During the event: execution and engagement strategies
During the event: execution and engagement strategies
Balancing act: navigating diverse expectations
Let them choose their own adventure
The modern event planning industry involves detailed consideration of attendee demographics to create inclusive, engaging, and personalized experiences. By understanding and addressing the specific needs and preferences of different attendee groups, you can achieve higher engagement and satisfaction.
“I always say that we are not organizing an event for a group of people. We are organizing an event for a group of individuals. And so, if you customize the experience, the content and the communication to who they are as individuals, the better the engagement will be.”
Antoine Mercadal, VP of Global Employee Experience at Criteo
Research shows generational differences amongst attendees, even down to preferences in event swag. David Tort, the Head of Incentive Events for the Experience Studio at Amex GBT Meetings & Events further elaborates on generational preferences, “We have learned that younger generations value wellness, adventure and authenticity, local contact, social-first experiences, and connectivity. On the other hand, older generations place more value on dining experiences and cultural visits to nearby destinations.”
Keep it snappy or lose the crowd
Not everyone has the attention span for long programming anymore. As Stephanie Harris, the President of the Incentive Research Foundation says, “When you're delivering the core of your message and you lose people, that does not bode well. I'd rather deliver a truncated version of a research study that the audience finds exciting.”
Event professionals should offer various lengths of programming, and make sure sessions aren’t longer than they need to be. Otherwise, you risk disengagement and losing your audience.
Balancing act: navigating diverse expectations
Let them choose their own adventure
The modern event planning industry involves detailed consideration of attendee demographics to create inclusive, engaging, and personalized experiences. By understanding and addressing the specific needs and preferences of different attendee groups, you can achieve higher engagement and satisfaction.
“I always say that we are not organizing an event for a group of people. We are organizing an event for a group of individuals. And so, if you customize the experience, the content and the communication to who they are as individuals, the better the engagement will be.”
Antoine Mercadal, VP of Global Employee Experience at Criteo
Research shows generational differences amongst attendees, even down to preferences in event swag. David Tort, the Head of Incentive Events for the Experience Studio at Amex GBT Meetings & Events further elaborates on generational preferences, “We have learned that younger generations value wellness, adventure and authenticity, local contact, social-first experiences, and connectivity. On the other hand, older generations place more value on dining experiences and cultural visits to nearby destinations.”
Keep it snappy or lose the crowd
Not everyone has the attention span for long programming anymore. As Stephanie Harris, the President of the Incentive Research Foundation says, “When you're delivering the core of your message and you lose people, that does not bode well. I'd rather deliver a truncated version of a research study that the audience finds exciting.”
Event professionals should offer various lengths of programming, and make sure sessions aren’t longer than they need to be. Otherwise, you risk disengagement and losing your audience.
Next-level engagement: AI & tech in action
More than screens – it’s a shared experience
Sharing information enhances attendees’ perception of their value and self-worth. To help attendees feel more engaged and open to sharing, event professionals should include opportunities for attendees to share new knowledge, insights, and experiences. This can be facilitated with technology-driven interactive elements throughout the event such as interactive polls, immersive Q&A sessions, and round-table discussions.
Dr. Sahar Yousef suggests making it obvious what actions you want attendees to take at an event. And, even more importantly, “make it very obvious how this action would be aligned with how they perceive themselves, their identity.” For example, suggesting that asking a question during a panel can showcase them as a thoughtful industry contributor may encourage them to participate.
Your event upgraded
Antoine Mercadal suggests using technology for the entire event experience, not just registration. Leveraging technology for enhanced event experiences can include, “Social media strategy, collaborative assets, voting systems, gamification platforms, badges or things that have an RFID inside that allow you to scan much easier, and translation.”
Martin Joyce, Director of Events at dentsu UK&I, emphasizes the use of technology to maximize time and streamline project management, saying, “Our integration and information systems use AI and automation to help balance workloads – not by replacing people, but by freeing up their time to focus on more strategic and meaningful work.”
