PC Events & Experiences added local flair to an event in Cancun by including a Mayan greeter. Photo Courtesy of PC Events & Experiences

In the last century, the United States has truly become a melting pot of nationalities and cultures. Travel throughout the country and you’ll experience a wealth of different customs and cultures across entire cities to smaller neighborhood subsets within urban areas. From unique eateries to diverse cultural events, association meeting planners and event attendees have a wealth of opportunities to be exposed to memorable cultural experiences.

According to Tracy Orpin, CMP, senior meetings and events planner at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), it is helpful for attendees to learn and understand the local culture of the area they are visiting. It adds an element of not only interest, but fun as well.

“It benefits the attendee in being educated on the location they are visiting. It benefits the area as a whole when people have the opportunity to learn and understand the culture of the area,” Orpin says.

Orpin and her team are working on an event in the Kansas City area, which espouses many historical avenues to explore, specifically the Jazz District, the African-American Heritage Trail and the Negro League Museum, to name a few.

“The city is rich with interesting history that many don’t know exists,” Orpin says. “When we are hosting meetings out of town, we always do an ‘off-site’ dinner or event. We always try to do something at a local venue that has rich history of the area.”

For instance, Orpin recently had an off-site dinner in Phoenix at the Heard Museum. She had the museum open prior to the dinner and hired local artisans through the museum to showcase their trade or culture.

“They greeted the guests upon arrival with a Native American Fancy Dancer. We also had a wood doll carving artist, and a basket weaver inside the museum showing off their skills and speaking about their trade to our guests and answering questions,” Orpin says. “The guests loved learning about the culture and heritage of the area.”

In some of Orpin’s past events, she has built gift bags with all the local food, beverages and gifts from a local artisan.

“Again, it is an education for people who aren’t aware of where some things were started or came from,” Orpin says. “It adds a level of interest in the area they are in.”

Patrick Crosson, CMP, DES, chief experience owner at PC Events & Experiences, says incorporating local culture into association events is one of the biggest trends, and asks, in the industry today.

“As our world has become increasingly global, attendees are craving experiences that immerse them into local culture to expand their understanding of the destination they are visiting,” Crosson says. “On a psychological level, when you’re learning and tying emotions (often evoked as you witness new cultural experiences) to event experiences, you create a deeper connection to the one who provided it. For meeting and event planners, that translates into increased ROI and commitment from attendees year over year. Attendees remember these experiences, which tie them to your event, and rave about them to friends and potential attendees.”

From an attendee perspective, Crosson says many of the benefits are intangible at first. The sense of joy, creating impact, knowledge gained – all of these ultimately foster a more worldly individual.

“They might not come back changed from one particular event, but as they experience these opportunities through your association events, their own minds expand and gradually they become a more productive and collaborative member of the association, if not society,” he says.

From a community destination perspective, the benefits might be more tangible right off the bat. Selling products, supporting local community members, creating awareness, and hopefully driving donations, immediately affect the community.

Crosson says CSR activities that are connected to the local community are an excellent way to incorporate this.

“Don’t just clean up a local park. Clean up a local park and bring the local park district into the event to educate your attendees on what they do to program for local children or community members,” he says. “Tying a heartfelt story to the activity creates a deeper impact.”

One of Crosson’s favorite, most recent examples of incorporating local culture into an event is an activity he produced in partnership with a local nonprofit in Cancun. The nonprofit coordinated a group of 20 youth from a local school to come to the client’s conference on the last day and paired them each with an attendee. Together, they participated in a field day-style race of local games the youth play on a regular basis.

“This gave our attendees the experience of interacting with local youth, and the latter all walked away with a nice prize for themselves,” Crosson says. “An easier lift to incorporate local culture is through food and beverage. Work with either your hotel or a catering partner for evening events to craft a menu that truly leans into the local culture, but challenge them to go deeper than surface level. If you’re in Kansas City or Memphis, for example, don’t just have your basic barbecue. Instead, have the hotel or catering team bring in a local restaurant chef to ensure your attendees are receiving the most authentic experience. Make it an action station so they can interact with the chef. Or bring in a local restaurant team and have them craft an entire station as part of your welcome reception.”

For Valerie Bihet, director and visionary at VIBE Agency, incorporating local culture into destination events is essential for creating unique and memorable experiences that resonate with attendees and help accomplish your business goals.

Adding in elements of the local food, music, arts or history in an interactive way creates a more immersive experience for your guests. That has them connect more with each other and with the local spot. The more memorable you can make the event, the longer its effect will last after they leave, creating a longer impact.

“I think if you can do something experiential, that will be more impactful than just giving them a gift or souvenir. For a Hawaiian incentive trip we planned, we included a hula workshop and lei-making activity into the programming,” Bihet says. “We also did a conference in Japan with a tea ceremony, ikebana workshop and sake tastings.”

Finding a local dance troupe, musicians or artisans who specialize in showcasing their country (or city) culture is always a good idea, too. Plus, this way you are hiring local vendors and supporting that economy versus bringing in bigger entertainment from outside, which could also really impact your budget.

