Mastering Audience Co-Creation for Events in 2026: Collaborative Campaigns that Boost Engagement & Ticket Sales

Event marketers in 2026 are no longer just promoting to fans – they’re partnering with them. The most successful campaigns now invite attendees to help shape the event experience, transforming audiences from passive ticket holders into active collaborators. Why the shift? Modern audiences (especially Gen Z and Millennials) crave authenticity and two-way engagement. Rather than being marketed at, they want to be part of the story. And when fans feel a sense of ownership, magic happens: deeper engagement, organic buzz, fierce loyalty – and ultimately more tickets sold.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore proven strategies to co-create events with your audience. From fan voting on festival lineups and themes to crowdsourcing content and running creative contests, you’ll learn how to turn attendees into enthusiastic partners in promotion. We’ll share real-world examples of co-creation in action (including what worked and what didn’t), and provide step-by-step advice to implement these ideas for events of any size – whether it’s a 200-person club night or an 80,000-seat festival. By the end, you’ll see why collaborating with your crowd is one of the most powerful ways to boost engagement, generate genuine word-of-mouth, and fuel ticket sales in 2026.

Why Co-Creation Is the Future of Event Marketing

From Audience to Community: A Paradigm Shift

Experienced event marketers know that building a loyal community is far more valuable than one-off attendees. Co-creation flips the traditional top-down approach on its head – instead of organisers dictating every detail, fans get a voice in shaping the experience. This paradigm shift turns your audience into a community. When fans help craft an event (even in small ways), it becomes their event. That sense of ownership can transform casual attendees into passionate advocates. Veteran promoters have learned that marketing with your fans, not just to them, creates a powerful bond that money can’t buy. It’s the difference between a one-night transaction and a long-term relationship.

This shift is happening globally across event types. Comic-cons and gaming expos have long collaborated with fan communities to design programming. Now music festivals, conferences, and even sports events are following suit. Whether it’s a niche micro-event tapping into a tight-knit local scene or a mega-festival with an international following, co-creation helps attendees feel like stakeholders in the event’s success. The result? Engaged fans who truly care – and who rally others to get involved. In 2026, forward-thinking organisers are embracing this collaborative mindset as a cornerstone of their marketing strategy.

Authenticity & Trust in an Ad-Weary World

Modern consumers scroll past polished ads, but they stop for genuine content from real people. Co-creation infuses your marketing with exactly that kind of authenticity. When your fans are involved – voting on topics, creating content, sharing their excitement – it sends a credible message to potential attendees. In fact, 92% of consumers globally trust peer recommendations over traditional ads, according to global trust in advertising research by Nielsen. They believe what other fans say and do more than what your marketing team says. By incorporating fan input and user-generated content, you’re leveraging the voice of the community, which new prospects find inherently trustworthy.

This authenticity delivers tangible results. Co-created campaigns naturally produce social proof that boosts conversions. Think about it: seeing fellow fans hyping an event or participating in decisions signals “this is the real deal.” According to marketing research, events leveraging testimonials and fan buzz in their promotions enjoy significantly higher click-through and purchase rates than those relying solely on corporate messaging. In an era of ad fatigue and algorithmic skepticism, embracing audience co-creation is a savvy way to cut through the noise with content that audiences actually believe. It’s no surprise that industry reports show 58% of businesses are now piloting co-creation projects to drive innovation and engagement, as noted in Braineet’s co-creation examples – authenticity is a currency no marketer can ignore.

Gen Z Expectations and the Engagement Economy

For younger demographics especially, co-creation isn’t just a novelty – it’s expected. Gen Z has grown up participating in online communities, influencing content trends on TikTok, and collaborating with brands on product ideas. They want to actively shape experiences, not just consume them. A recent Ogilvy study found an overwhelming majority of Gen Z are eager to co-create with their favorite brands if given the opportunity. This generation values brands (and events) that invite their input and creativity. In their eyes, a concert or festival isn’t merely a product to buy; it’s a platform for expression and connection.

This trend goes hand-in-hand with the broader “engagement economy” of live events. People are seeking interaction and participation at every turn. According to Eventbrite’s 2026 cultural report, nearly three-quarters of young adults prefer events with active involvement over passive spectating, revealing the reset to real experiences. They’re more likely to attend experiences where they can influence what happens – whether that’s through cause-driven activities, on-site interactions, or voting on content. Simply put, engagement drives attendance. Event organisers who harness this by baking co-creation into their marketing will capture the attention (and wallets) of the next generation of fans. If you make your audience feel heard and empowered, they’ll reward you with loyalty and evangelism.

Driving Ticket Sales, Buzz, and Loyalty

At the end of the day, how does co-creation impact the bottom line? The answer: profoundly. When fans participate in your campaigns, they become invested in the event’s success. That investment translates to higher ticket sales and stronger retention in several ways:

• FOMO and Buzz: Co-creation generates organic buzz that no ad budget can buy. For example, when Swedish House Mafia teased a comeback with cryptic clues, excited fans effectively ran a free publicity campaign on forums and social media, sharing theories and hyping each other up. All that chatter created a viral FOMO storm, and the reunion show’s tickets were snapped up in record time. When your audience is actively talking about your event, it amplifies reach exponentially via word-of-mouth.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Fans who take part in a voting or contest feel a sense of ownership – they’re far more likely to convert from interest to purchase. One festival reported that segments of their audience who engaged in a lineup vote converted to buyers 30% higher than those who didn’t. The act of participating pulls people deeper down the funnel: a fan who “helps create” the event is mentally already attending it. Co-creation effectively nurtures leads by increasing their emotional stake, pushing them closer to a ticket purchase.
• Reduced No-Shows: Getting fans involved early also keeps them excited all the way to event day, dramatically reducing no-show rates. Experienced promoters know an engaged ticket holder is much more likely to actually show up, helping in reducing no-shows and keeping ticket holders excited. By running pre-event polls, challenges or exclusive sneak peeks, you continually remind attendees why they were excited in the first place. They’ve contributed ideas and seen their input acknowledged – now they don’t want to miss the payoff. This means fuller venues, a better atmosphere, and more revenue from on-site sales. As one veteran marketer put it, selling a ticket is only half the battle; success is seeing that fan walk through the door.
• Repeat Attendance & Lifetime Value: Perhaps most importantly, co-creation breeds loyalty. When fans feel valued and heard, they form a personal attachment to your event or brand. They’re not just buying a ticket to a one-off gig; they’re joining a community. That means they’ll come back year after year, and bring friends with them. Many festivals have transformed first-timers into lifelong “regulars” by involving them in community forums, feedback groups, or ambassador teams. The lifetime value of these engaged attendees is enormous. Instead of constantly paying to acquire new customers, your co-created community sustains itself with returning fans and their referrals. In 2026’s climate of rising ad costs, that loyalty is a priceless asset.

Co-creation isn’t a gimmick – it’s a strategic driver of ROI. By harnessing fan enthusiasm, you essentially turn your audience into a marketing force-multiplier. They create content, spread the word, and energise the experience for free (or in exchange for recognition and perks, not hefty ad fees). The result is more tickets sold at lower cost, and an audience that feels genuinely connected to your event. Now let’s dive into the concrete ways to make it happen.