Another suggestion from Jill Maxwell is to have tech-embedded badges. These allow attendees to click others’ badges to exchange contact information. At the end of the event, attendees will have a roster of all the contacts they connected with in a fun and engaging way.
Next-level engagement: AI & tech in action
More than screens – it’s a shared experience
Sharing information enhances attendees’ perception of their value and self-worth. To help attendees feel more engaged and open to sharing, event professionals should include opportunities for attendees to share new knowledge, insights, and experiences. This can be facilitated with technology-driven interactive elements throughout the event such as interactive polls, immersive Q&A sessions, and round-table discussions.
Dr. Sahar Yousef suggests making it obvious what actions you want attendees to take at an event. And, even more importantly, “make it very obvious how this action would be aligned with how they perceive themselves, their identity.” For example, suggesting that asking a question during a panel can showcase them as a thoughtful industry contributor may encourage them to participate.
Your event upgraded
Antoine Mercadal suggests using technology for the entire event experience, not just registration. Leveraging technology for enhanced event experiences can include, “Social media strategy, collaborative assets, voting systems, gamification platforms, badges or things that have an RFID inside that allow you to scan much easier, and translation.”
Martin Joyce, an Event Manager at dentsu, emphasizes the use of technology to maximize time and streamline project management, saying, “Our integration and information systems use AI and automation to help balance workloads – not by replacing people, but by freeing up their time to focus on more strategic and meaningful work.”
Another suggestion from Jill Maxwell is to have tech-embedded badges. These allow attendees to click others’ badges to exchange contact information. At the end of the event, attendees will have a roster of all the contacts they connected with in a fun and engaging way.
Leaving your attendees with more than a branded stress ball
If you’re going to give a gift, be sure that it’s useful and sustainable
Out of pride or brand awareness, organizations may want to plaster their logo across the entire event, but that won’t necessarily leave a positive lasting impression. As George Kingston, the EMEA Lead for Executive Engagement at LinkedIn puts it, “I’m not going to walk around my office with the logo of somebody else’s company on the notebook. The intersection between thoughtful and useful is key, and that sometimes has nothing to do with the company’s logo.”
Further, event professionals should prioritize sustainable gifts. As Erika Sjoholm states, “Anything that isn’t sustainable, take it off the list. The days of plastic tchotchkes and non-reusable, unpractical items are over.” Giving away useless items will be seen as wasteful, and, “that’s not an identity that anybody wants to tie to their brand. Event strategy should be a critical lever of your organization’s sustainability strategy.”
Some ideas for gifts that event professionals could consider leaving that would be memorable, sustainable, useful, and/or foster continued engagement include:
- Access to exclusive content or community.
- Gift cards.
- Donations to charities.
- Non-branded practical items tied to the event theme.
Leaving your attendees with more than a branded stress ball
If you’re going to give a gift, be sure that it’s useful and sustainable
Out of pride or brand awareness, organizations may want to plaster their logo across the entire event, but that won’t necessarily leave a positive lasting impression. As George Kingston, the EMEA Lead for Executive Engagement at LinkedIn puts it, “I’m not going to walk around my office with the logo of somebody else’s company on the notebook. The intersection between thoughtful and useful is key, and that sometimes has nothing to do with the company’s logo.”
Further, event professionals should prioritize sustainable gifts. As Erika Sjoholm states, “Anything that isn’t sustainable, take it off the list. The days of plastic tchotchkes and non-reusable, unpractical items are over.” Giving away useless items will be seen as wasteful, and, “that’s not an identity that anybody wants to tie to their brand. Event strategy should be a critical lever of your organization’s sustainability strategy.”
Some ideas for gifts that event professionals could consider leaving that would be memorable, sustainable, useful, and/or foster continued engagement include:
- Access to exclusive content or community.
- Gift cards.
- Donations to charities.
- Non-branded practical items tied to the event theme.
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