We’re not short on content. If anything, we’re drowning in it. AI has made it faster and easier to produce marketing at scale but in doing so, it’s also made audiences inherently more skeptical. When everything starts to sound the same, trust doesn’t compound; it breaks. This was one of many themes we discussed at our Cvent & B2B Marketing Roundtable. We explored not just how trust is changing in an AI-driven world, but how marketers are responding and why in-person experiences are becoming even more critical as a result.
We were joined by two marketing leaders: Felicia Asiedu, Marketing Director, Cvent and Laurence Ewen, Demand Generation Manager, Cvent. Along with their in-depth expertise shared at a fireside chat, we invited marketers to share their challenges and pain points in a roundtable discussion after. Here were some of the takeaways from the day.
The trust gap is growing and AI is accelerating it
One of the opening questions we explored was whether trust has fundamentally changed in a world of AI-generated content and digital noise.The answer wasn’t a simple yes or no. It is actually more nuanced.
AI is both part of the problem and part of the solution.
On one hand, it’s never been easier to produce polished, authoritative-sounding content that lacks originality and creativity. Attendees pointed out how LinkedIn feeds are starting to blur together, using the same structure, similar tones, and those hard-to-miss em dashes. When everything feels the same, credibility takes a hit.
On the other hand, AI is freeing marketers from doing manual work. Capturing event insights, summarizing discussions, repurposing content: these are all areas where AI is actively enabling better and faster storytelling. The difference comes down to how it’s being used. AI can scale trust signals. But it can’t replace the power of human connection.
Why in-person still cuts through
If digital is where trust is questioned, in-person can be where it’s rebuilt. And the data backs this up. According to the research shared during the session, 98% of marketers say in-person events are important for building credibility, and 81% say trust increases after an event. But the more interesting insight is why.
It’s not just about being in the room. It’s about what happens there.
One example shared in the discussion stuck: a spontaneous, human moment – someone dancing at an event – drove more engagement and connection online than any polished keynote takeaway post. It felt real and ultimately, that’s what audiences are looking for. And it appeared that activations such as giveaways, interactive activities and even good food can really make an impact on someone’s overall impressions.
Trust is built across an ecosystem
Events are powerful, but they don’t operate in isolation. Another key theme was the broader trust ecosystem: communities, creators, owned channels and peer networks all play a role. Buyers are piecing together credibility from multiple touchpoints, not relying on a single brand interaction.
That raises an important question: what does authentic authority actually look like today? It’s less about broadcasting expertise and more about demonstrating it in context. Showing up consistently. Sharing real experiences. Creating space for genuine interaction – not just polished messaging. And importantly, it’s about social proof.
Trust is no longer what you say about your brand. It’s what others experience and share on your behalf.
From events to event-led growth
This is where the conversation naturally shifted into event-led growth. Because if events are such a strong driver of trust, the opportunity isn’t just to “do more events”. It’s to rethink the role they play within your broader GTM strategy.
Event-led growth positions events as a primary acquisition and retention channel, rather than a supporting tactic. But making that shift requires more than just increased investment; it demands a more structured connected approach.
To support this, Cvent spotlighted its event-led growth maturity framework, built across six key areas:
- Audience targeting & reach
- Channel & content optimization
- Engagement & insights
- Technology & analytics
- Brand & partner ecosystem
- ROI & attribution
Together, these give marketers a clear way to assess where they’re strong, where they’re falling short, and where to focus next.
In terms of execution, this isn’t about one type of event. It spans everything from small, high-value dinners to large-scale conferences – all connected through data, insight and consistent follow-up. Because the reality is, the buyer journey isn’t linear. It’s made up of multiple moments, both digital and in-person, that collectively build momentum.
Using both the maturity framework and the buyer journey model, marketers can start to map where events are driving impact the most and where there’s potential to better engage priority audiences.
When we opened this up to the room, a few common challenges quickly surfaced.
Proving ROI remains a major sticking point. Many organizations still struggle to connect event activity to pipeline or revenue, with valuable signals buried across tools, spreadsheets and siloed systems.
And then there’s alignment. Sales and marketing often operate separately, when in reality, events are one of the clearest opportunities for those teams to collaborate around shared outcomes.
What became clear during the fireside chat is that the organizations making event-led growth work are the ones treating event data as part of their wider martech ecosystem not as a standalone dataset. By connecting those signals, they’re better equipped to turn moments of engagement into measurable growth.
The takeaway: Trust is earned in moments
Perhaps the simplest way to think about it is this: In an AI-driven world, trust is built in the moments that don’t feel automated. AI can help you scale reach. It can help you move faster. It can even help you amplify those moments after they happen.
But it can’t replace the human connection at the core of them. And right now, that’s exactly what audiences are looking for in their experiences.
