A packed house is the best compliment an NYC event planner can get. You’ve been busting your hump to plan the kind of stellar event that will have them busting down the doors to attend. But you know it’s all for naught if you don’t have great content for events and a killer marketing campaign that’s as hot as your event. Learn from the best as we’ve put together examples of sellout events and highlight the best of their marketing strategies.
Event Marketing Masterclass: SEPHORiA’s Middle East Debut
Sephora has been making headway in the Middle Eastern market since 2007 when it opened its first store in Bahrain. But with the debut of the beauty conglomerate’s signature event, SEPHORiA, in Dubai, Sephora cemented its place in the region’s growing beauty industry. SEPHORiA demonstrates the branding power of corporate events. This sellout event also demonstrates the power of viral marketing and content for events.
1. Celebrate attendees’ identity
Part of what made SEPHORiA a success is the brand’s commitment to celebrating Middle Eastern women. That commitment was further demonstrated through Sephora’s influencer choices. Dubai fashion influencer Urvi Bansal shared a powerful video linking women of the past to the present, simultaneously honoring the past while bringing Sephora’s empowering message into the future.
2. Go all-in with influencer marketing
As long as it makes sense for your brand, go for it. In terms of video views, beauty influencers reign. Their popularity with their target audience makes beauty influencers obvious ambassadors for beauty brands. Sephora went all-in on influencer marketing when it came to SEPHORiA in Dubai, essentially flooding social media channels with event-related content.
Your event marketing strategy may get a boost from “going big or going home” when it comes to influencer marketing. Spreading your message across more influencers can be an effective way to spread your message, especially if each influencer caters to a distinct set of your target market.
Experiential Events at Their Best: Airbnb Icons
Airbnb Icons proves the best way to go viral is to have a damned good idea. If you haven’t heard, Airbnb Icons are experiential events inspired by the best of pop culture. From spending the night in an actual Barbie House to sleeping in the Ferrari Museum, Airbnb Icons sublimely capture Airbnb’s purpose, which is, as stated by CEO Brian Chesky, to allow “people to step into someone else’s world.”
Don’t mistake Airbnb Icons for a clever new revenue stream. Most Icons are free, and none of them cost more than $100. Airbnb Icons are experiential corporate events at their finest, rallying fans around their brand using the power of in-person experiences.
3. Tap into a shared experience
The buzz and press surrounding Airbnb’s insanely successful Icons were nearly all organic and genuine. That’s because Airbnb brilliantly tapped into a universally shared experience: pop culture. By associating their brand with iconic characters and places we’ve all experienced, Airbnb inserted itself like a worm into that area of our brains where childlike joy resides. In other words, the nostalgia factor hit hard.
Sellout Event: OKTAGON MMA 62
OKTAGON MMA was already the world’s most popular host of MMA fights, with crowds topping around 28,000 at their events. OKTAGON MMA 62 blew all previous events out of the water with 60,000 fans packed into the Deutsche Park Arena in Frankfurt, Germany. How did an MMA fight, the edgy, out-there cousin of boxing, pack a stadium built for Europe’s most popular and beloved sport, football?
OKTAGON MMA set out to host the world’s largest MMA fight and succeeded. NYC event planners can learn from their marketing playbook.
4. Make your audience feel like they’re already part of the event
OKTAGON MMA brought their audience close. Social media was awash with behind-the-scenes content, fighter interviews, and interactive polls. In many ways, fans felt like they were part of the fight before the bell was rung.
5. Share your event with traditional media outlets
OKTAGON MMA’s focus went beyond social media and into traditional media outlets, online and offline. Sports publications, such as Sports Illustrated and others, ran feature stories about the event. Stories about the fight event appeared on traditional news sites and trade publications. Having a strong presence across the digital landscape and in the real world will make your event bigger and more important in your attendees’ eyes.
Learn More Viral-Worthy Marketing and Content for Events at The Event Planner Expo 2025
Pulling off a marketing campaign that results in a sellout event is the mark of event planning greatness. Pack your resume with viral event campaigns that result in a packed house. Studying viral event campaigns like the ones above will give you marketing insights to help you replicate their success. Learn more event marketing insights and other industry trends at The Event Planner Expo. Buy your tickets today.
