We all like to think we’ve got the best marketing knowledge available, but when time is tight, how do you choose what to read?  So our team spent the time you don’t have, reading through all the latest marketing reports and shortlisting the best of the best. The result? Our list of the must-read event marketing reports to come out of 2016 (so far at least!). The only condition of entry to the list is that the report must be freely available. For those who are super pushed for time, we’ve also selected a couple of key nuggets from each that you can benefit from even if you haven’t had time to read the reports.

The Report: Adestra Email Reports 2016

Why it makes the must-read list:
You get a 2-in-1 from Adestra this year. The 2016 Email Census draws on a survey of 1100 email marketers and even more impressively, 10 years of data for comparisons and trends to be drawn from. The census looks at approaches taken and resources given to email marketing, assesses the channel’s effectiveness, reviews personalisation and marketing automation approaches, optimisation for mobile and takes a look at the future for email. As if that’s not enough, they’ve also produced the 2016 Adestra Email List Strategies Report, a look at the tips, techniques and strategies employed by 146 best-in-class players from B2B and B2C backgrounds. Between the two they have almost everything you need to know about the event marketer’s favourite channel.

Key facts:

• 78 percent of respondents expect all email communications to be personalised within five years.
• Email has been, and remains, the channel that constantly delivers fantastic return on investment, coming out at 9 percentage points above SEO in 2016.

Where to find it:
2016 Email Marketing Industry Census
2016 Adestra Email List Strategies Report

The Report: Pulse Report 2016

Why it makes the must-read list:
Eventbrite's first report from last year was very good and this year they've extended their survey to 875 event professionals. This 44 page report will give you a really solid overview of the events industry, and the key trends, challenges and opportunities facing those working in it right now. For the event marketers it covers specifics around marketing, technology, budgets and revenue streams. 

Key facts: 

• More organisers are expecting to decrease printing costs than anything else in 2016 (8%), however this is offset by it also being the second most likely budget item to be increased (27%), showing there’s still a firm commitment to print even whilst many are going all-in on digital.
• A surprising finding of the survey was how little organisers are spending on marketing, with an average budget across all organisers of just £4,338 per event. Professional event organisers had the biggest budgets, with an average of £8,045 to spend on marketing.
• Marketing was the budget most likely to increase next year across all organisers, with 32% expecting it to rise.

Where to find it:
Eventbrite Pulse Report 2016 

The Report: Hubspot The State of Inbound

Why it makes the must-read list:
We're eagerly waiting for the 2016 version of this annual report! But we thought it was still worth sharing the 2015 version. This report is the go-to resource for inbound marketing benchmarking stats. HubSpot surveyed nearly 4,000 marketing and sales professionals at virtually all levels, across all industries, and around the world. They asked about what they do, why they do it, how they do it, and if it's working. Then they break it all down in a comprehensive and easily digestible report that we just love reading. It provides all the data you need to budget, plan, execute & measure high impact inbound programs. 

Key facts:

• 3 out of 4 marketers across the globe prioritize an inbound approach to marketing.
• Companies are 3x as likely to see higher ROI on inbound marketing campaigns than on outbound.

Where to find it:
Hubspot the State of Inbound 

The Report: Social Media for Events 

Why it makes the must-read list:
This report from the Event Manager Blog, covers everything, and I mean everything you’ll need to know about social media for events.  The report isn’t all buzz words and hot air - the research behind it is solid with over 1,500 event professionals having responded to their survey. It's very detailed and covers everything from fundamentals and strategy to pre, post and live event tactics. It's a very thorough report. 

Key facts:

• 32% of respondents said they use social media for all their events
• But shockingly, 54% of respondents do not measure their social media efforts
• Facebook is the top channel for events (but remember this isn't specifically for B2B events)
• Figuring out how to use social media effectively and having the time to do it properly are the two biggest challenges for an event marketer

Where to find it:
Social Media for Events 
If you like this, then definitely worth checking out their Event App Bible. 

The Report: G2 Crowd Marketing Automation

Why it makes the must-read list:
G2 Crowd helps users to get the information they need to select the best marketing automation software product for their business. We like the marketing automation report on the site (although beware calls from vendors afterwards) but the value of the offering goes beyond the actual report with current reviews of all major platforms being published regularly by real users. Another useful feature is the G2 Grid which rates products based on customer satisfaction and market presence. You can select any of the products for a more detailed comparison.

Key facts:

• Hubspot, Pardot and Marketo hold the top 3 spots at time of writing.
• Steer clear of IgnitionOne, Plumb5 and Teradata based on G2’s findings as they sit bottom of the table.

Where to find it:
G2 Crowd Marketing Automation

The Report: Realising ROI from your B2B Online Community

Why it makes the must-read list:
It's our most downloaded resource, so thought it was worth mentioning incase you've missed it. This report outlines the business case for building a B2B online community around your event or events. Despite the many positive outcomes of building a community, time and time again our clients ask us “But where is the ROI?” This e-book demystifies the benefits of starting a community, and makes the case for doing so with hard facts and irrefutable figures. It includes the business case for creating an online community, and the building blocks you need to get started such as cost estimates.

Key facts:

• A community offers the potential to generate 25 times more leads than you currently have.
• 72% of our customers saw an increase in lead-to-customer conversion and overall sales revenue with an online community.

Where to find it:
Realising ROI from your B2B online community

If you liked our last report tip, you’ll also like our blog “How to monetise B2B content from your online community”. We hope you enjoy reading our selected reports and of course if there are any you think should definitely make our next list, then we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, check out our B2B marketing resources page for more great reports, e-books and checklists.