Polls and Voting: Let Fans Have a Say

One of the simplest yet most impactful forms of co-creation is to let your fans vote. People love sharing their opinions – and seeing the outcome reflect their voice. By implementing polls and voting campaigns, you not only gather valuable insight into audience preferences, you also build excitement and buy-in. Fans will rally others to vote, debate choices on social media, and ultimately feel more compelled to attend “the event they helped shape.” Here’s how event organisers in 2026 are using voting to co-create with their audiences:

Crowdsourcing Lineups and Content

Nothing gets fans fired up like having a say in who or what they’ll see at an event. Savvy promoters are now crowdsourcing elements of their lineups and programming through public votes. For music festivals and concerts, this might mean giving fans a vote on one of the opening acts or which local band gets a slot on stage. For example, many rock and EDM festivals have run “fan choice” competitions for emerging talent. Back in 2009, Hard Rock Calling (a London rock festival) let fans worldwide vote for which up-and-coming band would play an opening set. The response was huge – thousands of fans cast votes, and the winning band earned a spot in front of a massive crowd, a strategy often used for involving attendees in designing the experience. Not only did this generate buzz (with fans campaigning for their favorite band), it also ensured the festival lineup included an act with proven fan support.

Conference and expo organisers are doing something similar with content selection. A great example is SXSW’s PanelPicker program, which allows the community to vote on conference session proposals. Each year, thousands of potential talks are submitted, and attendees (along with SXSW staff and advisors) vote on which ones they’re most interested in. This crowdsourced approach means the final conference lineup directly reflects topics the audience cares about. No wonder SXSW consistently hits attendance records – the audience knows the content was literally chosen by popular demand. As a bonus, the voting phase itself doubles as promotion, as speakers and fans share PanelPicker links to lobby for votes. Whenever you can align your programming with fan interests through voting, you’re likely to see a corresponding boost in ticket interest from those engaged voters.

Even sports and esports events are tapping into fan voting. All-star games often let fans vote players onto the roster, and esports tournaments may have viewers vote on match-ups or challenge modes. The key across all these examples is to offer meaningful choices that excite your base. Identify one aspect of your lineup or schedule that can be opened to fan input without derailing your core curation. It could be one artist in a festival lineup, one panel among many at a summit, or the theme of a session. By crowdsourcing that piece, you ignite discussion and give fans a personal reason to attend (“I voted for this, I have to go see it!”). You’re effectively crowdsourcing not just ideas, but also audience commitment to the event.

Fan-Picked Themes and Creative Elements

Beyond talent and content, consider letting your community vote on thematic and creative elements of your event. This can be a fun way to engage people’s imaginations and it works for events large and small. For instance, some festivals poll their audience on the event theme or styling for the next edition. One Australian festival gave fans a choice between “Space Odyssey” and “Undersea Adventure” as the theme for the year – and let voting decide the winner – a prime example of fan-curated festival elements. The result? Enthusiastic fan participation and a wave of crowd creativity once “Space Odyssey” won – attendees showed up in astronaut costumes and alien makeup, fully embracing the theme they had chosen. It added an extra layer of community fun to the festival, all sparked by a simple poll.

You could also invite the public to help name something new – a stage, a lounge area, a signature cocktail for the event, even a festival mascot. Naming contests tend to generate huge engagement (everyone has an opinion!). Just be sure to set boundaries so it stays on track. The internet is quick to latch onto joke entries (hello, Boaty McBoatface!). To avoid off-brand outcomes, provide a curated shortlist of viable options for the vote, or have a “moderated suggestion” phase before the public poll. For example, a music venue might solicit name ideas for their new outdoor stage, pick the top three internally, then let fans vote among those. That way you harness fan enthusiasm while keeping results usable. When the winning name is revealed – and it’s also the one your crowd chose – fans feel a collective pride and connection. They’ll point to the stage at the event and tell friends, “We named that!”

Aside from themes and names, any creative decision with multiple appealing options can be opened up to the community. Design elements, for instance – a festival might present two poster artwork styles or two merch t-shirt designs and ask fans to vote on their favorite. Not only do you get a design that already resonates with your buyers, you’ve created a built-in group of purchasers: those who voted for the winning t-shirt will be first in line to buy it. The vote itself also acts as promotion; people share the options on social media, essentially marketing your merch or event look for you. The important thing is to treat fan voters as creative partners: acknowledge their impact (“You chose this theme!”), and then deliver on making that idea a reality. This transparency and follow-through builds trust and excitement – attendees will show up eager to see “their” idea fully realised at the event.

Best Practices for Fan Voting Campaigns

Opening up part of your event to public vote can be immensely rewarding, but it requires smart execution. After running and observing many such campaigns, experienced promoters recommend a few best practices:

• Choose the Right Things to Vote On: Not every decision should be crowd-sourced. Identify areas where any of the options would work for you. Provide choices that are all logistically feasible and aligned with your brand. This way you’re happy with whichever the crowd picks (and you avoid a scenario where the “wrong” result creates issues). In other words, guide the options, let fans pick the winner – a strategy that one festival organiser described as “my head, their heart.”
• Make Voting Easy and Fair: Use simple, accessible platforms for voting. Social media polls (Instagram Stories, Twitter/X polls, Facebook surveys) are quick and leverage existing followers. For more significant decisions, dedicated voting pages on your website or event app might be better to ensure one vote per person (ticket holders could vote via their registered email, for instance). Be transparent about deadlines and how many times someone can vote. After voting, consider having participants enter their email for updates – you might convert non-ticket voters into buyers by keeping them in the loop (“Thanks for voting, we’ll announce the fan-picked winner next week!”).
• Prevent Trolls and Misfires: As mentioned, providing predefined options is wise. If you do allow open suggestions (for example, a write-in contest to name a stage or pick a theme), set some ground rules and have a moderation plan. You can require submissions via email or form (not just social comments) so you can filter out inappropriate or spam entries. Also, reserve the right to veto truly unusable results – and communicate that upfront in the rules. In 2026, most fans understand that some guardrails are needed for these campaigns. You can keep it light-hearted: “Keep it fun and PG-13, folks – we reserve the right to toss out suggestions that are off-theme or, you know, actually impossible to do!”
• Announce and Celebrate the Outcome: Once your poll or vote concludes, amplify the results. Create a big moment out of the reveal – after all, it’s a marketing opportunity. Announce “the fans’ choice” on your channels, congratulate and thank your community for shaping that aspect of the event. If appropriate, give credit to specific contributors (e.g., “Shoutout to Jane D., whose idea for a neon jungle decor theme was the runner-up – we loved it and might use it in future!”). This recognition makes participants feel valued. Crucially, implement the winning choice visibly at the event. Call it out in signage or on the program (“Chosen by fan vote!”) so attendees see the tangible impact of their input. This closes the feedback loop and reinforces that co-creation is real, not just a token gesture.
• Leverage Voting for Marketing Mileage: Don’t let the energy around a fan vote fizzle after the decision. Milk it for continued engagement. Encourage fans to share the news (“Our community voted and the winner is…!”). If a particular artist or idea won, get a quote or social media video from them reacting to being “fan-picked”. Use the story in press releases (“Fan-selected local band to open the show, after 5,000 votes cast by the public”). During the event, remind the crowd of their contribution (“Give yourselves a hand for picking our theme – how do you like what we did with it?!”). These touchpoints make fans feel part of an ongoing narrative and can even generate post-event press about how innovative and inclusive your approach was.

