Why Marketing Needs to Start Before Your Event Does
You can plan the best event in the world – beautiful venue, incredible speakers, perfect food, great atmosphere – but if no one knows about it, it simply won’t succeed.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through running my own events and working on large festivals like Plant Fest, Jazz Festival, Garden and Art Festival, and the ECHO Walking Festival is this:
Marketing doesn’t start after the event is organised. It starts long before.
Why It Matters
Marketing isn't an "add-on" – it's the momentum that carries people through the decision-making process long before event day.
When you start your marketing early, you have time to:
Educate your audience (why your event is worth attending)
Excite them (build buzz and anticipation)
Remind them (because attention spans are short)
Convert them (get those ticket sales, sign-ups, or RSVPs)
It’s not about shouting louder – it’s about giving people a story to connect with, early and often.
Real-World Lessons
At Jazz Festival, I was brought in at the last minute to run a series of social ad campaigns. With a tight window, we had to work hard to make an impact fast – and thankfully, strategic targeting and clear messaging helped drive strong ticket sales.
But it also made me think: what could we have achieved with more lead time?
A full, layered campaign could have built even more buzz and reached even more audiences before the festival kicked off.
At ECHO Walking Festival, we knew we were launching into new areas (like Te Puke) where the festival wasn’t yet known. Broad messaging didn’t work – so we had to pivot quickly, creating hyper-targeted local campaigns that built awareness before people ever thought about signing up for a walk.
The result? New walks filled up, even in brand new areas.
The Slow Burn Is Worth It
Starting early means you can layer your messaging:
First Wave: Awareness and excitement
Second Wave: Education – what’s on offer, why it matters
Third Wave: Urgency – early bird pricing, limited spots, countdowns
This slow burn gives people time to notice you, trust you, and ultimately, commit to attending.
Because honestly, Most people don’t buy tickets the first time they see an event.
It takes multiple touchpoints to move them from “maybe” to “yes.”
Your event doesn’t really start on the day. It starts the first time someone hears about it and thinks, “That sounds like something I’d love to be part of.”
If you treat marketing as part of your event’s life – not just an afterthought – you’ll build events that feel full, vibrant, and well-loved from the very beginning.