Before the event: event strategy and planning
The most memorable events don’t start on arrival – they begin well before. From understanding who your attendees are to building anticipation and allocating resources wisely, this early stage is where strategy and intention matter most.
Before the event: event strategy and planning
The most memorable events don’t start on arrival – they begin well before. From understanding who your attendees are to building anticipation and allocating resources wisely, this early stage is where strategy and intention matter most.
Know your crowd: unlocking attendee expectations
Read the room
Event professionals should keep in mind that attendees’ expectations can significantly influence their behavior and perceptions during social interactions. Research demonstrates that people are more likely to react negatively when their expectations of fairness are violated, but they also tend to respond generously to unexpectedly positive behavior. Similarly, managing attendees’ expectations at events — including meeting anticipated standards of fairness and delivering delightful surprises — can enhance their satisfaction and promote a more positive event experience.
Knowing who’s in the room – and what they value – shapes everything from venue and destination choices, programming and event design to content personalization. Understanding who is attending and why, their goals for the event, and any specific needs will naturally create a more customized experience.
To get a fuller picture of the audience before the doors open, today’s event teams are leaning into tools like:
- Persona mapping.
- Market research.
- Pre-event surveys.
- AI-powered insights.
Understanding your audience is also about appreciating what they’ve already experienced. When your guests include directors, VPs, and C-suite executives, the bar for value is higher. These are individuals who’ve seen a lot, so content must be curated, data must be sharp, and the experience should feel fresh, relevant, and worth their time. The challenge is to deliver something that surprises and delights even those who’ve seen it all.
Advancements in technology have helped make this possible. AI-powered tools can now generate detailed attendee profiles and even brief internal teams to personalize interactions from the start. As well as draw insights from registration data, engagement history, and social media behavior. These tools are helping event professionals plan with precision and deliver more relevant content, connections, and experiences.
“I always ask my team to start with audience personas or types. We talk about what these folks need—training, exposure, fun, networking? Then we build a cross-functional team around those personas.”
Meera Iyer, Former Head of Marketing, U.S. Bank Merchant Services
Thoughtful planning fosters inclusivity and respect
Designing for different needs, like dietary restrictions, accessibility, or cultural differences, begins by listening to people from various backgrounds.
Close attention to local customs and cultural differences is critical to providing an authentic experience for attendees. For international audiences, involving your own members or partners from various cultures helps create an event that resonates.
As Matt Whisker, the Senior Manager of B2B Experiential Marketing in APAC at American Express says, “It's most impactful to start with a market-based approach to ensure that anything created will resonate and be considered respectful and authentic to that hosting culture.”
Know your crowd: unlocking attendee expectations
“I always ask my team to start with audience personas or types. We talk about what these folks need—training, exposure, fun, networking? Then we build a cross-functional team around those personas.”
Meera Iyer, Former Head of Marketing, U.S. Bank Merchant Services
Read the room
Event professionals should keep in mind that attendees’ expectations can significantly influence their behavior and perceptions during social interactions. Research demonstrates that people are more likely to react negatively when their expectations of fairness are violated, but they also tend to respond generously to unexpectedly positive behavior. Similarly, managing attendees’ expectations at events — including meeting anticipated standards of fairness and delivering delightful surprises — can enhance their satisfaction and promote a more positive event experience.
Knowing who’s in the room – and what they value – shapes everything from venue and destination choices, programming and event design to content personalization. Understanding who is attending and why, their goals for the event, and any specific needs will naturally create a more customized experience.
To get a fuller picture of the audience before the doors open, today’s event teams are leaning into tools like:
- Persona mapping.
- Market research.
- Pre-event surveys.
- AI-powered insights.
Understanding your audience is also about appreciating what they’ve already experienced. When your guests include directors, VPs, and C-suite executives, the bar for value is higher. These are individuals who’ve seen a lot, so content must be curated, data must be sharp, and the experience should feel fresh, relevant, and worth their time. The challenge is to deliver something that surprises and delights even those who’ve seen it all.
Advancements in technology have helped make this possible. AI-powered tools can now generate detailed attendee profiles and even brief internal teams to personalize interactions from the start. As well as draw insights from registration data, engagement history, and social media behavior. These tools are helping event professionals plan with precision and deliver more relevant content, connections, and experiences.