When done right, voting campaigns lead to higher engagement long before the event gates open. Fans will be buzzing about the choices, sharing their opinions, maybe even playfully trash-talking the options they didn’t vote for. All of that conversation raises awareness and emotional investment. By the time the event rolls around, attendees have a deeper connection to it – and those who missed out will see how involved the community is, giving them serious FOMO. The bottom line: if you give your audience a voice, they’ll give you their enthusiasm (and their attendance).

Fan Contests & Crowdsourced Ideas

If voting is about choosing from set options, fan contests and crowdsourcing ideas let your audience flex their creativity more freely. Contests turn passive fans into active creators. Whether it’s designing artwork, coming up with content, or participating in challenges, contests invite attendees to contribute something personal to your event’s story. The payoff is twofold: you get a wealth of fresh content or ideas, and participants become deeply invested in your event (while having fun in the process). Let’s look at how to run fan-driven contests that boost engagement and generate excitement.

Creative Design Contests (Posters, Merch & More)

One classic approach is a fan design contest. Instead of commissioning one professional designer for your poster, merch, or logo, why not open it up to the talented fans in your community? Many events have discovered incredible artwork this way, all while engaging their base. For example, a mid-sized EDM festival recently held a poster design contest for its 10th anniversary. They invited fans and local artists to submit poster concepts, with the winner becoming the official poster (and receiving VIP tickets and a cash prize). The campaign yielded over 50 fan submissions and significantly boosted social media reach – during the contest period their hashtag activity jumped about 30% as entrants and their friends shared designs and urged others to vote for their work. In the end, the winning poster (chosen by a mix of fan votes and organiser judges) was not only stunning, it had a built-in story: it was “by the fans, for the fans.” Attendees loved seeing it on the walls, knowing one of their own created it.

Design contests aren’t limited to posters. You can crowdsource t-shirt graphics, festival wristband designs, stage murals, even emojis or stickers for your event app. A comic convention might ask fans to draw a mashup of two popular characters, with the best art printed in the program. A food festival could have a contest for fans to design the wildest new menu item, with the winning idea brought to life by vendors at the event. The possibilities are endless. The key is to match the contest to your audience’s interests and skills. If your attendee base includes a lot of illustrators or design-inclined folks, art contests will flourish. If not, maybe focus on ideas or content rather than visual design.

To make a design contest work well:
– Give clear creative guidelines – provide logos, themes, or phrases to include, so entries align with your brand.
– Offer a worthwhile incentive – winners might get free tickets, VIP upgrades, merch, or a meet-and-greet, in addition to the pride of their design being used. (Don’t underestimate the power of recognition; having their work showcased can be a huge motivator for creative fans.)
– Plan the judging fairly – you could have a panel of judges pick finalists and let fans vote on the winner, or vice versa. Mixing fan voting with an organiser jury helps balance popularity and quality, ensuring the final choice is both crowd-pleasing and event-ready.
– Showcase all good entries – even if someone doesn’t win, consider featuring honorable mentions on your website or social feed. It shows appreciation and still gives those fans a bit of the spotlight. Participants will be thrilled to share that their art was showcased by the event, which is free marketing for you.

By the time the contest wraps up, you’ll have a trove of awesome fan-made visuals to use in promoting the event. More importantly, you’ve strengthened the emotional connection with dozens of contestants (and their friends and followers). They’ll come to the event proudly wearing the shirt they designed or pointing at the poster they voted for, feeling like true insiders.

Uncovering Talent Through Fan Competitions

Fans aren’t just great at creating art – sometimes they are the talent you want on stage. That’s why many promoters run contests to discover fan talent to feature at the event. One model is the classic “battle of the bands” or DJ contest leading up to a festival. Local artists submit songs or mixes, the community votes or a jury picks finalists, and the winner earns a performance slot. The Vans Warped Tour did this for years, letting fans vote their favorite local bands onto the tour’s city lineups, effectively involving attendees in designing the experience. Electronic festivals like Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival have the “Discovery Project,” where bedroom DJs compete for a chance to play a festival stage. These contests not only whip the fanbase into a frenzy (“vote for our hometown hero!”), but they also inject fresh energy into the event with performers who have a built-in story and fan following.

The engagement benefits are huge. Every participating artist mobilises their supporters to vote and attend. Even those who don’t win often still come to the event (they’re now emotionally invested in it). One regional festival shared that after running a DJ contest, they saw a clear uptick in ticket sales from the local scenes of the top five finalists – each had crowds of friends who bought tickets to support them, just in case they won and performed. In the end, the contest winner played an afternoon slot that was packed with enthusiastic fans wearing T-shirts with his DJ name – an early-day draw that wouldn’t have happened without the contest. It created a memorable moment and added an authentic “for the fans, by the fans” vibe to the lineup.

Other contest ideas along these lines include:
– Fan performer spotlights: Perhaps your event isn’t primarily about up-and-comers (say it’s a conference or a high-end festival). You can still run a contest for a fan to contribute on stage in a smaller way – like a comedy festival might have a contest for an amateur comic to do a 5-minute set, or a tech conference could let a startup founder pitch on a side stage via competition. These “fan wildcard” slots can become a beloved tradition.
– Collaborations with headliners: Get creative by involving big-name talent in the contest. E.g., “Submit your remix of our headliner’s song – the band will pick their favorite, and the winner gets to meet them plus have the remix played during the set.” This merges fan creativity with headline artist promotion (and artists often love hearing fan takes on their work).
– At-event talent contests: Some events host live contests among attendees – like a dance-off, cosplay competition, or open mic – where the winners get a prize or even a spot in next year’s lineup. Promoting these participation opportunities ahead of time encourages people to buy tickets and come ready to compete (and with their friends cheering them on). It’s both a marketing hook and an on-site entertainment element.

When running talent contests, be clear about rules and judging to keep it fair. You’ll likely need a submission period, then a voting or judging period, before announcing the winner with enough time for them to prepare for the event. And as always, promote the heck out of the journey: profiles of finalists, video clips of entries, behind-the-scenes of judges deliberating, etc. These stories humanise your event marketing and give fans something to follow. By the time the winner is revealed, a whole community feels like they have a stake in that person’s success – which means they’ll show up to witness it live.

Crowdsourcing Ideas & Fan Brainstorms

Not every co-creation effort needs to be a formal contest with winners. Sometimes you simply want to harness the wisdom and creativity of your crowd to improve the event. 2026 has seen more organisers use crowdsourcing for ideas, feedback, and problem-solving. This can be as straightforward as asking your social media followers open-ended questions: “What food vendors would you love to see this year?”, “Got ideas for our next theme? Reply and let us know!”, “How can we top last year’s finale? Drop your wildest suggestions!” Even when responses are casual, you’re making fans feel heard and often you’ll get some gems that spark new initiatives.

For a more structured approach, consider creating an “idea submission” channel. This could be a simple web form, a dedicated email like [email protected], or a thread in your event’s community forum/Discord where fans can post suggestions. Some festivals do seasonal surveys or focus groups with loyal attendees to gather input on everything from lineup preferences to on-site improvements. For example, a New Zealand boutique festival invited its long-time attendees to a virtual town hall and brainstorm session on how to improve sustainability and the camping experience – many of those fan suggestions (like water refill stations and a tent recycling program) were implemented, leading to both a greener event and an appreciative community that saw their ideas come to life.

