Engaging Gen Z: Expert Tips and Ideas for 2025 Event Marketing
Looking around, you’ll see everyone hurrying to cater events to the second youngest generation, Gen Z, currently accounting for 25% of the global population. If you think about it, it’s a huge market segment—a whole quarter!
And there’s one more reason why brands prioritize event marketing for Gen Z attendees. Gen Z-ers typically overspend during events, even despite high budget-consciousness. The most popular events among this demographic group are professional sports and music festivals, followed by food fairs and fashion events.
All right, but how do you actually attract and convince them to register (or buy tickets) and attend your event? Here are the best event promotion ideas and strategies for younger attendees—let's discuss how to market your events to Generation Z in an engaging, not cringey way.
What Gen Z Attendees Expect from Events in 2025 (+ Event Marketing Ideas)
Higher Interactivity — Interactive Event Marketing Ideas for Gen Z
- Countdown timers
- Polls
- Quizzes
- Image/video teasers
- Behind-the-scenes sneak peeks
- Ticket giveaways
- Engaging website pop-ups (like “Spin to win $X off on event registration”)
Note: You must be more digital-centric when marketing your events to Gen Z, the first “digitally native” generation. Also, consider live-streaming to tell more about your upcoming event or even give away some tickets. Here’s why you might need it. Roughly 43% of Gen Z-ers regularly watch live-streamed videos on social media.
Advanced Technologies — Innovative Event Marketing Ideas for Gen Z
- Augmented reality (AR): AR scavenger hunts or AR filters/effects
- Virtual reality (VR): VR video teasers or product demos
- Artificial intelligence (AI): AI-powered programmatic ads
- Non-fungible tokens (NFTs): NFT collectibles created specifically for events
- Gamification: Mobile mini-games with tickets as prizes
- Smart wearables: LED wristbands, VR glasses, NFC-enabled badges
- Drones: Drone light shows
Note: Gen Z-ers are more likely to favor immersive visuals in AR or VR than other generations: 77% compared to only 56% of Millennials.
Eco-Friendliness — “Greener” Event Marketing Ideas for Gen Z
- E-ticketing instead of paper tickets
- Ecological incentives (e.g., plant a tree for every registration)
- Sustainable event merchandise (bamboo/cork notebooks or recycled tote bags)
- Collaboration with sustainable partners and event venues
- A “No Plastic!” or “Zero Waste!” rule in event management
- X% donation to environmental non-profits from each ticket
Note: Sustainability continues to be one of the most impactful event trends for 2025 among all attendees preferring to buy from eco-friendly companies. While following their call to action, four in five businesses invest in sustainable events by reducing paper usage, saving energy, and booking greener venues.
More Sensory Experiences and Emotion → Emotional Event Marketing Ideas for Gen Z
- QR-code-activated content for a phygital (physical + digital) experience Multi-sensory experiences with holograms
- Meme contests (because who wouldn’t like to ROFL at hilarious memes and compete for a free ticket?)
- Selfie stations with instagrammable décor
- Experiential workshops (e.g., a DIY crafts workshop for holiday-related events)
- Well-being booths (Think of an aromatherapy or meditation booth for a mental health conference—why not?)
Note: It’s a “dopamine generation” you’re trying to promote your event to. As dopamine addicts fed by snappy and super-fun social media posts (hats off to TikTok and Snapchat), Gen Z-ers are thirsty for quick and captivating experiences.
Proven Event Marketing Tips for Gen Z Attendee Engagement
Go Social-First (and Email-Second) for Event Promotion
No social media posts = no Gen Z attendees. That’s the harsh truth about event marketing for Generation Z.
Want them to show up at your event? Pop up in their social feeds. Create event buzz on social media where the majority of younger users spend 3+ hours daily.
The top-browsed social platforms are:
- YouTube
- TikTok (Gen Z makes up 60% of the app’s one billion users)
- Snapchat
- X (Twitter)
Source: Statista.com
However, it depends on where exactly your targeted segments engage more effectively. You can still segment them by age, occupation, interest/hobby, and so on: those aged 13-20 vs. 20-28, students vs. working adults, or career climbers on LinkedIn vs. fandom fanatics on Tumblr or Reddit.
Let’s review several examples.