Thoughtful planning fosters inclusivity and respect
Designing for different needs, like dietary restrictions, accessibility, or cultural differences, begins by listening to people from various backgrounds.
Close attention to local customs and cultural differences is critical to providing an authentic experience for attendees. For international audiences, involving your own members or partners from various cultures helps create an event that resonates.
As Matt Whisker, the Senior Manager of B2B Experiential Marketing in APAC at American Express says, “It's most impactful to start with a market-based approach to ensure that anything created will resonate and be considered respectful and authentic to that hosting culture.”
Shaping content around your audience
Memorable events start with meaningful content. Personalization is key. Planning for content should begin early, shaped not only by event goals but also by what matters to your audience. Even before the agenda is finalized, gathering input through registration questions or pre-event surveys can reveal what attendees most want to learn or discuss. Offering suggested topics or leaving room for open-ended ideas helps make your programming feel personal, relevant, and worth their time.
Shaping content around your audience
Memorable events start with meaningful content. Personalization is key. Planning for content should begin early, shaped not only by event goals but also by what matters to your audience. Even before the agenda is finalized, gathering input through registration questions or pre-event surveys can reveal what attendees most want to learn or discuss. Offering suggested topics or leaving room for open-ended ideas helps make your programming feel personal, relevant, and worth their time.
Even when topics are pre-defined, asking attendees which aspects interest them most allows you to tailor sessions to real questions and priorities. This creates a sense of ownership and connection – critical drivers of engagement. People are more motivated to engage with experiences aligned with their personal identity and needs. By reflecting your audience’s goals and interests, your content becomes not only more relevant but more memorable.
Ultimately, the most impactful sessions deliver on two fronts: they speak directly to attendees’ interests and are designed to make the message land. Whether that’s through dynamic speakers, engaging formats, or opportunities for interaction.
Even when topics are pre-defined, asking attendees which aspects interest them most allows you to tailor sessions to real questions and priorities. This creates a sense of ownership and connection – critical drivers of engagement. People are more motivated to engage with experiences aligned with their personal identity and needs. By reflecting your audience’s goals and interests, your content becomes not only more relevant but more memorable.
Ultimately, the most impactful sessions deliver on two fronts: they speak directly to attendees’ interests and are designed to make the message land. Whether that’s through dynamic speakers, engaging formats, or opportunities for interaction.
Building buzz before the big day
Anticipation makes the moment stick
Creating excitement and anticipation before an event can prime attendees to be more engaged and help them remember the experience better. A study from The Journal of Neuroscience shows that anticipation can regulate dopamine release, enhancing motivation and reinforcing behavior.
Building buzz before the big day
Anticipation makes the moment stick
Creating excitement and anticipation before an event can prime attendees to be more engaged and help them remember the experience better. A study from The Journal of Neuroscience shows that anticipation can regulate dopamine release, enhancing motivation and reinforcing behavior.
Event professionals can tap into this instinct by building curiosity and expectation for their events through teasing information to spark connection and excitement. This can be done through:
- Exclusive sneak peeks and early access.
- Countdowns.
- Reward-driven challenges (e.g., digital scavenger hunts, social media contests, points for attending presentations).
Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve research shows that people tend to forget information over time unless they’re reminded of it. For event professionals and marketers, that means a single invite isn’t enough. Strategic reminders spaced out over time don’t just boost recall, they build anticipation and keep the event at the front of the attendee’s mind.
“Anticipation triggers dopamine, which primes curiosity and strengthens memory. It tells the brain: pay attention, this matters. And yet, it’s still underutilized in the event space.”
Dr. Sahar Yousef, Cognitive Neuroscientist, UC Berkeley
Event professionals can tap into this instinct by building curiosity and expectation for their events through teasing information to spark connection and excitement. This can be done through:
- Exclusive sneak peeks and early access.
- Countdowns.
- Reward-driven challenges (e.g., digital scavenger hunts, social media contests, points for attending presentations).
Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve research shows that people tend to forget information over time unless they’re reminded of it. For event professionals and marketers, that means a single invite isn’t enough. Strategic reminders spaced out over time don’t just boost recall, they build anticipation and keep the event at the front of the attendee’s mind.
“Anticipation triggers dopamine, which primes curiosity and strengthens memory. It tells the brain: pay attention, this matters. And yet, it’s still underutilized in the event space.”
Dr. Sahar Yousef, Cognitive Neuroscientist, UC Berkeley
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