4 Must-Attend Events for Marketing, PR & Advertising Professionals

The marketing and advertising industry are in for a big transition especially in a post-COVID world even if the pandemic is still in full swing. Nothing will be the same after and already we are seeing changes in approaches to marketing. This, in part, has to do with the accelerating pace with which digitalization and social media affect how consumers go about making purchases and what engages them best.

Experts already see a bigger trend for 2021 with empathy being at the forefront. People don’t use logic to the same degree as they use emotion to make purchases. In a world of influencers, brands have to cultivate an image based on trust. That’s one of the major directions for messaging and content creation.

The pandemic has fundamentally changed how we communicate and marketers see this fully in the booming popularity of digital events, online interactivity with brands and the shift from event-based marketing to community marketing. So where does on go to experience the trends for a new world?

Speaking of digital marketing, DMEXCO is where you need to be. Travel to Cologne, Germany to meet up with digital marketing experts and get a sense of where the industry is headed. The 2021 edition is especially important as it envisions a fresh future. The event will run under the motto #SettingNewPriorities. It’s all about where digitalization will meet the needs and challenges created by COVID.

The format of the event gives you an opportunity to conduct business and also learn a lot. The EXPO portion is populated with industry leaders and filled with innovations. At the conference, you have a choice between over 700 speakers and over 160 hours of content. Keynote speakers include the very brightest of minds in the industry - Ivan Markman, Claire Hughes Johnson, Maria Ress and David Fischer.

Over in Dusseldorf, you can discover all there is about retail investment at EuroShop. It can’t be all digital marketing. So what’s new in the world of physical retail? The international trade fair – famous for being the largest worldwide in its sector – gives trade visitors a curated experience in eight retail zones. You can discover everything from shop fittings and lighting to point-of-sale solutions and visual merchandizing. Of course, one of the biggest topics is sustainability.

Smart packaging and a striking design can sell anything and Labelexpo Europe showcases what’s cutting-edge and emerging consumer trends. The international trade show for labels and packaging is held over in Brussels, Belgium and excites professionals with a full assortment of products. The event promises much from digital and conventional printing presses to dies, cutters, rollers, inks and coatings, and RFID and security solutions. The best part is that the exhibition floor will host a series of live demonstrations. A definite highlight is the Label Awards.

Private Label has certainly seen a gradual uptick in popularity, so we want to highlight this corner of the industry with PLMA’s “World of Private Label”. The international trade show operates out of the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam and brings to introduces visitors to the very best of the private label market. It’s a place where buyers can meet exhibitors and discuss sales, negotiate deals and talk about trends. How can private label programmes reach an optimal level of success? How can you grow a business in the current economic context? The seminars and educational part of the trade show tackles all this in great detail. The exhibition halls – divided into food and non-food products – present innovative packaging ideas and products, which you can enter to compete in the International Salute to Excellence Awards.