“Also, work with your caterer to source ingredients from local farmers and suppliers – another way to help the economy and tie in the cultural cuisine,” Bihet says. “Examples of this would be a BBQ station or breakfast taco bar for an event in Austin, seafood stations in the Caribbean islands or a guacamole station for a Mexico event.”

Val Delaney, executive vice president of the Association of Destination Management Executives International (ADMEI), further points out that for the host community, incorporating local culture into events boosts the local economy by encouraging visitors to spend at local businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and shops.

“It also promotes cultural exchange and pride, as local traditions are showcased to a wider audience,” Delaney says. “This interaction strengthens community ties, fosters a sense of local identity and supports the preservation and celebration of cultural heritage.”

Delaney recommends setting up a local artisan market at the association event as another great way to introduce attendees to regional crafts and goods. Additionally, using transportation methods tied to the destination adds a cultural touch, making the experience more immersive.

“Attendee gifts are another opportunity to incorporate culture. Working with local artisans who can personalize items, such as custom colognes, jewelry or hats, allows attendees to take home a piece of the destination,” Delaney says. “Even if the budget doesn’t allow for custom gifts for every attendee, you can still showcase local artisans by displaying their creations as décor along the walking routes. These ideas not only enhance the event but also help attendees engage with and appreciate the local culture in a meaningful way.”

As the chair of the International Beverage Dispensing Equipment Association’s 2025 Conference Planning Committee, Morgan Morris has found that when association event planners incorporate local culture into events, it creates a more immersive, memorable and engaging experience for attendees.

“With culture incorporated, it takes a typical event, conference or trade show and helps attendees feel more connected to the destination, promoting a deeper connection, and serves as a great conversation starter,” Morris says. “As a millennial, we value authenticity and meaningful experiences, so showcasing the local culture also gives us the chance to engage in a way that feels a bit personal. It also adds an emotional element to the event, which strengthens the association’s or event’s reputation for curating an authentic, thoughtful and engaging experience.”

Event planners can host a live demonstration or workshop featuring a local vendor, have a live demonstration featuring a cooking demo of regional cuisine or present a live performance with traditional music.

“Or consider themed networking events. Instead of generic cocktail receptions, host a regionally inspired event like a Louisiana crawfish boil, a Hawaiian luau or a Texas-style BBQ, complete with local food, entertainment or décor,” Morris says. “You can also collaborate with local makers for custom attendee gifts like handcrafted coffee, local honey or city-themed art. While I was at a Denver conference, I was given a local craft beer with a guide to the city’s best breweries in my attendee welcome swag bag.”

Also, Morris says association event planners should not underestimate the power of personalization. She believes that the future could hold a lot when it comes to events incorporating a tailored and custom experience for attendees.

“It’s important to embrace hyper-personalization, whether it is matching attendees to personalized networking experiences by similar interests or goals to facilitate a high-value connection or, instead of a one-size-fits-all cultural experience, offering multiple options – like a food tour, yoga class or an art walk – just based on attendee profiles,” Morris says.

Continuous Evolution

Crosson advises association event planners to always make sure that you’re checking your facts and being culturally sensitive to the local community. Never make assumptions, and make sure what you’re bringing forward as a local cultural experience is actually a true representation of it.

“Unfortunately, sometimes stereotypes of a destination are brought forward instead of facts,” he says. “Tap into local education, government or event resources to ensure you don’t accidentally create a blunder the whole association will talk about.”

Orpin envisions that culturally rich experiences are something that association event attendees will continue to be interested in, especially when she goes to different cities.

“We look for the unique and interesting cultural aspects of each location we visit so we can share with our attendees,” Orpin says. “It’s amazing to me how diverse our cultures are from not only state to state, but city to city. At the end of the day, we are all so alike, but how fascinating are the differences that make us unique.”

For Delaney, the more immersive and unique an experience is, the more memorable it becomes. When attendees have opportunities to connect with local culture, whether through food, music or interactive activities, it creates lasting memories they’ll talk about and look forward to experiencing again.

“In today’s world of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), attendees want Instagram-worthy moments that allow them to capture the essence of both the event and destination,” Delaney adds. “The better the event and the memories created, the more likely attendees will want to return for future events. Culturally rich experiences provide a unique opportunity that enhances both the event and the anticipation for future gatherings.”

Bihet agrees that cultural and destination-rich experiences are here to stay. She points out that post-event surveys show higher satisfaction rates when events include meaningful cultural elements, such as unique venues, performances or local cuisine. Millennials and Gen Z are also vocal about their desire to support locals anywhere they go so smart planners will incorporate that.

“Attendees are more likely to remember a keynote session accompanied by a local cultural performance or a breakout workshop that features traditional crafts than if it’s just someone speaking to them,” Bihet says. “Incorporating local culture not only enhances the attendee experience but also positions events as more meaningful, impactful and socially responsible. By thoughtfully integrating cultural elements, planners can create memorable moments that resonate long after the event ends, fostering deeper connections between attendees, the destination and the event’s overall purpose. It’s a win for engagement, satisfaction and community impact — key pillars of successful, future-focused events.” | AC&F |