ROI continues to rise. Nine in 10 respondents said their event programmes face close scrutiny when it comes to demonstrating results.
Despite this, marketers remain positive about live events. Some 91% said events will play a bigger role in their marketing strategy over the next 12 to 24 months.
The survey also found growing concern about the effect of AI-generated content on audience trust. While 87% of respondents said increased use of AI has made them more confident in AI-generated content, 85% believe it is making it harder to build trust with audiences.
More than a quarter (27%) said generic or AI-generated content poses the biggest risk to audience trust today, ahead of a lack of human interaction at events (19%).
At the same time, organisations are increasing their use of AI. More than two-fifths (43%) are expanding its use, while 37% are experimenting with the technology.
Amy Lucia, chief marketing officer at Cvent, said: “Event marketers are doing something remarkable. They’re building real, lasting trust with their audiences at a time when trust has never been harder to earn. But confidence without measurement is a recipe for reduced budgets and missed opportunities.”
Felicia Asiedu, marketing director at Cvent, said: “AI saturation is contributing to rising audience scepticism, changing the environment in which we’ve traditionally built trust with audiences.”
