How to Use Influencer Marketing to Boost Your Food & Beverage Event

Whether you’re hosting a tasting, launching a new product, or running a full-scale festival, creators can be your secret weapon for driving attendance, sparking online buzz, and capturing content that lives far beyond the event itself.

Here’s how to run a creator-powered campaign that gets real results.

1. Find Local Influencers Who Align with Your Brand

The magic of influencer marketing lies in authenticity. That’s why it’s crucial to partner with creators who naturally align with your event’s vibe, product, and audience.

Are you a premium spirits brand targeting discerning cocktail lovers? Or a vibrant brewery hosting a community block party? The right creators should already be speaking to your ideal attendees.

With Creator Catalyst AI, you can use conversational search to discover influencers based on audience demographics, interests, tone, and engagement—not just vanity metrics like follower count. We make it easy to find creators with real influence over your target market.

2. Offer the Right Incentive: Free Tickets or VIP Access

You don’t need a massive budget to run a successful campaign—just a compelling reason for creators to care.

Offering free admission is often enough to attract local nano- and micro-influencers, especially those looking to build their content portfolio. For higher-tier influencers, consider offering VIP perks like early access, backstage passes, or premium tasting experiences.

Pro tip: Position these incentives as exclusive opportunities for the creator and their followers. Everyone loves a plus-one or a limited giveaway.

3. Time Your Campaign for Maximum Buzz

One of the biggest pitfalls in event influencer marketing? Bad timing.

If you activate your campaign too close to the event date, you may not give creators enough time to publish or generate RSVPs. Too far in advance, and you risk losing momentum.

The sweet spot? 2–4 weeks out, depending on the size of your event and the lead time creators need. This gives them time to create anticipation with teaser content, post pre-event shoutouts, and drive ticket sales while excitement is building.

A Great Example: Texas Rum Fest

Our client, The Rum Lab, used Creator Catalyst to drive attendance and online engagement for Texas Rum Fest—and the results were phenomenal.

Using our AI-assisted Managed Services, they:

‍

• Discovered local creators who aligned with the brand’s identity
  
  
• Offered compelling incentives based on creator type (like a ticket giveaway for nanocreators, free entry for mid-tier, and VIP tastings for high-influence creators)
  
  
• Timed the campaign perfectly to create buzz and drive FOMO
  
  

They did it right, and got dozens of high-quality, reusable content pieces—and a boost in ticket sales.

Want to Do the Same?

Ready to take your next food or beverage event to the next level?

👉 Request a demo and see how Creator Catalyst AI can help.

‍