Live Events Drive Purchases, Survey of 12,098 Finds
Marketers planning sponsorships and activations get new cross-border data on how live-event brand contact shapes buying decisions.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Marketing
Live Poll
Do you think live events are worth the money you spend on them?
AEG Global Partnerships published the Live Effect 2026 report, a survey of 12,098 people who attended live events in the past 12 months across the US, UK, France and Germany. The findings show brands at live events are seen as easier to notice and more memorable than advertising elsewhere, and that most attendees' spending happens beyond admission.
Why it matters
For marketers and event-linked businesses, the report offers evidence that in-person brand activations can drive purchase decisions, not just awareness. It expands an earlier UK-only edition to an international sample, making the findings more relevant to businesses selling across multiple markets.
The survey drew 12,098 respondents who attended live events in the past 12 months, with 74% reporting a purchase decision after brand interaction and 79% saying they would repeat the same purchase. More than half of attendees' total spend happens outside the cost of admission.
The players
AEG Global Partnerships
The global partnerships arm of AEG, a major live entertainment company that operates venues and events, and which sells sponsorship and brand activation programs to advertisers.
The details
Respondents described live-event brand contact as more noticeable and more memorable than advertising encountered elsewhere, which the report frames as the mechanism behind purchase decisions. The expansion from a UK-only study to four countries lets the findings be read across markets rather than in one. Spending beyond the ticket price, such as food, merchandise and on-site activations, appears to be where a large share of event revenue sits.
Timeline
Survey respondents attended live events during the past 12 months.
A UK-only edition of the report was published in 2025.
The Live Effect 2026 findings were published on 3 November 2026.
Market Landscape
The report follows AEG's own UK-only edition from the previous year, extending the same research approach to the US, France and Germany. It positions live events as a growing channel for brand marketing alongside traditional advertising.
Marketing teams planning event sponsorships or activations should weigh the reported purchase-influence figures against their own measured results before reallocating budget. Businesses should also account for the finding that most event spending falls outside ticket revenue when modeling on-site sales.
The takeaway
The report's core operator insight is that live events may influence buying through memorability and on-site spending, not only through attendance. Marketers should track on-site conversion and repeat-purchase intent before committing to larger event budgets.
Further reading
For related strategies, see the Marketing section, which covers how brands reach audiences across channels.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Access All Areas.
Live Poll
Do you think live events are worth the money you spend on them?
