Roblox could become a brand advertising powerhouse: Brands flocked to video games for experiential marketing during the pandemic—but Roblox's lasting popularity with kids and its planned ad capabilities could keep it an appealing option even after lockdowns end.

Business and leisure travelers have returned to what happens in Las Vegas, as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) welcomes visitors back with a new motto that touts the city’s innovative and experiential offerings. Watch Industry Voices: Spotlight on Travel with LVCVA’s Kate Wik, CMO, to learn how the destination marketer is managing visitors’ pent-up demand and shorter booking windows.

As the spread of coronavirus forced event cancellations worldwide, the experiential marketing industry has had to adapt to a new culture of remote work and social distancing. Companies like MAG Experience, a New York-based experiential marketing agency, acknowledge the tough road ahead but see an opportunity to bolster their virtual events and innovate new offerings for clients.

Pre-pandemic, Riot Games was also making a strong push toward experiential marketing opportunities, where brands could sponsor fan appreciation days and other events surrounding League of Legends tournaments and road shows.

Roughly seven in 10 (71.2%) US ad and marketing executives think it’s at least somewhat unlikely that in-person business events, including conferences and large industry shows, will take place by the end of 2020.

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eMarketer was pleased to moderate a Tech-Talk Webinar featuring Cvent's Mike Dietrich, vice president of product marketing, and Alyssa Peltier, senior manager of event marketing. They shared actionable advice from their own experiences executing events and provide best practices to implement today and in the new year.

Core to any marketing strategy, whether in a global health crisis or otherwise, is ensuring that the plan is relevant and experiential for the consumer. During this time, our marketing team has learned how to pivot a full marketing plan due to changed consumer experiences.

We are using influencers on Instagram, but we’re also working with influencers for events and experientials. We've had a couple of events where we've worked with one of our influencers inviting other influencers to cook [some of our products]. We do a lot of experiential as well, so we've been part of festivals, food shows and trade shows.

Increases in consumer discretionary spending in experiential categories will have positively impacted categories like apparel and accessories in Q2 2021. In addition, Amazon Prime Day was scheduled for late June, likely pulling some back-to-school sales earlier into Q2 as well as creating a halo effect for other retailers.

Most recently, in our campaign encouraging people to wear a mask ["Back to Normal Is Up to You"], we did experiential onsite art. We've always been using different formats and media for go-to-market strategies, and this was just another way of thinking about how we can work with alternative channels. It's an evolution of how we continue to be bold and fearless with our marketing efforts.

Part the company’s strategy has been to host more intimate and experiential virtual events like cooking classes or happy hours, with kits of supplies sent in advance. These swag boxes are also a great opportunity for sponsors to make their mark.

But a more frictionless, digitally enabled, and experiential retail landscape will sprout from the ashes. Ecommerce is the new center of gravity for retail, though many behaviors will shift back to the physical world.

“Physical retail still holds the experiential aspect of being there, but digital can do almost all those other things just as well.”. Although social media’s influence on ecommerce is clearly growing, the opportunity isn’t without its constraints. Like malls, it can attract crowds for window shopping—but that browsing doesn’t regularly convert to sales.