The digital world plays a significant role in modern life, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person events have gained a new level of importance. From the rise of run clubs to the resurgence of book clubs, IRL activities are filling a very real need for interpersonal engagement away from screens. Relatedly, experiential marketing and in-person events are brands’ secret weapons for driving engagement and finding differentiation in crowded marketplaces. Sometimes that looks like an attention-grabbing spectacle. For example, consider the Apple TV+ show Severance’s viral installation in Grand Central Station featuring the real-life cast of the show or Louis Vuitton’s viral activation last fall, when it transformed its flagship building in New York City into a stack of its iconic trunks, cleverly camouflaging construction scaffolding.
Dig into more high fashion marketing activations in our Luxury Fashion Influencer Benchmarking Snapshot.
In a similar vein, in-person activations can also look like localized events and pop-ups that bring consumers and/or influencers together. Take the week-long, pop-up diner Cheez-It hosted in Upstate New York last spring or Miu Miu’s annual Summer Reads events, hosted this year in Beijing, Hong Kong, Milan, Osaka, and Paris.
We used our social listening and analytics solution to see what social media buzz can tell marketers about the buzz around in-person events, as well as one app catering to them, Partiful.
Social media buzz around in-person events is growing in 2025
In the first half of 2025, social media mentions of several categories of in-person events have increased. For example, discussions of board game and trivia nights, which had the highest volume of mentions (nearly 8,000 across 17 social channels), increased by 2% from January to June 2025, compared to the six months prior. In the same time period, buzz about speed dating events increased by 22%, but with only about a tenth of the volume of mentions.
There were over 4,400 social media mentions of in-person book clubs in the first half of 2025.
Particularly interesting is the buzz around IRL book clubs. Social media mentions were 14% higher in the first half of 2025 than they were in the second half of 2024, while engagement was 23% higher, indicating rising interest. For an example of how to hop onto the buzz around IRL clubs and events, look to Miu Miu’s previously mentioned Summer Reads activation. While attending influencers got to enjoy the events held at beautiful locations, their content generated excitement among their followers.
This Instagram post from French singer Louane from MiuMiu’s Summer Reads event at the National Library of France generated nearly $23,000 in Estimated Media Value (EMV).
Similarly, La Colombe and OkCupid’s Love Over Lattes singles happy hour events earlier this year, held in partnership with local influencers in three U.S. cities, tapped into the spirit of Valentine’s Day. This post by Kate Lazarski, hosting influencer of the Chicago Love Over Lattes event, generated about $11,600 in EMV.
In each case, brands used events seemingly disconnected from their products to reinforce the community aspect of their brand identities and foster loyalty in the process. Though the discussion remains niche, many brands and consumers alike are showing renewed appetite for offline connections. Expect forward-thinking brands to get even more creative with in-person activations and partnerships as this trend continues to grow and evolve.
The rise of Partiful
Social media mentions of Partiful increased by 107% in H1 2025 compared to H2 2024.
Growing interest in in-person events and experiences is mirrored in the popularity of party-planning app Partiful. Launched in 2020, it now reports about 500,000 monthly active users, up 400% YoY according to one estimate.
Our analysis found that social media mentions of Partiful in the first half of 2025 were more than double those in the six months prior. Spikes in conversation centered on jokes and memes (one of which the brand turned into social content of its own), as well as Apple’s February launch of its competitive app Apple Invites, highlighting Partiful’s growing place in popular culture.
News and broadcast mentions of Partiful increased by a third in H1 2025 compared to H2 2024.
Additionally, the app has had strong visibility in traditional media; its news and broadcast mentions increased by 33% in the first half of 2025 compared to the six months prior. Some of its furthest-reaching news mentions included those in articles about a viral cake picnic in San Francisco, the growing popularity of in-person board game clubs, and NYC watch parties for the Women’s NCAA March Madness Tournament, among many others.
Overall, the rise of Partiful and Apple Invites signals a broader consumer shift towards seeking out meaningful, IRL connections. Brands that can tap into that excitement, like Instacart and Pizza Hut already have, will have a distinct edge on their competitors.
What can marketers learn from the rise of in-person events in 2025?
Overall, there are a few key lessons that marketers can take away from the social listening data on in-person events:
- Use digital connections to foster real-world ones. Whether working with influencers or partnering with apps and organizations, brands can use their existing digital marketing infrastructure to create IRL events and activations that get noticed. In particular, events that build on brand identity with creative and indirect approaches are surefire ways to stand out, especially if attendees have ample opportunities to create and share UGC.
- Experiences are marketing must-haves. Promotions and activations that bring people together give brands the chance to engage with consumers in concrete ways, reinforcing their presence and driving brand loyalty. In turn, marketers can use such events to hear directly from the consumers themselves. Along with using events for promotion, brands can use them for invaluable feedback that they may not have access to otherwise.
- Influencers deliver intimacy at scale. In-person events can only reach so many people, but influencer attendees and hosts help followers near and far experience them vicariously. Choose your content creator partnerships carefully and strategically to leverage in-person activations to reach new audiences.