To make crowdsourcing effective, a few tips:
– Ask specific, answerable questions. “What do you want at our event?” is too broad. Prompt on particular areas (“any workshop topics you’d like to see?”, “which classic film should we screen as a late-night show?”). Specific prompts yield more useful (and creative) answers.
– Acknowledge and act on input. Fans will only continue offering ideas if they see it matters. Share summaries of what you heard: “80% of you asked for more vegetarian food options, and we hear you! We’re adding more vegan vendors this year.” If some suggestions aren’t feasible, it’s okay to say “A lot of you suggested a 3am after-party – as much as we love the idea, noise regulations mean we have to wrap by 1am. But we’ll put extra energy into an epic closing set!” Honesty and gratitude go a long way in sharing main takeaways with your community.
– Reward the best ideas. Turn it into a friendly competition by spotlighting great suggestions. “Fan Idea of the Month” shout-outs or small prizes (free merch, drink tokens) for particularly innovative ideas can motivate folks to put thought into their submissions. Plus it gives you nice content to post (“Congrats to @SarahL for suggesting a silent disco – we’re making it happen!”).
– Use community platforms. If your event has an app or forum, leverage in-app polls or idea boards. Some event apps now let attendees upvote each other’s suggestions in real time. This not only surfaces the most popular ideas but generates a sense of community consensus. Interactive conference sessions increasingly use live polling and feedback tools to let the audience steer discussions, facilitating rather than dictating the flow – a concept you can extend to event planning itself, by running periodic live polls with your ticket holders on upcoming decisions.

Remember, crowdsourcing ideas doesn’t mean you abdicate all control. Think of it as augmenting your creative process with hundreds of extra brains. You might not use every idea, but even the act of asking and listening builds goodwill. Attendees feel respected when you seek their opinions on their experience. And when you do implement a fan-suggested idea, trumpet it. For instance, “You asked for a chill-out lounge, and we delivered” – cue photos of happy fans relaxing exactly as requested. That kind of feedback loop turns attendees into co-designers of the experience, which deepens their loyalty. As veteran promoters often say, engaged fans become your best marketers. By crowdsourcing ideas, you’re essentially running a continuous focus group that feeds you fresh content and amplifies fan engagement, all while making your event better.

Running Fun Fan Challenges

A related angle to contests is setting up fan challenges that encourage participation and sharing, without being a competition per se. These are more like collaborative campaigns where everyone who takes part contributes to the promotion. For example, you could start a “Fan Art Friday” series: every Friday leading up to the event, challenge fans to post a drawing, meme, or photo related to the event’s theme (maybe using a specific hashtag), and then feature some of the best in your stories or newsletter. There’s no single winner – the goal is to get as many people creating and posting as possible.

Similarly, a festival might declare a “Ticket Selfie Challenge.” When tickets go on sale, encourage buyers to share a selfie with their ticket (physical or email confirmation) and tag the event for a chance to be featured. Seeing a flood of “I got my ticket!” posts not only hypes the individuals up, it creates social proof to others that tickets are being snapped up, keeping demand at a fever pitch. Everyone who participates is effectively an ambassador, showing their friends that they’re committed to attending.

Other ideas: a playlist challenge (“show us your dream setlist for [headliner]”), a throwback photo contest (“share your favorite moment from our last event”), or a viral dance challenge if it fits your event vibe (similar to TikTok challenges – if you have an artist with a known song/dance, leverage that). The essence is fan-driven content that spreads organically. Yes, this overlaps with UGC (which we’ll discuss next), but framed as “challenges,” it gives fans a prompt and a sense of working together toward some fun goal. Often, the reward is simply recognition or the collective accomplishment, not a material prize.

One pro-tip: tie these challenges into key campaign milestones. For instance, in the lead-up to your on-sale date, run a challenge to amplify buzz (like the ticket selfie idea). Or during the final countdown week before the event, do a “7-day hype challenge” with a different engagement task each day (Day 1: post your favorite song from our lineup, Day 2: tag a friend you’re bringing, Day 3: share your festival outfit plans, etc.). These keep the community active and excited when it counts most. They also generate a ton of shareable content right when you need to blanket social feeds with reminders.

The beauty of fan challenges is that everyone wins – your event gains exposure through user content, and fans enjoy interacting and possibly getting a moment in the spotlight. It’s co-creation on a broad scale: the entire community collaborating to build hype together. And the barrier to entry is low, so you can engage a large percentage of your audience, not just the super-talented or super-motivated. In 2026’s social media landscape, challenges like these are a staple for driving virality. Just think of how music festivals often do hashtag campaigns (like #RoadToFestivalX showing fan road trip photos on the way to the event). When you invite fans to participate in a fun narrative, you’ll be amazed at the creativity and enthusiasm that pours out – and how it translates to robust ticket sales fueled by that collective excitement.

Fans as Content Creators: UGC and Shared Storytelling

Your marketing content doesn’t have to come only from your team – in fact, some of the most persuasive event promotions are created by fans themselves. Welcome to the world of user-generated content (UGC), where your audience becomes your content engine. In 2026, leveraging UGC is a top strategy for event marketers looking to amplify reach and build authenticity through authentic fan buzz that boosts ticket sales. From hashtag challenges and fan photo streams to community-sourced videos and testimonials, turning fans into storytellers will supercharge your engagement. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Hashtag Campaigns and Viral Challenges

A memorable hashtag can be the rallying point for your event’s UGC. By crafting a unique, catchy event hashtag and actively encouraging fans to use it, you create an ongoing stream of organic promotion. Start using your hashtag early and often – and give people a reason to post with it. One approach is to launch a viral challenge tied to your event. For example, a music festival might kick off a #FestivalGlowUp challenge on TikTok and Instagram Reels, where fans show their transformation from daily life to festival-ready outfits. Each participant posts a fun before-and-after video using the hashtag and perhaps a snippet of the festival’s theme song. If the idea strikes a chord, you’ll have hundreds of fans essentially making mini-ads for your event as they show off how excited they are to attend.

To maximize participation, make the challenge simple and aligned with popular content trends. Dance challenges, lip-syncs, “challenge accepted” dares, nostalgia throwbacks – adapt what’s trending to fit your event. A conference might do a “What I’m Packing for XYZ Expo” hashtag where attendees share their gear or business cards, while a fandom convention could prompt #FanArtChallenge for the characters or artists appearing. The goal is to spark a creative wave among your community that’s fun in its own right and spreads awareness. You can sweeten the deal by highlighting the best submissions (e.g., re-sharing top posts on the official account, or even displaying fan videos on screens during the event). And if you have budget, a prize for a randomly selected participant (tickets, merchandise) can give that extra nudge for people on the fence about joining in.

Remember to promote your hashtag on all channels: in your email newsletters, on your website, in press releases, and across social bios. The more people see it, the more likely they’ll jump in. And don’t be shy about explicitly asking for content: “Share your excitement with #RoadToUltra2026 and we’ll feature our favorites!” Once fans see others participating, herd mentality kicks in – they don’t want to be left out of the collective storyline.

