The experiential marketing category has never been healthier. Global spend hit $138.94B in 2025 and is forecast to grow +10.3% this year, per PQ Media's 11th Biennial Global Experiential Marketing Forecast. 74% of Fortune 1000 marketers are increasing their experiential budgets in 2026, according to EventTrack's 2025 report. Kantar's 2025 Media Reactions report ranks in-person sponsored events as the #2 preferred advertising channel globally and the #1 preferred channel in No

CFO scrutiny of marketing is up 52% year over year, according to Gartner's most recent CMO Priorities survey. 63% of CMOs feel increased pressure specifically from the CFO, per the Deloitte and Duke CMO Survey. Sponsorships and events are the top channel CMOs plan to cut in 2026, per Gartner's CMO Spend Survey. For a CMO defending experiential spend, the environment could not be tougher. Data alone will not fix it. Neither will a compelling wrap deck. What actually moves the