5 Summer Marketing Event Ideas with Hot Hospitality Trends!
We all love summer, especially as it is the perfect season to attend and host vibrant events, from backyard BBQs to large-scale festivals. Many brands utilise event marketing in the summer to stand out in a competitive market and reach new audiences. But event marketing must connect with evolving consumer tastes and cultural trends to go viral. In the UK, the food and beverage scene is rapidly shifting toward plant-based options, mindful drinking, and exciting global flavors — all of which present powerful opportunities for marketers to tap into. According to Jellybean Creative’s 2025 food and drink insights, these trends are shaping how UK consumers choose where they eat, drink, and spend their time — making them essential considerations for successful event campaigns. In this guide I share 5 summer event marketing ideas that follow the latest UK food and beverage trends. These strategies are designed to help businesses create buzzworthy experiences that guests rave about on social media — before, during, and after the event — turning a summer gathering into a viral sensation that people talk about. Summer Event Marketing Timeline Phase Digital Action Food/Drink Activation Marketing Goal Pre‑Event Teasers via email & Reels Showcase vibrant plant-based burgers & mocktails Build anticipation and grow pre-event awareness Launch Live Instagram Story Behind‑the‑scenes look at logo-branded mocktail bar Humanize your brand and highlight event exclusivity During Interactive polls & live demos Feature wellness drinks and mezze-style food zones Drive real-time engagement and enhance event experience Post UGC-based recap video Spotlight sustainability efforts & top menu moments Extend brand reach and encourage future attendance 1. Target the Plant-Based & Flexitarian Movement Need to Knows: Plant-based eating is more than just a trend—it’s a lifestyle embraced by millions across the UK. Recent taste trends show that around 25% of UK adults identify as flexitarians, meaning they mainly follow a plant-based diet but occasionally enjoy meat or fish. This shift is driven by health, environmental, and ethical considerations. For event marketers, offering delicious, satisfying plant-based options is a powerful way to attract and retain more eco-conscious consumers and I regularly blog about food tips on the Green Living Blog. Marketing Ideas: Share sizzling summer treat visuals: Capture the heat with vibrant photos and videos of colourful vegan burgers, smoky jackfruit sliders, and BBQ veggie platters. Incorporate your brand colours, logo and slogans into the images to make them eye-catching and perfect for sharing on social media. Tell the stories behind the bites: Share behind-the-scenes content of your plant-based vendors — from farm-fresh ingredients to sunlit prep kitchens. Use reels or carousels to highlight the inspiration behind each summer dish and build a connection with your audience. Collaborate with eco-conscious influencers: Partner with UK-based vegan and sustainability influencers to give your summer menu a boost. Let them preview dishes, go live from your event, or run giveaways that amplify your reach. Launch a summer hashtag challenge: Encourage attendees to post their favourite plant-based plates using fun, branded hashtags like #GreenGrillFest or #PlantPowerBBQ. Offer prizes for the most creative summer-themed posts to drive engagement and user-generated content. Key takeaway: Offering high-quality plant-based dishes at your event is not only an ethical choice but a marketing strategy that increases your event’s relevance and shareability following current lifestyle trends. 2. Offer Quirky Low and No-Alcohol Drink Alternatives Need to Knows: The mindful drinking movement is reshaping social norms around alcohol. The statistic that nearly 1 in 3 UK adults are reducing their alcohol intake is supported by recent research from Aviva, driving demand for creative, sophisticated low- or no-alcohol options. Marketing Ideas: Host interactive online events: Invite your audience to live virtual mixology classes where they can learn to make your event’s top low-alcohol drinks. Leverage polls and quizzes: Engage your audience by asking them to vote on which alcohol-free drink should be featured at your event or guess ingredients for prizes, and run Instagram giveaways to boost participation and excitement. Develop branded AR filters: A fun filter that adds your event’s signature mocktail to selfies encourages user-generated content and wider reach. Key takeaway: Offering and incorporating creative low and no-alcohol drinks into your event marketing helps broaden your event’s appeal and taps into a booming wellness market. 3. Follow the Wellness Movement Need to Knows: Consumers are increasingly seeking drinks that do more than just quench thirst — they want beverages that boost immunity, enhance mood, and support overall wellness. Functional drinks like kombucha, adaptogen-infused elixirs, and probiotic waters are trending rapidly across the UK. According to Grand View Research, the UK kombucha market is experiencing significant growth, reflecting a broader consumer shift toward health-conscious beverage choices. Marketing Ideas: Educate with summer-smart content: Share fun, bite-sized facts about the cooling and health-boosting benefits of your summer event drinks using Instagram carousels or TikTok snippets. Host a “Summer Wellness Hour”: Introduce a dedicated time during your event featuring functional mocktails, chilled herbal teas, or coconut-based smoothies paired with light yoga or guided meditation sessions to attract wellness-seeking attendees and followers. Launch a sunny drip email series: Warm up your subscribers with refreshing wellness tips, exclusive early-bird offers, and sneak peeks of your summer drink menu to build buzz before the event. Run a “Find Your Summer Sip” quiz: Engage followers with a fun interactive quiz — like “Which tropical wellness drink suits your vibe?” — to boost shares, saveable content, and brand love. Key takeaway: Wellness drinks resonate strongly with today’s health-conscious consumers and add a unique experiential layer to your summer event marketing. 4. Celebrate Intercultural Flavours & Community Sharing Need to Knows: The UK’s multicultural culinary scene continues to influence festival menus, with street food-style sharing platters from Morocco, Korea, India, and the Mediterranean gaining huge popularity. In fact, the UK street food market is now worth around £1.2 billion, with over 7,000 street food vendors across the country — a number that’s grown by 20% year-on-year, according to Street Food Business Expo 2024. These communal dishes are perfect for summer social settings and make