Reposting and Showcasing Fan Stories

Inviting UGC is step one; step two is leveraging it across your marketing. Always be on the lookout for great fan-created content to repost and repurpose (with credit). If an attendee makes a hilarious unboxing video of your event swag, ask permission to share it on your official feed. If a group of fans on Twitter post an epic throwback thread about past event memories, screenshot and include it in your email newsletter as a heartwarming testimonial. By shining a spotlight on fan stories, you accomplish two things: you enrich your promotional materials with genuine voices, and you encourage more fans to create content in hopes of being featured next.

Events in 2026 are using fan content in clever ways. Leading up to a festival, you might dedicate one day a week to “Fan Feature Friday” where you share an attendee’s story – e.g., a short profile of a fan who’s been to 5 editions of the festival, with a photo of them in action. This not only flatters that fan (securing their loyalty for life), it also serves as a peer testimonial to others (“look how much fun and meaning this event brings people”). According to studies, user testimonials and peer posts can boost conversion significantly, because they act as social proof and relatable content. One Ticket Fairy blog on social proof noted that authentic user-generated fan buzz can directly boost ticket sales by reducing skepticism for new attendees. People trust people, after all.

During the event, UGC sharing goes into overdrive. Smart promoters set up social media displays or live feeds – for instance, a video wall showing live Instagram posts or tweets with the event hashtag. Attendees love seeing their posts pop up on the big screen, and it motivates more people to share. It creates that feedback loop: fans post content to get featured, which spreads the hype in real time. Another tactic is an official aftermovie or recap that weaves in attendee-shot footage. You can crowdsource videos from the crowd (“upload your best clips of the night to our folder for a chance to be in the recap video”). The final cut might mix professional shots with a few fan perspectives, highlighting the community’s view. When you release it, those whose clips were included (and even those who just recognize the atmosphere they witnessed) will eagerly share it – “look, that’s my arm in the air at 2:05!” It reinforces that the event was a collective experience.

UGC as Powerful Social Proof

As mentioned, user-generated content isn’t just filler – it’s a credibility goldmine. When undecided prospects see real people singing an event’s praises, it builds trust in a way your glossy promo copy simply can’t. So treat UGC as a core part of your conversion strategy. Encourage attendees to leave reviews on your ticketing page or Facebook event, and then highlight those 5-star reviews in ads and emails. Quote fan tweets in your blog posts or on your ticket purchase page (“‘This conference changed my life’ – @TechGal89”). Create a highlight reel of fan testimonials (a montage of short clips of attendees saying their favorite part of the event) and use it in retargeting campaigns.

One effective technique is the mid-campaign testimonial push: midway through your ticket sales cycle, share a wave of content focusing on past attendees’ experiences. Blog posts like “Why Fans Keep Coming Back to X Festival (In Their Own Words)” or Instagram carousel posts with photos and captions from attendees describing their best memory. This leverages FOMO and social proof to nudge fence-sitters. It’s especially potent for annual events – new customers are reassured to see tradition and loyal fanbases, while returning customers take pride in being part of that legacy (and often chime in with comments about their own experiences).

In 2026, collecting and deploying these fan endorsements is easier than ever. Poll your audience after the event via email or social: “What did you love most? Reply for a chance to be featured.” You’ll gather a bank of testimonials to sprinkle in marketing materials all year. Some events even integrate it into their ticketing process – after someone buys a ticket, they’re asked “what are you most excited about?” and their answer (with permission) might later show up as a quote in marketing (“Can’t wait to see the headliner under the stars!”). It’s real, spontaneous sentiment that resonates with others.

By making your fans the stars of your marketing, you not only get content that’s engaging – you also show humility and customer-centricity. It signals that you care about your audience’s voice, which in turn builds trust. This approach is at the heart of authentic storytelling for events. As one event storytelling expert put it, turn your fans into the heroes of your narrative – let them tell the story of your event’s impact by crafting authentic narratives that drive ticket sales. Prospective attendees will see those stories and think, “this is an event by and for people like me.” And that is incredibly compelling.

Empowering Fan Ambassadors and Takeovers

Sometimes the best way to generate content is to hand over the reins (at least temporarily) to your superfans. Consider doing fan takeovers on your social channels. For example, let a passionate attendee run your Instagram Stories for a day, sharing their perspective as they prepare for the event or attend a related pre-party. You might have a different fan “host” each week leading up to the show, giving a raw, unfiltered peek into their excitement. This kind of content feels organic and connective, and it requires minimal work on your end beyond coordination. Just set some guidelines and let their creativity shine. Many festivals have had success with fan or influencer takeovers, as it adds variety to the content and spotlights the community.

Moreover, think beyond digital: could a few die-hard fans become content creators on-site? For instance, recruit a handful of attendees to be “fan correspondents.” Give them some simple gear or just a special badge, and have them do live Q&As with other attendees during the event, or capture short interviews about what people are enjoying. Stream these clips on your socials or screens if feasible. It’s like peer-to-peer content journalism. Attendees might open up more to a fellow fan with a smartphone than to an official camera crew. The result is authentic soundbites and candid footage you can repurpose. Plus, the correspondents themselves will feel like VIPs, and likely share their experience widely (“I got to cover the festival from the inside!”).

Empowering fans in this way overlaps with formal ambassador programs (which we’ll discuss next), but even on a one-off basis it can yield great UGC. The idea is to decentralise content creation. Your team doesn’t need to craft every Instagram post or aftermovie – you can guide and curate a lot of it from fan contributions. Not only is this cost-effective, it also tends to produce the kind of relatable, spontaneous material that polished brand campaigns struggle to achieve. Audiences in 2026 crave that relatability. By making your marketing a two-way street, where fans contribute and get featured, you’re effectively saying “this event is your event.” And that sentiment will always be returned with greater enthusiasm and loyalty.

(For a deeper dive into harnessing UGC for event promotion – including case studies of viral fan content turning small events into sell-outs – check out our dedicated guide on leveraging authentic user-generated fan buzz to boost ticket sales. It’s packed with tips on motivating content creation and repurposing fan posts across your marketing channels.)

Fan Ambassadors & Referral Programs: Turning Attendees into Marketers

Few marketing tactics are as cost-effective and powerful as a passionate fan personally convincing their friends to attend your event. That’s the idea behind fan ambassador and referral programs – formalising word-of-mouth by equipping your biggest supporters to promote on your behalf. Seasoned promoters will tell you: when you harness the energy of your superfans, you essentially build a volunteer sales force that can reach corners of your audience you’d never tap through ads alone. In 2026, these programs have become increasingly sophisticated, using tracking links, commission incentives, and gamification to scale up what used to be informal street-team efforts. Let’s break down how to create and manage a winning ambassador program.

Recruiting Your Superfan Street Team

First, identify who your ideal ambassadors are. These will be enthusiastic fans with influence in relevant circles. They might be longstanding attendees who always bring a crew, local scene connectors, or even micro-influencers who love your genre. Start by reaching out to your existing community: announce that you’re opening up spots for a “Fan Ambassador Team” for the event. Explain that you’re looking for people who are excited to spread the word and help shape the event’s success. It’s important to frame it as an exclusive and valued role in the community (because it is!). Some organisers invite past attendees to apply via a simple form, asking about their social media presence, local networks, and why they want to be an ambassador.

Keep the entry bar reasonable – you don’t necessarily need thousands of followers to qualify; sometimes the most effective ambassadors are just well-connected in a particular city or university or niche group. One tactic: if you sell group tickets or have data on who referred others in previous years, target those natural advocates and personally invite them. “We noticed you’ve brought friends along every year – want to make it official and earn rewards for it?” That personal touch works wonders.

