Dive Brief: 

• Business Insider, like many other publishers, is increasing its number of live events this year to five or six, up from just one in 2009. 
• As real-time bidding and other digital ad trends decrease premium advertising, publishers are finding value in holding live events for the revenue. 
• Advertisers enjoy the sponsorship of events because they offer direct interaction with target audiences — something digital advertising, especially programmatic, cannot guarantee. 

Dive Insight: 

As long as attendees keep buying tickets and brands keep purchasing sponsorships, this trend will be likely to continue. The increase in live events is not only a pushback from digital advertising, but also likely appeals to many because of its face-to-face interaction — something that is lacking in the digitally focused world. Publishers have tapped into that craving for personal interaction, to their own benefit as well as that of brands.