Louisa Watson, marketing director of Wyboston Lakes Resort explores the growing importance of experiences and wellness together within event formats...
People will forget most things about an event, but they won't forget the way you made them feel.
It’s what they experienced and how it felt that makes the event remain in their thoughts. At the root of this is the continuing, pressing need for organisations to engage their audiences. Engagement remains a top priority with 82 per cent* of business-to-business marketers viewing it as a crucial key performance indicator and engagement strategies are vital to keep attendees involved.
A new generation
The events industry is experiencing a transformative shift, driven by rapid technological advancements, and evolving demographic trends. With Gen Z and millennials soon to dominate the workforce, creating events that resonates with these groups is crucial. This demographic prefers engaging, interactive, and personalised experiences, and is concerned about wellness and sustainability.
Amenah Rizwan, a Toronto based Gen Z event organiser says that the key to engaging with this group are ‘Personalised invitations, eye-catching aesthetics, fun and a non-traditional approach to event experiences.’
In a feature on how to design events for Gen Z delegates in M&IT magazine, James Kent, sales director Europe at Event Travel Management UK spoke about the Experience Effect. “No longer will events be reviewed by the excess of their giveaways or the amount of information shared, but by the experience attendees had from pre-arrival to post-event. Greater attendee engagement leads to higher output, and a higher output leads to a greater return on investment.”
In recognition of this the events industry is responding by placing greater emphasis on delegate experience and wellness, integrating them into the core of event planning. Accordingly, venues are creating environments that cater for both, while prioritising sustainability.
This shift is driving venues to innovate and offer diverse experiences. While acknowledging that they need to create experiences suitable for any weather, group or environment, many have recognised the benefit of the great outdoors in providing different experiences in healthy fresh natural surroundings. This trend was confirmed by the 2024 IACC Meeting Room of the Future Report which said that nature-based meetings are higher priority than AI integration.
A recent event arranged by Inloco events at Wyboston Lakes Resort for PERI Ltd is a good example. Designed to help the company engage with current and potential customers, the event made the most of the resort’s Experience More features, particularly the outdoors.
While some delegates took to the lakes in water-based activities, others enjoyed the Pinseekers driving range or the 18-hole golf course or walks around the Resort’s 380 acres which includes a nature reserve. Socialising has also evolved, with competitive socialising now a popular trend in corporate events.
Gala dinners are being reimagined with experiences built in, transforming standard networking opportunities into memorable, interactive experiences. Meetings are no longer confined to boardrooms; they now include areas for calm and relaxation, as well as vibrant social hubs where delegates can connect informally.
Catering
Food, a critical aspect of any event, is also seeing a revolution. Beige, uninspired catering has not been acceptable for some time now but attendees expect food that is not only different and really tasty but also contributes to their overall wellness. Venues that offer nutritious, diverse, sustainably sourced and visually appealing menus are setting themselves apart and enhancing the overall delegate experience. “Food is often what people remember after an event!’ said Tracy Armstrong, head of marketing of PERI Ltd.
Sustainability and ESG integration
As sustainability becomes a cornerstone of event planning, understanding, and communicating the ESG impacts, such as emissions reporting, is vital. Agents and venues need to work together from the enquiry stage to ensure clients are well-informed about the environmental impacts of their events and can make decisions that align with their own sustainability goals. The evolving events landscape presents an array of challenges and opportunities.
By embracing new technologies, understanding demographic shifts, event planners can create more engaging, inclusive, and impactful experiences. The key message moving forward is to innovate continuously, adapt to changes, and always strive to exceed attendee expectations, ensuring that every event is not only successful but also ensuring that every event leaves a lasting impact.