Sportradar’s group head of marketing events explains how AI, data and emotional design can elevate brand experiences across physical and digital spaces.
Amit Patel joins this year’s Drum Awards Festival as an Experiential juror, bringing 15 years of work across live events, experiential, digital and integrated channels. He sees AI and emerging tech as tools for connection, not decoration. “I see AI as a means to blend the digital and physical parameters of brand experiences,” he says. For him, the opportunity is not about adding a layer of tech for novelty. It is about “building a sense of community and loyalty that lasts,” whether the audience is in a room or thousands of miles away. In the B2B world, he believes this will “drive smarter technology and data driven engagement opportunities” that strengthen trust between brands and their clients.
“Despite ROI pressures, designing activations that connect directly to the sales funnel can justify investment,” Patel says, noting that B2B teams often need measurable data and clear paths to follow-up conversations. He recommends pilot programs that can scale, giving brands proof of value without sacrificing ambition. When it comes to craft, he suggests. “Start at the basics. Define the purpose and intended impact you want to achieve,” he says. Tech should only enter the picture if it adds genuine value. “Be honest in considering what is driving the impact. Tech integration should not be for the sake of having to include it.”
Asked what kind of experience he would stage in 2025, Patel imagines something without hard boundaries. “An experience that connects audiences in the physical space and digital space but delivers emotion and the wow factor to both sides,” he says. Too often, one audience becomes an afterthought, which weakens the overall experience. The goal, as he sees it, is an adaptable format that treats both groups with equal care. He believes data can unlock more of these moments. “Most brands collect masses of data but rarely use it to translate into a personalised physical experience,” he says. He sees huge opportunity in making every participant feel unique through data driven personalisation.
Patel is also direct about what the next generation of experiential talent will need. “Creatives and producers who can use emerging technology in meaningful ways and think beyond silos will stand out,” he says. But they must also be accountable. “Show ROI, show scale and the routes to commercial success” to earn internal trust. Delivering on this is not easy. “Aligning creativity in the physical and digital spaces to create an equal level of memorable experience across both gateways is not an easy nut to crack,” he says. With budgets tightening and commercial expectations rising, he sees the challenge as balancing big ideas with measurable impact. Difficult, yes, but far from impossible.
The Drum Awards Festival celebrates the makers redefining experiential through craft, emotion and technology. Follow jurors like Amit Patel as they champion work that connects audiences wherever they are and moves the industry forward in 2025.
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Sportradar
Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD), founded in 2001, is a leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Positioned...