Once you have a team (it could be anywhere from a dozen to a few hundred ambassadors depending on your event size), set them up for success. Provide a welcome kit with information, unique tracking links or codes, and promotional assets (images, sample posts, discount offers they can share). The clearer and easier you make it, the more they’ll do. For example, Ticket Fairy’s platform allows organisers to set up referral codes for each ambassador so they can easily share and track their ticket sales via commission-based partnerships that scale ticket sales. If you’re not using a platform with built-in tracking, simple Google Analytics UTM links or affiliate plugins can do the trick. Make sure ambassadors know how to use these tools and see their progress – many programs have a dashboard where ambassadors can log in to see how many tickets they’ve sold and how close they are to the next reward tier.

Incentives that Motivate and Reward

Why should fans be ambassadors? Many will do it out of pure love for the event, but it’s good to sweeten the deal with incentives that reward their efforts. Common structures include earning free tickets, merch, or VIP upgrades after selling a certain number of tickets. For instance, “Sell 5 tickets, get your ticket free; sell 10, earn a backstage meet-and-greet; top seller wins a $500 cash prize,” etc. Cash commissions per sale (affiliate marketing style) can also work – e.g., $5 or a 5% cut per ticket sold via your code – especially if you’re recruiting influencers or promoters who treat it as a side hustle. Figure out what appeals to your ambassadors: younger fans might love exclusive experiences or festival swag, whereas community organisers might prefer a donation to a charity of their choice or just the glory of being top ambassador.

Layout the reward tiers clearly, and consider adding some gamification, like a leaderboard or monthly shout-outs for the leading sellers. Competition can spur them to go the extra mile. Real-world example: a New Year’s festival ran an ambassador contest where the top 3 sellers each month leading up to the event were highlighted on social media and given bonus rewards (like additional drink tokens or hotel upgrades). Ambassadors told us this public recognition was as motivating as the prizes – they wanted the bragging rights of being the festival’s #1 superfan.

Don’t forget non-monetary rewards as well. Ambassadors often value access and recognition very highly. Think about hosting a special Ambassadors Happy Hour at the event, or giving them a unique piece of merch like an “Ambassador” badge or t-shirt not available to the public. Some events even involve ambassadors in behind-the-scenes input – e.g., let them preview the lineup or pick a pre-party playlist. These perks make them feel like part of the team (which they are). When ambassadors feel appreciated and integral, they’ll go above and beyond – posting about the event weekly, personally DMing friends, organizing group outings, and so on.

Equipping Ambassadors to Succeed

Your ambassadors are essentially volunteer marketers, so give them the tools and guidance normally given to a marketing team. That means providing content and coaching. Supply them with shareable promo videos, graphics optimized for Instagram stories, Facebook event links, sample captions or talking points, and a clear event FAQ (so they can confidently answer questions their peers might ask about the event). The easier you make it for them to post and promote, the more consistent they’ll be.

Regular communication is also key. Maintain a group chat or email list for ambassadors where you drip updates and motivation. Remind them of upcoming price hikes or VIP sell-out warnings they can leverage (“Only 50 early bird tickets left – spread the word!”). Share marketing tips, like how to approach local businesses with flyers or how to politely nudge a friend who’s interested but hasn’t bought yet. Encourage them to swap success stories (“John sold 8 tickets by organizing a meetup – great work!”) so they learn from each other. Essentially, be a coach and cheerleader for your street team.

Another crucial element: tracking and transparency. Ambassadors need to trust that they’ll get credit for the sales they generate. Use reliable tracking links or codes and show them their sales numbers. If you promise “sell 5 get 1 free,” ensure those freebies are allocated promptly once they hit the mark. A trustworthy system will keep them engaged; any ambiguity or delay can demotivate. Many modern ticketing platforms (like Ticket Fairy) have integrated referral tracking that makes this seamless and transparent, which is a huge plus for running these programs without hiccups.

Impact on Sales and ROI

When well-run, ambassador programs can deliver incredible ROI. Essentially, you’re paying out a small reward or commission only after a ticket is sold, versus fronting money for ads that may or may not convert. The return on ad spend (ROAS) on ambassador-driven sales is often many times higher than digital advertising. For example, one festival that allocated a few thousand dollars worth of rewards to its ambassador program saw over $50,000 in ticket sales come directly through those advocates – a ROAS of over 10:1, far outstripping their Facebook ads performance that year. Another event found that their cost per acquisition (CPA) via ambassadors was roughly 20% of their CPA via paid social ads. Those kinds of metrics explain why affiliate and referral marketing is booming in the event space, helping organisers skyrocket event ticket sales.

Beyond pure sales, ambassadors also act as on-the-ground hype agents. They’re likely talking up the event in person, putting up posters, bringing groups, and generating content. It’s hard to fully quantify, but their influence often extends to intangibles like increased social media activity and a stronger sense of community. I’ve seen cases where an ambassador program helped an event break into a new demographic – for instance, tapping into a university network through a couple of student ambassadors yielded dozens of new attendees from that school, a segment the organisers had struggled to reach via traditional marketing.

To maximise results, monitor the program’s progress and be ready to adjust. If sign-ups plateau, maybe up the incentive or inject a new mini-contest (“first ambassador to hit 15 sales this month gets a $100 bonus!”). If some ambassadors are inactive, send a friendly check-in or provide extra help. Conversely, identify your star ambassadors and give them VIP treatment – they are gold. Post-event, definitely acknowledge and thank your whole ambassador crew publicly. Many events throw an Ambassador Afterparty or at least send a heartfelt thank-you email with stats about how their efforts contributed to the event’s success. This not only validates their contribution but also primes them to volunteer next time. Keep in mind that ambassador retention can make your life easy – once you have a group of experienced advocates who come back year after year, selling out tickets becomes that much closer within reach.

For detailed guidance on setting up referral and affiliate partnerships (from tracking systems to commission structures and case studies of events that grew ticket sales through these programs), see our guide on scaling ticket sales with affiliate marketing and fan ambassador programs. It’s a step-by-step playbook for turning your most passionate fans into an engine of growth.

Real-Time Co-Creation During Events

Co-creation doesn’t stop once the event begins – in fact, the live event is a prime opportunity to continue collaborating with your audience in the moment. Real-time engagement not only delights attendees on-site, it also generates a ton of content and momentum that can fuel your marketing long after the final encore. In 2026, technology and social media make it easier than ever to involve fans during the event itself, turning the show into an interactive two-way experience. Let’s look at ways to harness live co-creation for on-site buzz and lasting promotional impact.

Live Polls, Q&As and Audience Choices

One of the most direct forms of at-event co-creation is to give the crowd a say in what happens on stage or in the program in real time. This can be as simple as an artist asking the audience to cheer for one of two songs and playing the one that gets louder support – a classic concert move that never fails to thrill (“we chose the encore!”). But you can take it further with technology. Many conferences and festivals now use live polling apps or texting systems to collect votes from the audience instantly. For example, during a DJ’s set, you might flash a QR code or use the event app to let the crowd vote on which genre to transition to next: Drum & Bass vs. Trap – results come in live, the DJ pivots accordingly, and the crowd goes wild knowing they influenced the mix.

