The western Algarvet town of Sagres is getting a new three-day surf festival this autumn, with the first Sagres Sessions promising everything from competitions and adaptive surfing to live music,
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The village of Barão de São João, in the municipality of Lagos, will once again become a meeting point for nature lovers, artists and families when the Walk & Art
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Halloween is returning to Zoomarine Algarve this October, with spooky attractions, ghostly encounters and special activities for visitors of all ages. From October 20 to 31, the theme park in
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Courtesy of Rothy's
The latest hot marketing KPI: RSVPs.
Creators ranging from Substackers to "SNL" stars are jumping off the screen to in-person events — and marketers can't get enough.
"IRL is the No. 1 brand equity builder of all the channels," said Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As).
As it becomes harder to reach customers online, in-person events offer a way for brands to connect with their biggest fans — and hopefully inspire a flurry of social content.
One night last month, Snapple turned a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry into a floating comedy club featuring Colin Jost and Pete Davidson.
Lindsay Burstein, a top marketer at Snapple parent Keurig Dr Pepper, said the night resulted in about 200 pieces of user-generated content.
"It is the buzziest thing that the brand has done in a very long time," she said.
Snapple
Events aren't a new phenomenon, but interest from marketers is surging. In its annual survey of marketers, Linqia found that 53% said they planned to work with influencers on events in 2026, up from 34% in 2025.
"We've seen an uptick in both custom brand pop-up experiences and brand activation at large events," Linqia's chief strategy officer Keith Bendes said.
IRL activations and events can also help brands gauge the depth of a creator's connection with their audience — and how valuable partnering with them might prove.
Substack creators, for instance, have "rabid fans and followers" who are hungry to connect in person, said Rothy's VP Anna Doré.
After Substacker Erika Veurink's article for New York Magazine featuring Rothy's shoes went viral, Rothy's struck a partnership with the writer that included a vintage pop-up experience at a Rothy's in New York City.
The Rothy's pop-up drew over 200 people and grew the store's foot traffic by 75% that day.
There can be category-specific reasons some brands are going all in on events. Flushable wipes maker Goodwipes, for one, leans on IRL experiences, said SVP of marketing Meredith Diehn, "partially because it's an intimate category, but there's a lot of questions around flushability and why should I leave toilet paper for Goodwipes."
Still, it can often be harder to measure success from an IRL event and prove it's an efficient use of marketing dollars.
Courtesy of Poppi
"Live experiences is not an efficient business," Bilt CMO Zoe Oz said. "It's like the most inefficient, unscalable thing you can possibly do. But we found those to be 10 times more effective than the other ways we used to spend money."
Events also aren't a foolproof strategy, Copeland of 4As said.
There's a lot that goes into an experience, and if one part goes wrong or a creator is involved in an inauthentic way, criticism can spread quickly.
They present practical challenges as well, sometimes forcing marketers to wear yet another hat: event planning.
Burstein said that planning Snapple's comedy event — despite its eventual success — took her "blood, life, sweat, and tears."
Wine lovers are in for a treat this weekend as one of Portugal’s largest wine fairs returns to Lisbon, bringing together more than 200 producers and hundreds of wines from
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American pop star Alex Warren will perform in Portugal for the first time next summer, with a beachfront concert in Figueira da Foz on July 18, 2027. The 26-year-old Californian
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One of Faro’s best-loved traditions is back. The centuries-old Feira de Santa Iria (Santa Iria Fair) opens today (October 15) at Largo de São Francisco, bringing 11 days of shopping,
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Olhão’s changing face is being explored through photography in a new exhibition bringing together historic images of the city and present-day recreations taken by young local residents. Entitled “Olhão antes
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Portimão will host the largest European Judo Championships Veterans ever held later this month, with a record 1,415 athletes from 36 countries registered to compete. The championships will take place
The post Record-breaking European Judo Championships Veterans coming to Portimão appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Pumpkins will take centre stage at Vila Vita Biergarten in Porches later this month, when the venue hosts a free autumn market inspired by traditional European celebrations. The Pumpkin Market
The post Pumpkins, jazz and autumn flavours take over Vila Vita Biergarten appeared first on Portugal Resident.
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