“Influencers are a class of individuals who naturally attract emulation by their behaviors, relationships or opinions,” said Tamar Beck, CEO of Gleanin, an influencer marketing platform.  

Ed Several, senior vice president of Reed Exhibitions-Americas, defines event influencers as any attendee or exhibiting company that can move a market. He notes that they can be found at both B2B and B2C events.

“On the B2B side, influencers can be characterized as buyers with significant buying power and individuals or teams who, through their actions, cause others to follow them, such as merchandise teams at retail stores; engineering teams at manufacturing facilities; or security professionals who select a particular brand that others try to emulate,” Several explained.

He continued, “On the exhibitor side, market leaders are influencers based on their decisions as to which events they choose to exhibit and how they participate.”

At B2C events, influencers also are sometimes called “taste-makers”, who influence a market by visiting an event and sharing their insights via social, web or other channels with their peers, Several added.

Influencer marketing also is playing an increasingly important role in magnifying event messages.