Creative Production

Production consulting for events and experiential in 2025

“Brands are designing experiences to inspire organic content creation from attendees. encouraging authentic engagements that amplify the reach of their events.”

With economic headwinds, shifting budgets and complex production landscapes, brands are looking for smarter, more innovative ways to optimise their approach and maximise budgets to engage their audiences.

Taking from APR’s Marketing Production Trends in 2025, we break down how the key trends are shaping events and experiential production and activation, including practical insights from our expert events team.

1. Shift in marketing spend—from traditional to experiential

One of the most notable trends? Brands are recognising the immense value of face-to-face interactions and immersive experiences, which create a strong emotional connection.

Some brands are shifting budgets away from traditional advertising formats and allocating marketing investments into live events and experiential activations.

“APR ensures that brands have a clear picture of the overall costs associated with producing their events. Our industry background and knowledge enabled our clients to effectively approach event production, risk mitigation and ensure a fair market value.” Chris Bryan, Experiential Consultant, APR

To make the most of this shift, APR advises brands to focus on holistic planning, integrating experiential into their overall marketing strategies early on. Consider events a powerful tool to amplify other marketing efforts.

APR INSIGHT

“Brands don’t have a clear understanding of their investment allocation in this space. We work with marketing teams to provide a cost analysis for their spend, helping them optimise and understand potential cost savings.” – Tim Bebber

APR’s expertise in cost analysis ensures brands aren’t just shifting dollars–they’re spending them wisely. We help brands maximise the impact across experiential investments.

2.The Power of Attendee-Generated Content (AGC)

Coined by APR, attendee-generated content is quickly becoming the holy grail of organic amplification. Why? It shifts the spotlight to the attendees, turning them into active participants and storytellers – a creator-led content strategy.

Brands are designing environments that encourage attendees to create and share their own experiences—whether it’s a photo-worthy installation, an interactive activity, or a once-in-a-lifetime perspective.

“Brands are designing experiences to inspire organic content creation from attendees. encouraging authentic engagements that amplify the reach of their events.” – Matt Hintze, Managing Advisor for Experiential, APR

AGC’s strength lies in its authenticity. Social media users are more likely to engage with content from people they trust, making it an incredibly effective engagement tool.

To stay competitive, brands need to think less about traditional event “content” and more about how to spark moments worth sharing.

EXAMPLE

Remember the viral Subway Super Bowl™ Vault with countless Instagram posts from Coachella’s art installations? That’s AGC in action.

3. AI-Driven Innovation

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping almost every industry, and events are no exception. APR’s Marketing Production Trends in 2025 points to the use of AI for original content production.

“For experiential, AI can write RFPs, develop event concepts, and create detailed designs for live events. AI-powered chatbots engage with attendees, and AI tools optimise lighting, audio, and staging designs.”

AI-driven tools may also improve efficiency in production planning— automating tasks like staffing schedules, estimate development, and invoicing.

“We’re seeing AI used across the production process, from developing estimates and staffing schedules to creating run of shows. While it’s still early days, AI is helping to streamline operations and improve efficiency,” says Tim Bebber, APR Senior Advisor for Experiential.

However, a common misconception is that AI always leads to cost savings. That’s not always the case. While brands are exploring its potential, AI is still in its infancy when it comes to optimising ROI in the events space.

What’s important now is learning how to leverage AI for smarter workflows and better creative output.

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

• Real-time translation tools for global audiences
• Hyper-personalised experiences using attendee data
• Automated event interventions for real-time troubleshooting

4. Reimagining collaboration between brands and agencies

Collaboration is king, but who’s sitting at the table? For years, suppliers have owned the production process— but brands are beginning to take back control of their content ecosystems.

Shifting toward transparency, brands are starting to request detailed breakdowns of costs for clarity and fair pricing.

APR’s “creative-first approach” ensures that the lines between creative ideation and production are clearly defined. This phased strategy prevents overlap, enhances efficiency, and helps brands parse out agency fees to better understand who’s accountable for what.

Additionally, we’re seeing brands avoid the inefficiencies of “double-dipping,” where larger agencies subcontract work to smaller, boutique experiential companies—without a client’s knowledge.

By choosing to partner directly with specialist suppliers, brands are saving costs while maintaining quality. Of note, cost-optimisation across 3rd party vendors remains a top priority for brands.

5.The impact of data and compliance

Data is everywhere— biometric tracking, personalised playlists, real-time event sentiment— but the question remains, can we trust it? For data to drive impactful decisions, it must be accurate and consistently validated.

APR’s living database captures real-time spending trends and benchmarks across over $4 billion in production data, ensuring brands are working with the most reliable insights.

Looking to 2025, as data usage continues to explode, new regulatory challenges will arise. Compliance measures surrounding data privacy and event attendee rights (e.g., biometric tracking) are essential to building trust and avoiding PR disasters.

Self-regulating practices now can give brands a significant competitive advantage in the future.

ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

• Invest in data governance tools and advisors to track spending and ensure accuracy.
• Stay ahead of privacy regulations by advocating for transparency internally—and with your marketing partners.

6. Doing more with 6 less

“Do more with less” remains the mantra of modern marketers, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. With strategic planning and proper resource allocation, brands can amplify outcomes while maintaining lean budgets.

A great starting point? Define clear success metrics, whether it’s ROI, return on experience (ROE), or audience engagement.

By establishing measurable goals, brands can ensure their investments pay dividends down the line. APR advocates aligning these metrics across marketing, procurement, and finance departments to eliminate silos and streamline results.

7. Future-proofing events and experiential

The future of events and experiential is bold, agile, and filled with opportunity. With trends like AGC, AI integration, and smarter budget optimisation as a focus, brands are poised to create experiences that engage audiences while driving meaningful business results.

Whether you’re rethinking partner collaborations, exploring the potential of creative-first strategies, or sharpening your data collection efforts, APR provides the expertise and insights you need to optimise your marketing strategy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Focus on Emotional ROI: Prioritise attendee satisfaction and post-event engagement to elevate brand impact beyond financial metrics.
• Leverage Emerging Trends: Integrate tools like AI and AGC to create cutting-edge, agile, and captivating experiences that resonate with audiences.
• Invest in Smarter Strategies: Streamline collaborations, optimise budgets, and make data-driven decisions to maximise the success of your activations.

Want to amplify your next activation? Reach out to APR today to start making smarter, data-driven decisions in the experiential space!

Go to APRCO.com to get a free copy of our 2025 Marketing Production Trends: Production Reimagined.