Gen-Z event marketing example on social media in Conferences:
See how the Prompt: UX team advertised their conference with a sponsored post on LinkedIn to reach young professionals.
Source: LinkedIn.com
Gen-Z event marketing example on social media in Education:
The Ancient Language Institute prioritized YouTube to engage students in learning Koine Greek and Attic Greek during their 10-day Bible Camp with a previous event recap.
Source: YouTube.com
Pro tip: Go email-second. In fact, 57% of Gen Z consumers prefer communicating with brands via email. So, never disregard event email marketing for engaging Gen Z attendees.
Offer Freebies and Promo Codes
FOMO (fear of missing out) works for Gen Z even better than for any other generation. Here’s why. They are financially conscious, remember? They wouldn’t want to miss a chance to get something for free or save money with a promo code.
Freebies
For Brooke Webber, Head of Marketing at Ninja Patches, freebie marketing is by far one of the greatest event promotion strategies for Gen Z attendee engagement. She shares, “In our case, as we work in the custom apparel niche, this can be a free patch samples pack or a DTF-printed tee during trade shows or expos.”
Generally, Webber suggests the following Gen-Z-friendly freebies:
- Buddy pass
- Temporary tattoo
- Fitness band
- Tech gadget or tool (power bank, charger pad, USB drive)
- Gift card
- Custom merchandise (hoodie, shirt, cap)
For example:
Free custom T-shirts for event registration are commonplace among non-profit organizations. It’s a superb way to market charitable events to Gen Z attendees.
Source: Instagram.com
Promo Codes
Let’s look at several promo codes from Ninja Transfers to attract more Gen Z attendees to their trade show booths.
A promo code for a free entry:
A promo code for $10 off registration:
Source: Instagram.com
Pro tip: Crafting promo/coupon codes for events can be a breeze with a ticketing platform like Purplepass. It will help you generate different promo code types, from a percentage to a combo deal (buy one—get one for free).
Speak the Gen-Z Language
Are you fluent in “GenZish,” a language of next-gen communication?
If not, you’d better master it now to roll out a more effective event marketing strategy for Gen Z attendee engagement.
This generation prefers a more casual, informal conversation style and uses specific slang phrases, such as no cap (seriously) or GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
A few scroll-stopping promotional phrases for Gen Z-ers are:
- Swipe right on this event—it’s a perfect match for you!
- No cap, this is where fun happens.
- Vibe your way through this sign-up form and visit [Event Name].
- This occasion is 100% FYP-worthy.
- Register and network IRL!
For example:
Here’s one for Valentine’s Day event promotion.
Source: Instagram.com
Pro tip: Brooke Webber also reminds us of one more “language” Gen Z speaks fluently—a “graphic vocabulary of emojis and icons.” She says, “I’d recommend targeting Gen Z event attendees with the emoji language across all channels, whether a website, social app, or email.”
How about using icons/emojis in email subject lines to draw Gen Z’s attention to your event invitations?
For example:
Source: Gmail.com
Announce Special Guests (Hint: Collaborate with Influencers)
Mind: Social media influencers have the highest level of trust among Gen Z-ers compared to other consumers. So, your task is to find the right influencers (preferably from your industry), invite them to your next event, and generate noise around it together.
Here’s how.
- Kindle curiosity — Example: Guess who’s coming to [Event Name]?
- Let influencers boost your event ticket sales with personalized promo codes.
- Use influencer confirmations as social proof — Example: Oh yeah, [Special Guest] has just confirmed. See you at [Event Name]?
- Invite influencers for a surprise cameo during your event — Example: Our secret guest is going to fire it up. Are you coming?
Source: CyprusComicCon.org
Pro tip: Contract management software is crucial for successful event planning, especially when engaging Gen Z audiences who value efficiency and transparency. You might need it to keep everything organized (and stay on the legal side, too). For instance, make a deal on the amount and type of influencer-generated content to promote your event to Gen Z on social media.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to learn secret codes or languages (although Gen Z slang and emojis do help) to successfully market your events to younger audiences. Yet, you must know some specific peculiarities to meet their expectations— Generation Z is rewriting event marketing rules, mostly thanks to their digital-first minds and cutting-edge “quills.”
To keep up with their innovative pace, use Purplepass to plan, market, and manage your events like a pro. Register today and see Gen Z-ers marching to your events, virtual or in-person.
