In June, we hosted our proprietary immersive event, Inside Live at AIA24 to showcase what we’ve learned about audiences and what they want from events.

Our goal? Design a hands-on learning event that brings event planner attendees inside the experience and inspires them to elevate their own events.

So, we partnered with the American Institute for Architects (AIA) during its annual conference in Washington, D.C. to give our attendees exclusive, behind-the-scenes education centered on three themes: experiential learning, personalization, and thoughtful networking (with a few surprise and delight moments along the way).

Here’s how we brought these themes to life across the 1.5-day attendee journey:

1. Experiential learning

Immersive education pulls attendees out of the conference room and propels them into memorable, hands-on experiences that continue resonating long after the event ends. We did this by bringing attendees behind-the-planning scenes of AIA24 with two immersive sessions.

Floor tour

The expo at AIA featured five experiential zones covering trending topics in the architectural industry. On day one of our event (before the floor officially opened), we gave our attendees a behind-the-scenes tour of AIA’s expo that included strategizing the the show floor experience, revenue-generating sponsorship activations, and an in-depth overview of each experiential zone to understand the strategy and how it mapped to attendee goals.

In June, we hosted our proprietary immersive event, Inside Live at AIA24 to showcase what we’ve learned about audiences and what they want from events.

Our goal? Design a hands-on learning event that brings event planner attendees inside the experience and inspires them to elevate their own events.

So, we partnered with the American Institute for Architects (AIA) during its annual conference in Washington, D.C. to give our attendees exclusive, behind-the-scenes education centered on three themes: experiential learning, personalization, and thoughtful networking (with a few surprise and delight moments along the way).

Here’s how we brought these themes to life across the 1.5-day attendee journey:

Keynote call

A seamless and effective keynote kicks off your event and sets the tone for the entire experience.  But what all goes into orchestrating this carefully choreographed stage dance of speakers, video content, sets, and more?

We gave our attendees the best seat in the house with an exclusive, behind-the-stage experience to watch and listen as our production teams worked together to call the keynote (which involves multiple producers, microphones, cameras, and screens) in real time. Then, during a later session, attendees went behind the stage to hear more (through headsets!) about how the keynote came together.

2. Personalization

Getting personal means finding varied ways to fine-tune the experience within groups and/or topics. Customizing the journey for Inside Live at AIA24 began when attendees registered — we asked questions about preferences, pain points, and passions, then tailored the experience based on their answers. This allows you to understand who attends your events and what type of experience(s) they seek, so you can deliver the personalized value they’ve come to expect.

Bountiful breakouts

We know that attendees are interested in leveraging the experience of experts in a more conversational way. So, we developed Mentor Think Tanks — small trending topic discussion groups organized by attendee interests and demographics led by accessible subject matter experts. This approach led to more meaningful and relevant conversations.

AI on the fly

Our recent Trends Report indicated that attendees crave learning opportunities that evolve into hands-on experiences. Following our general session on artificial intelligence led by Connor Grennan, Head of Generative AI at NYU, we split into smaller working groups (based on demos and skill level) for a hands-on, innovation-meets-engagement AI learning activity. The result? Fun and (often hilarious!) AI-generated creations that brought attendees together.

3. Thoughtful Networking

Thoughtful networking involves designing unique and organic experiences based on your attendee data — understanding your audiences and their varied personality types, goals, and expectations. It means giving your guests dedicated time to connect on a personal level, as well as discussing specific pain-points and passions. We used our registration survey to pair like-minded attendees and mentors throughout the experience to initiate deeper conversations and connections.

Quick connections

We know Gen Y and Z want to connect earlier, so we got people connecting from the jump. On large, colorful LED monitors placed in different areas of the room, we posed fun questions about non-work-related activities such as vacations, binge-worthy TV, and movies. While congregating around their preferences, attendees connected quickly and easily.

Bright bites

Networking experiences don’t have to be complex. For our Dine & Dish lunch, we orchestrated a rainbow of plate options (yellow, blue, red, and green) for attendees to choose from that corresponded with similarly hued table arrangements. Each table featured conversation starters, which encouraged more colorful convos.

4. Surprise and delight moments

There’s nothing better than watching attendees light-up during an experience your team designed. An easy way to create something fresh and delightful (without breaking your budget) is take an existing element of your event and elevate it.

Sweet spot

Eye candy

Message makers

Now it’s your turn! Take this inspiration to elevate your next event by blending immersive learning, personalized elements, and intentional networking. And to ensure the best outcome start with the data — then design the experience based on attendee interests (and ladder those up to align with your goals) for the ultimate win.

Event audience expectations continue evolving, and that includes the high value they place on networking experiences.

According to the Freeman Trends Report: 2024 Attendee Sentiment and Behavior, attendees value networking opportunities where they can make connections (new and old), exchange ideas, and have access to industry experts.

Based on our latest research, here are three planning do’s and don’ts to help simplify the networking component of your next event.

DO …

1 Plan for networking space throughout your event

Give attendees multiple spaces to stop and interact, rest, have a snack, or refuel with their favorite caffeinated beverage. Cup of coffee and a conversation, anyone?

ASCRS placed a bar with plenty of seating and an education stage at the center of its show. The area exceeded engagement expectations.

RSNA built a large, open networking area with an education stage, multiple smaller spaces with tables where snacks and beverages could be purchased, and nooks for more focused or private conversations.

2 Use apps and AI to bring people together

You can automate networking plans and measure results for future planning thanks to easy-to-use, AI-based apps.

42Chat helps curate conversations between attendees who have similar interests and backgrounds.

Zenus AI turns sentiment and real-time data into objective insights, and can show you where groups are mostly likely to congregate, stop, or have a positive sentiment.

