Brief:

• New research into event-goers’ digital behaviors found that 63% of Gen Z send messages via Snapchat during live events compared with just 40% of millennials, according to a press release from StubHub.  
• Social media plays a big role for audiences, with 79% posting about an event on social media and 42% posting during a live event. Additionally, 67% of event-goers aged 18-24 say social media brings them closer to their favorite artists and 62% found a new event through Facebook.
• Event-goers are becoming more interested in artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and next-generation ticketing, the report found. Sixty percent said they would be willing to purchase tickets via a smart home device, and 63% are interested in using chatbots for ticketing or customer service interactions.

Insight:

Live events have become a popular activity for consumers interested in memorable experiences, creating an opportunity for marketers to engage with event-goers. StubHub’s own sales  reflect ongoing strong interest in the Super Bowl, World Series and theater tickets while interest levels in festivals may have peaked, the company said in the press release.

Consumers show an increasing reliance on technology, social media, machine learning and AI when it comes to participating in live events, according to StubHub’s Year in Live Experiences report, which is based on a survey of 2,000 adults who have attended at least one live event in the past year. Overall, younger generations are more active on tech during events, with 87% of Gen Z and 86% of millennials interacting with tech compared with 75% of Gen X and 57% of boomers.

Social media sharing is popular while at an event, particularly via Facebook, with millennials and Gen Z preferring Instagram and Snapchat, per the report. Savvy brands are taking advantage of these trends through partnerships with social media platforms and by teaming up with influencers who are active around a related topic. However, 66% said word of mouth was their primary way of discovering events. 

AI and machine learning are becoming increasingly mainstream, as consumers are willing to embrace it as a tool for learning about events, making purchases and resolving customer service issues.

Retailers and other companies are increasingly recognizing the value of AI and machine learning. In the 2017 E-Commerce Performance Index, a third quarterly SLI Systems report, 54% of companies reported that they are already using AI or plan to in the future for personalized recommendations, customer service and chatbots. Twenty percent of firms say they will use AI in 2018, according to a report from Forrester.