Picture this: you’re scrolling through your feed, sipping on your fifth cup of tieguanyin oolong (I know, you’ve never read anything so relatable), when suddenly, BAM! You stumble upon a post mentioning the snazziest upcoming event. You click through the images, stalk the tags, perhaps even find yourself beginning to salivate.

That, my friend, is the power of event influencers.

These social media legends are more than just selfie enthusiasts. They’re trendsetters, tastemakers, and professional hype machines all rolled into one. With a flick of their thumb, they can turn a mundane gathering into the next Eisteddfod (or perhaps into something significantly less niche).

More Than Just a Pretty Face

But how do these event influencers do it?

Simple: they harness the mystical forces of Instagram, X, TikTok, or whatever new platform the kids are using these days (I give it one year before Musical.ly makes a comeback). They whip up delicious little posts and stories that make you want to drop everything and RSVP ASAP (man, if only I could think of another abbreviation to put here).

And to be completely frank, I get it – I feel the same way whenever my situationship posts a thirst trap (although perhaps I’m just delulu). They just get us.

The Event Influencer’s Human Connection

Event influencers really know how to use the words behind their images. They build anticipation and create a narrative that people can invest in emotionally, and it’s actually pretty impressive the effect that this can have.

At the heart of every successful event influencer is the ability to appear both aspirational and relatable. They share not just the highlights but also the behind-the-scenes peeks of events, humanising their experiences and making their followers feel almost as though they’re taking recommendations from a friend.

As someone who constantly offers great advice which for whatever reason no one ever follows (for example, an otter-themed graduation party, an array of snacks where broad beans are the key ingredient in each food item, and a tequila-and-tattoo work-do), I’m especially impressed at the work of these influencers.

Building a Sense of Community

Engagement goes beyond likes and comments; it’s about creating a sense of belonging. Event influencers excel in sparking conversations, asking for opinions, and making their followers feel like an integral part of the event-planning process. This two-way interaction not only boosts visibility but also creates a community eagerly awaiting the next post or event suggestion.

And let’s not forget about the hashtags. Honestly, a good hashtag sometimes has me feeling way too much like Alice, leading me down a wonderful rabbit hole with digital breadcrumbs where I’m going to end up losing myself in the abyss of time. Or something.

Using hashtags as just one of their many tools, event influencers guide us to experiences we never knew we needed, ensuring #FOMOInducingShenanigans and a good ol’ #FreeFoodAndOpenBar (my personal fave) are but a click away.

From Local to Global

In the digital age, an event promoted by influencers can quickly leap from local to global prominence. With followers from around the world, what may start as a niche gathering can become a destination event, attracting attendees from far and wide (even from Ystradgynlais, if you can believe it).

This is yet another one of the reasons why event influencers are so important, and yet still often overlooked. You may not know it yet, but they really do have the ability to make or break an event.

Over-saturation and the Issue with Event Influencers

However, there are several issues when it comes to event influencers. For example, as more and more aspire to become event influencers, the digital landscape becomes increasingly crowded.  With the a constant bombardment of ‘must-attend’ events, it can be difficult to know which ones are worth your time (again, perhaps like that situationship).

Along with that, whilst event influencers are masters at curating a picture-perfect depiction of events, this might not always align with reality. If glorified representations set unrealistic expectations then attendees will leave feeling disappointed — one of the worst results to come from a meticulously planned event.

Plus, influencers themselves face many other problems, such as dealing with the dreaded algorithm, navigating the deadly waters of sponsored content, and trying to remain calm when their carefully crafted posts get lost in the abyss of skate videos and Brazilian memes and therapy-suggesting posts (or is that just my feed?).

The Truth About Event Influencers

At the end of the day, event influencers just carry on event influencing. Armed with nothing but their iPhones, an unwavering dedication to the cause, and as many followers as Digestive biscuits that I consume in a year, they continue to shape the event industry.

And as you can see, you really shouldn’t underestimate the power of event influencers — they play a large part in ensuring that people both know about and want to attend your event. And if they don’t like it… you can be sure that they will let their followers know.

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