3 Turn networking into an experience

Add engagement activities where attendees can mix with colleagues, interact with industry experts, and cultivate new connections in an entertaining way. And if your networking experience includes a learning component, all the better!

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) created an immersive experience, where attendees and association members were able to network, along with a presentation stage, demonstrations, and snacks/beverages.

Explore more step-by-step networking event ideas.

DON’T …

1 Ignore different types of audiences

Learn what activities or experiential activations appeal to your audiences. For example, consider extroverts, who thrive on crowds and conversations, versus introverts who may be more likely to attend festivities that generate smaller group connections.

2 Overschedule your event

Packing too much content into an event can backfire with attendees feeling overwhelmed and exhausted — and actually lead to taking in less content.

Build in time between keynotes and sessions that gives attendees a chance to connect with each other and recharge (in those networking spaces that you planned out in your event design).

3 Miss out on sponsorship opportunities

Networking events create sponsorship opportunities that can help cover the costs of your networking or even help offset costs of your show!

Focus on sponsors who are industry experts or brands that can provide learning activities to truly enhance and elevate the networking experience.

Who’s your networking expert?

During the planning process, it’s a good idea to assign a networking expert on your team who can focus on this essential part of the show and ensure it’s prioritized.

Want to learn more about planning networking? Go here.

Need an expert event partner to support you with the best ways to oversee and incorporate your networking strategy?

Let’s get to work for you!

What You’ll Learn

How AI impacts your role as an event planner

What is AI and what isn’t

How to turn AI into ROI

AI seems to have burst onto the scene overnight. With no escape from this new and sometimes uncertain technology, having to learn about (or even use) AI isn’t always the most comfortable place to be.

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We feel you.

Because we had questions, too. So, we consulted with our AI experts to find out what was behind this technology and why it was making such a big splash — and why we should trust it.

Take a look at what we found out in our latest guide. You may be surprised at how much AI has been in our daily lives, and for how long! And hopefully, you’ll find some of the answers you’ve been looking for, most notably, how AI is impacting the roles of event planners.

AI continued …

Once you’ve made your way through this guide, check out our blog on work life with AI, to help with everything from getting through your day-to-day to building out a marketing strategy.

The Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) found a way.

Partnering with Freeman and mdg, a Freeman company, ASCRS was able to capture attendee sentiment at its Annual Meeting and turn that data into quantifiable, usable insights.

Watch the video below to see why everyone is all smiles about the results.

Get a closer look at how ASCRS is using sentiment to calculate the future value of its event.

Sponsorships are a great way to add value to any show. And when done well, everyone benefits: organizers, exhibitors, and attendees. But with changing audience expectations, and budgets being watched more closely, smart event managers are reimagining the standard sponsorship package. Since brands and budgets run the gamut, it’s a good idea to offer a wide variety giving every potential partner an opportunity to sign on whether it’s a logo placement or a full-on, branded activation.

So, here are five ways to break through sales barriers while boosting the value of your sponsorships (and show) at the same time. Cha-ching!

1 Be strategic

Start by looking at the objectives of your event, exhibitors, and attendees. Then, work to align sponsorship offerings with your specific industry, audience, location, and obviously the venue. Consider every surface and environment as a potential blank canvas for sponsorship activations. Think long hallways, expansive windows, columns, atriums, recharge areas, etc. Any and all of these places can be fertile places to craft activations that resonate with attendees.

At SXSW this past March, the expo floor repurposed a large section of space to create a sponsored yoga/meditation area that included expert led sessions along with open slots for quiet reflection. And remember to get outside the venue, literally and figuratively. A branded fun run can encourage attendees to network while they sweat. Plus, other partners can get in on the fun by integrating offers and messages during or following the race.

2 Get creative

Work with your sponsors to create unique, interactive ways audiences can interact with branded activities and displays to create more memorable experiences. Experiment with activations in unexpected, in-between spaces like venue entrances, hallways, patios, etc. Test different options and ideas to expand exhibitor options and drive revenue. Looking for something sustainable? Consider a custom water bottle station. At Zoomtopia, a sponsored activation featured a live graffiti artist customizing water bottles for attendees leading to a long line of eager and thirsty attendees ready to snag a personalized vessel.

3 Offer true value

Potential partners are evaluating multiple opportunities for sponsorship, so how can you make your offerings stand out? Map out what you can provide as part of the deal with things like detailed data on your attendee/audience base, discovery sessions to help build out a custom program, personalized solutions to meet their unique challenges, and data tracking during the event with a post-event report.

4 Package it up

Help your potential partners buy in by creating simple, all-in-one packages. But also, be flexible by allowing them to build something tailored for their unique needs. When building packages, consider what’s most important for your target prospects and how this package can help achieve goals such as brand awareness, thought leadership opportunities beyond an exhibit, building pipeline, product trials, updating a contact database, closing deals, etc.

Find the objective, then design the activation. 

That can go in reverse, too. For a recent event, the organizer was brainstorming ideas with a potential partner when it came up that the incoming attendee age was substantially younger than in years past. Together they came up with the idea to create a branded space for professional headshots knowing that free shots would attract younger attendees who may not have one as well as more seasoned visitors looking for an upgrade.

5 Make it easy

Help make the process as simple (and repeatable!) as possible. Offer ongoing support, frequently asked questions, and be willing to brainstorm as the program develops. For sponsors who know what they want fast, offer a self-serve element so they can plug-and-play to get started right away.

The best thing about creative sponsorship packages and offerings is they have the flexibility to benefit everyone: the planner, sponsor, and attendee. When the sponsored offerings are win-win-win, your event can’t lose.

Want to add more value to your show floor experience?

Grab our latest guide.