In conferences or panel discussions, a popular practice is to use tools like Slido or Poll Everywhere for live Q&A and polls. Attendees submit questions via the app and upvote those they most want answered, effectively co-creating the interview or discussion by steering it to topics they care about. This has become so common that audiences now expect it – simply having a mic runner for Q&A feels antiquated when hundreds can participate via their phones. By incorporating these tools, you make attendees active participants in shaping the content on stage, which is just as vital as networking at events has become. It keeps them more engaged (no one is dozing off if they’re busy submitting and watching questions) and yields a more relevant, satisfying experience.

Some events even take live polling to gamified levels. Consider a film festival that, at the end of a screening, lets the audience vote via the app on an “audience choice award” for that block of shorts, with the winner announced immediately. Or a startup pitch competition where the crowd’s votes count as one “judge” alongside the expert panel. These hybrid decision models acknowledge the fans and create a fun dynamic. The immediate feedback element – seeing results unfold on the big screen – generates electricity in the room. People feel like, “Wow, we as a group made that call.” That’s powerful in-the-moment engagement.

To implement live voting successfully, prepare the tech in advance and test it. Make sure instructions for attendees are crystal clear (many will be using it for the first time). Also, have a fair system – one vote per device or ticket-holder – to avoid any gaming. And always announce or display the results so the audience feels the closure of their input. If you worry about unpredictable outcomes, you can constrain the choices (like offering multiple-choice options that are all acceptable to you, similar to pre-event voting best practices). But honestly, part of the thrill of co-creation is embracing a bit of unpredictability. I’ve seen artists who prepared two possible encore songs depending on vote, each rehearsed just in case. It takes extra work, but the reaction from fans who got their pick is worth it. They leave feeling heard and elated that their choice came true on stage.

Interactive On-Site Installations and Activities

Another way to have fans co-create the experience is through interactive installations or activities where attendees contribute to something collective. For instance, many festivals set up art walls or graffiti boards where fans can draw or write messages throughout the event, resulting in a crowd-created art piece by the end. It could be as simple as a big chalkboard that says “Before I die I want to ____” where everyone fills in the blank, or a giant canvas where each person paints a small section. These kinds of installations give attendees a creative outlet and a feeling of leaving their personal mark on the event. The finished product often becomes a popular photo spot (“look, my doodle is right there!”), extending its promotional value as those images hit social media.

In the digital realm, consider crowd-driven visuals. Some cutting-edge events hand out LED wristbands or use phone apps that sync the audience into the light show (e.g., everyone’s bracelet lights up in patterns, effectively turning the crowd into part of the stage lighting). Others have experimented with live collaborative music creation – for example, a DJ might open a channel for the audience to send short sound samples via an app, then mix a few of those into an on-the-fly remix. It’s experimental, but imagine the bragging rights for a fan whose beat made it into a festival set because they tapped it out on their phone in the crowd!

More practical and widely used are things like photo and video booths that feed live content. A classic: a 360º video booth or slow-motion cam at a festival where groups of friends can record a cool clip; those clips then display on screens around the venue intermittently. People go nuts seeing themselves up on the jumbotron, even for a few seconds. It encourages more people to go make videos at the booth – a virtuous cycle of content creation and on-site entertainment. Similarly, a confession-cam or “memory booth” where attendees record short messages (“I’m having the best time!”) can be edited overnight into a montage that plays on the final day, essentially a fan-made highlight reel.

The idea is to blur the line between performer and spectator. When attendees actively contribute – whether it’s artistic, musical, or simply being part of a collective action – they become co-creators of the event’s atmosphere. This yields a stronger emotional impact. People remember interactive moments far more than passive ones. Years later, an attendee might forget the exact setlist a DJ played, but they’ll remember how the crowd chose the last song together, or how they helped paint a mural that hung at the venue. Those memories translate into positive word-of-mouth (“that festival was special, we all got to be part of it”) and repeat attendance.

Amplifying Live Buzz to Online Audiences

While co-creation supercharges the experience for those present, it’s also a potent marketing tool beyond the venue. Every fan-generated moment can be amplified online in real time, turning your attendees into content broadcasters to the world. We’ve touched on UGC and hashtags; during the event is when that content explodes. A well-orchestrated real-time marketing effort will encourage attendees to share their perspective and make it easy for them to do so.

Ensure your official hashtag is omnipresent on-site (on signage, screens, wristbands, everywhere). Perhaps run a contest during the event: “Tweet with #FestivalXLive to win an upgrade – we’re picking a random post every hour for a free VIP swag bag!” Little prompts like that keep the social content flowing. Repost attendee stories and tweets actively from the official accounts throughout the event – it shows those at home that the crowd is having a blast (enticing last-minute attendees if your event isn’t sold out, or simply building desire for next year). A lot of festivals employ a dedicated social media team or even volunteer “social media ambassadors” on event day to scour for great attendee posts, request permission, and then reshare them in near-real-time. This practice both celebrates your fans and provides an authentic live narrative for online followers to latch onto.

Another powerful tactic: live streams and fan content integration. If you livestream parts of your event (e.g., a stage or a panel), integrate fan interaction into the stream. Invite those watching remotely to vote on something (“which song should the band play acoustic?”), or feature social media comments from viewers on the live feed. This way, remote fans are co-creating the experience too. For on-site attendees, you could have a live social media ticker on screens (“John: ‘This is the best night ever #FestivalXLive’ ”) which often prompts others to post their own shout-outs to get featured. During one conference’s livestream, they encouraged attendees to take selfies at the venue and tag the event, and periodically they cut to a “social break” showing a collage of those selfies – it was a hit both in-person and for remote viewers who loved seeing the candid, human side of the event.

Crucially, all the content generated in real time can be repackaged for future marketing. Those attendee photos, tweets, and stories are gold for recap posts, aftermovies, and future promotions. It’s essentially crowd-sourced marketing material created on the spot. Make sure to archive it (assign someone to save the best posts or use a social aggregation tool). After the event, when you flood your channels with “look at the amazing time we had” content, it will predominantly feature joyous faces and comments of real attendees. This not only increases trust for future prospects, it also gives past attendees a proud sense of ownership seeing themselves or their friends highlighted. They’ll share those recaps widely (“I’m in this video!”), extending the reach further.

In summary, treat your live event as a collaborative content creation festival in its own right. Facilitate fans contributing in the moment – be it by influencing the show or by broadcasting their perspective – and you’ll multiply the impact of your event well beyond the venue walls. Your on-site attendees walk away more satisfied and engaged, and your online audience gets drawn into the excitement (setting the stage for the next ticket cycle). Real-time co-creation ensures that the event experience isn’t something you deliver to fans, but rather something you create with them, minute by minute.

(For more strategies on engaging attendees during the live event – including real-time social media tactics and on-site tech tips – see our guide on on-site engagement that amplifies buzz and future ticket sales. It’s packed with ideas to turn your live moments into a marketing engine.)

Post-Event Collaboration & Year-Round Community Building

The event might be over, but the co-creation journey shouldn’t end when the last attendee exits. In fact, after your event is a crucial time to continue engaging fans and to start seeding the next event’s success. Additionally, fostering a year-round community keeps the spirit alive and fans connected, which makes future marketing infinitely easier. Here we’ll explore how to collaborate with your audience post-event and maintain an ongoing dialogue that keeps them coming back.

