Just sayin’, the global gaming industry is valued at about $300 billion. That’s bigger than the U.S. sports, movie, and music industries combined! With 3.2 billion gamers, content creators, and players worldwide, the idea of bringing more gaming smarts to events seems to be a natural growth path.

Virtual events that combine gaming and gathering have long lured gamers, but more “normies” will be joining. Disney just invested $1.5 billion into Epic Games (makers of Fortnite) and is planning to build virtual worlds replete with shopping, events and games on the platform. Lego did something similar and it’s a hit, with 95 square kilometers of gaming worlds to explore. And who can forget the success of the live events that Fortnite hosted for Travis Scott (over 12 million attendees) and Ariana Grande (27 million attendees).

These event-based worlds can take a more serious turn, too. At the World Economic Forum last year, Microsoft and Accenture teamed up to build a metaverse. It was not the least bit playful, but it represents a harbinger for events to come. 

And if you’re not ready for fully immersive virtual gaming experiences, adding an element of gaming to your event can go a long way. Julius Solaris of Boldpush captured our imagination when he brought a bit of gameshow fun to the recent Kaltura Virtually Live event. And think about gamifying your physical event with simple crowd-pleasers, like winning points when you bring a friend to a session or interact with an exhibitor. For more on the importance of gaming at events, read MK Granado’s column, The Sponsorship Playbook. 

The takeaway: If you want your brand to be relevant in 2024 ask yourself how to incorporate gaming mechanics and a little bit of fun in your events.

Every event can learn a lot from the Super Bowl. Super Bowl Sunday is America’s uber-distraction (imagine if we could get the same national attention for an election), but it can be super instructive too. 

By the numbers, 123 million viewers tuned into the 58th edition of the game. The estimated $17.3 billion spent in the Super Bowl ecosystem is a bigger boost to the economy than Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell could have dreamed. Part of the charm is that there’s something for everyone. Many watch for the gladiator-like thrills. Other viewers are all about halftime. This year, the Swifties gave the game a Barbie-like gender boost. 

There are those who watch not for the tackles or the red-lipped smooches, but for the commercials, our cultural touchstone. At a cost of roughly $7 million per 30-second spot, the ads are an ongoing battle for the soul of America. What can they teach us?

Super Bowl ads were once notorious for being risqué. In 2022, the Super Bowl ads pandered to the unwashed masses looking for a get-rich-quick scheme called crypto. Remember Larry David hawking FTX or Coinbase’s Pong-like QR code that invited rookies to get in on Bitcoin? As to FTX, well we all know what happened to SBF. And Coinbase was sued by the SEC. 

Peta’s proposed ad, which set out to prove vegans have better sex, was ultimately banned from the air, but not before it went viral, which is cheaper than paying for airtime and may have been the point all along. And of course, the Apple Macintosh ad unveiled at the 1984 Super Bowl promised that 1984’s reality would be brighter than Orwell’s book predicted. 

In 2023, ads went back to playing it safe. Heavy on celebrity and less of those sketchy tech launches.

• Creators begin replacing Hollywood celebs
  Addison Rae, a social influencer, makes Nerds (the candy) look sexy. Charli D’Amelio teaches dance moves to Ben Affleck in a Dunkin’ Donuts spot. Tubefilter monitored the use of creators throughout the Super Bowl. And ad agencies plan to spend more on creators as the year marches forth. 
• Risk ad-version
  Nostalgia and a yearning for simpler days set the tone this year, in which the Super Bowl featured Clydesdales, Labrador Retrievers, and the E*TRADE babies.
• Generative AI
  This is the first Super Bowl that’s lived in the post-ChatGPT world. Microsoft showed off its “Just Watch Me Now” Copilot campaign. Google’s ad blew you away showing the Guided Frame AI-enabled feature, which helps those with low vision or blindness take photos. Imagine, an entire one-minute ad to tout just one feature. Etsy showed off its AI-powered gift picker. And there to cheer them on was GuacAImole launching its recipe-generating AI bot just in time for the kickoff.

Haven’t Wasted Enough Time Today
Spot the difference between Panel 1 and Panel 2 in this Valentine Day special from Spades.co

Well Intended but Kinda Useless Laws
The FCC is cracking down on AI-generated robocalls. The sentiment is noted, but the impact will be negligible. First, non-AI-generated robocalls (while not as good at voice imitation) are every bit as much of a nuisance. Why not regulate them? Second, most robocalls today do not originate in the US. 

AI for Events
Still not sure where AI can help your events? Read GlueUp’s advice.