In-person events will remain a large part of most business-to-business marketers’ strategies going forward. “The Future of In-Person Events” survey, by SmartBrief, found that 55 percent of the B2B marketers it polled believe that in-person events will continue to play a significant role.

Last year taught marketers that there were a lot of ways to connect with clients, such as webinars and virtual sessions, and those are likely to remain a part of their strategy going forward as well. The survey showed that marketers have accepted their larger toolkits. It found that 73 percent of those who plan to focus on in-person events will still attend virtual ones, 51 percent will invest in nonevent tactics at the same level or higher, and 31 percent said that webinars represent the best ROI when in-person events are not an option.

Pandemic safety also remains a concern. Among those surveyed, 60 percent will consider vaccination status among attendees at in-person events, 53 percent will consider whether strong safety protocols are in place, and 62 percent of those emphasizing in-person tactics will focus on smaller events.

Asked about the year ahead, respondents’ answers show that 55 percent will exhibit at the same number of events or more, compared with pre-pandemic levels; 47 percent will send fewer people to events and 35 percent will exhibit at fewer events.

For more on SmartBrief’s findings, click here.