Gathering Fan Feedback (and Acting on It)

The immediate post-event period is prime time to co-create in a different way: by collaborating on feedback and improvements. Within a day or two of your event, reach out to attendees and invite their honest input. This can be via an email survey, a post in your social media groups, or an in-app feedback form. Make sure your tone shows that their voice matters: e.g., “Help us make next year even better – we’re eager for your feedback!” Ask specific questions about what they loved and what could be improved. Keep it simple, but provide a comment box for open suggestions too.

Many organisers also host more intimate debrief sessions with superfan groups or key stakeholders. For instance, a festival might hold a Zoom “town hall” with season pass holders or longtime attendees to discuss how things went. Not only do you get nuanced insights, but those fans feel valued to be consulted. If you operate a venue or run frequent events, establishing a community advisory panel of fans can be incredibly useful. They become your sounding board and often your evangelists as well.

Crucially, when fans take the time to give feedback, close the loop by sharing what you learned and what you’ll do. A few weeks or months later, send an update: “You spoke, we listened – here are 5 changes we’re making based on your feedback.” Perhaps your survey showed that 80% of fans want more water stations and better cell service. Announce your plan to add those water stations and that you’re talking to service providers about boosting signal at the venue, effectively sharing main takeaways with your community. Even if certain critiques can’t be fully solved, acknowledge them: “We hear you on the long entry lines; while our rural venue has limits, we’re opening another gate and doubling staff to cut wait times.” This transparency builds massive trust. Fans think, “Wow, they actually care and follow through.” It encourages them to stick with you (instead of defecting to other events) because they feel a reciprocal relationship. Plus, when you market the next event, you can proudly highlight these crowd-driven improvements – turning last year’s negatives into this year’s selling points (“new shade lounges added – community requested and approved!”).

Co-Creating the Next Edition

Your next event starts taking shape as soon as the last one ends, and fans can play a big role in that creative process. Leverage the post-event enthusiasm: in the glow of a great experience, attendees are often eager to contribute ideas for next time. You might launch a campaign like “Help Design Next Year’s Event.” This could include voting on major things (if you have a multi-genre festival, maybe poll which genre should get a bigger stage next year), or open suggestions for themes, guests, improvements, etc. Some events even crowdsource their lineup wishlist immediately – asking fans which artists or speakers they’d love to see next time. While booking has many constraints, knowing the pulse of your audience is valuable. If 500 people request a certain mid-tier artist, that’s a strong signal to book them (and leverage that fact in marketing: “You asked, we delivered: Fan-Favorite DJ XYZ joins the 2027 lineup!”).

Another form of co-creation is involving fans in your pre-launch marketing. For example, say you’re designing next year’s festival poster or teaser video. Why not show sneak peeks to your community and get their input? Some festivals share two draft poster styles in their insider Facebook group to see which vibe resonates more. Or they might run a small contest (“Submit a short tagline for next year’s theme – if we use yours, you win VIP tickets!”). These initiatives not only yield useful direction, they also make the community feel included from the ground up. Instead of being just consumers of the next marketing campaign, they’re collaborators in it.

One real-world case: a multi-venue music festival had a fan committee that brainstormed novel ticket packages. The fans suggested a “Golden Ticket” that gives access to every show in the city for a premium price. The organisers implemented it and it became a hit among hardcore fans, selling out in minutes. That idea came straight from the audience. So tapping your fan base for “what should we do differently or new next time?” can surface gems you wouldn’t have conceived in the boardroom. To facilitate this, you can host an online ideation session or simply put out a survey with creative prompts. And of course, credit the community when those ideas come to life (“Our new silent disco stage was inspired by ideas from you, our fans!”). Fans will be proud and more invested than ever in attending and promoting the event, because it’s partially their creation.

Always-On Community Spaces

To sustain engagement year-round, it’s essential to nurture community spaces where fans can continue interacting with you – and crucially, with each other – between events. This could be a Facebook Group, a Discord server, a subreddit, or an online forum on your website. The key is that it’s a place not just for official announcements, but for fan-to-fan connection. For example, create a group where attendees share photos, reminisce, or discuss news about artists related to your event. As an organiser, be present and responsive there, but also empower the community to drive conversations.

Running these communities takes some moderation and TLC, but the payoff is immense. You essentially have a captive audience for organic marketing and feedback whenever you need it. More so, the community becomes self-perpetuating hype. New people who discover the group often turn into ticket buyers after seeing how passionate and welcoming the fan base is. A thriving community forum can also reduce your customer service load (fans will answer each other’s questions about where to park or what to wear).

In 2026, many events have dedicated community managers focused on keeping these channels active – sharing relevant content, sparking discussions (“Throwback Thursday: share your fave moment from last year!”), and teasing upcoming announcements to reward the faithful. Some also do exclusive drops in the community, like releasing the lineup there an hour before the public announcement, or selling early-bird tickets first to group members. These perks incentivize fans to join and stay engaged in the off-season. The sense of insider access makes them feel like they are part of an inner circle – which in truth, they are. These are your core evangelists, so treating them with insider status is both fair and smart.

Another year-round engagement strategy is hosting mini-events or meetups for your community, even when the main event is far off. Think fan club gatherings, online watch parties (for festival video archives, etc.), or local chapter meetups organised by ambassadors. For instance, if you run a major festival, you might support regional fan meetups in various cities – perhaps by sending some merch or a representative – to keep the excitement alive all year. Or if you have an annual conference, maybe do a quarterly webinar or Twitter Spaces where past attendees can reconnect and chat with a guest speaker. These touchpoints maintain the momentum and keep your brand top-of-mind, so that when tickets do go on sale again, you’re preaching to an eagerly waiting choir.

Loyalty Programs and Fan Clubs

To formalize ongoing engagement, consider implementing a loyalty or membership program that rewards fans for sticking with you. This could be as simple as a loyalty tier that grants long-time attendees early access to tickets or special discounts. Some events have official “fan clubs” one can join for a yearly fee or via an application – members get exclusive content, pre-sale codes, perhaps a member patch or badge to flaunt at the event. These programs, if done sincerely, can give your superfans a home and sense of pride, further cementing their connection to the event.

For example, a comic convention might have a “Founder’s Club” for people who’ve attended 5 years in a row, offering them a free t-shirt and a meetup with organisers. A music festival might have a points system: earn points for each year attended or each friend referred, accumulate enough for benefits like free merch or a shout-out from the stage. Be creative – if you have data via your ticketing platform, you can leverage it to identify and reward your most loyal customers. In turn, those customers often morph into brand ambassadors naturally, even outside any formal program, simply because they feel recognised and valued.

The golden rule is to make your community management authentic and two-way. Fans can smell it if you only pop up to sell them something. Instead, be consistently engaging, even in small ways. Celebrate fan milestones (birthday shoutouts, etc.), join in the banter, and show that the people behind the event are fans themselves of the culture. When your attendees view you not as a faceless company but as fellow community members, the relationship transcends transactional. They’ll support you not just because they like the event, but because they feel a mutual bond.

In essence, co-creation after the event is about co-owning the community with your fans. You maintain the space and direction, but they supply much of the content, conversation, and heart. Over time, this community becomes one of your biggest assets – a living, self-renewing audience base that will sustain your events for years to come. And as a bonus, you get a continuous feedback loop and focus group to ensure you’re always aligned with what your audience wants. It’s the ultimate win-win: fans get belonging and influence, you get loyalty and advocacy.