Attendees expect a balanced blend of time on their own, opportunities to interact with peers and memorable experiences. Courtesy of Tina Husemoller/ Fox World Travel

Gone are the days of static schedules, where speakers shuffle on stage delivering varied messages to stationary attendees who are essentially inundated with hours of content. Today, attendees expect meetings and events to be personalized affairs, where fluid agendas reign, appealing to a diverse audience with a variety of interests and preferences.

Etoulia Salas-Burnett is the director of the Center for Digital Business at Howard University. Her role places her at the intersection of event planning, digital innovation and experiential learning. When evaluating the evolving attendee expectations at meetings and events, Salas-Burnett focuses her approach on hosting a higher volume of smaller, niche events. This strategy has proven effective in several ways:

• Enhanced personalization/engagement – Smaller events allow planners to tailor content more closely to specific interests and needs of the audience, resulting in higher satisfaction ratings.
• Improved attendance accuracy – There is a trend towards higher fidelity to registration numbers.
• Hands-on learning in real time –  Smaller groups allow for more in-depth activities, which enhances engagement, retention and practical application of the knowledge shared.

“In addition to niche events, I also have adopted an ‘intentional networking’ practice,” Salas-Burnett said. “Many people, especially my young audiences, are still building back social skills in our post-pandemic world. We scaffold networking experiences through various formats, such as guided discussion and collaborative activities.”

Feedback-driven iteration is another critical way that events and event planning have changed. Attendees expect that their feedback will be heard, responded to and addressed in future versions of an event experience in a timely manner.

Tina Husemoller, vice president of meetings and incentives at Fox World Travel, said that attendees expect a balanced blend of time on their own, opportunities to interact with peers and memorable experiences.

“It appears today’s attendees want fluid agendas and the ability to choose their path that links them to the content at hand,” Husemoller said. “Attendees appreciate being able to tailor their schedule based on what is relevant to them regarding interests and needs, whether that be session topics, excursions/activities or free time. This creates more anticipation prior to the event and provides an overall better experience while at the event.”

In Husemoller’s experience, today’s meeting planners are generating enthusiasm by transforming the registration process into an engaging experience to build anticipation on the part of attendees.

They are accomplishing this by creating personalized agendas and customized schedules for attendees.

“This provides a more tailored experience that allows each attendee to get the most out of the event,” Husemoller said. “Pushing out real-time updates and notifications during the event to keep attendees informed and engaged.”

Kimberly Bean, event specialist at KBT Creative Support Services, said today’s events must exceed expectation, respecting attendees and their specific objectives. Not only do today’s meetings and conferences require the most precious resource: time, organizations also spend large amounts of money to host corporate events so ROI must be proven to revenue managers and boards.

“Participants are laser-focused on content as it justifies their attendance and benefits their organization,” Bean said. “The opportunity to choose unique pathways is vital in furthering an individual’s expertise (as Continuing Education Credits are valued) and quantifies expenditures required to host attendees.”

Key Attendee Expectations

Today’s event attendees are seeking experiences that go beyond the traditional, one-directional presentations of the past. As Salas-Burnett explained, in a world where data-driven personalization reigns supreme — from online interactions to entertainment and advertising — attendees now expect the same level of tailored curation in their event experiences. They want the autonomy to chart their own paths, choosing sessions that not only align with their personal and professional goals but also engage them in different ways.

“I’m seeing a shift in preference away from the standard lecture format towards more varied and interactive session styles,” Salas-Burnett said. “This evolution reflects a broader trend where individuals seek experiences that are informative, and also uniquely relevant and engaging.”

For example, when attendees have the freedom to engage with topics that genuinely interest them, there’s a distinct increase in engagement and participation. Salas-Burnett stressed that allowing them to choose content that resonates with them leads to more dynamic discussions, increased energy in sessions and networking that is both more active and meaningful.

As she explained, this level of agency enriches the event experience for attendees but also benefits facilitators. It results in a more committed and engaged audience.

“I’ve observed a higher fidelity to registration numbers, which demonstrates that attendees are more likely to attend and participate in sessions they have personally selected,” Salas-Burnett said. “This, to me, is a clear indication that personal investment in the topics is a key driver of attendee satisfaction and participation.”

At a recent networking event preceding a conference, Salas-Burnett and her team introduced breakout sessions tailored to the various reasons attendees were participating in the conference. The groups were segmented into four categories: career advancement and planning, entrepreneurship and tech ventures, tech skills and learning, and tech community and networking. This segmentation, based on their goals and intents for the conference, led to richer, more engaged and natural discussions.

To increase the element of choice, attendees also had the freedom to move between groups. As Salas-Burnett explained, this flexibility encouraged exploration and allowed participants to engage in conversations most relevant to their interests. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees particularly valued the more focused and personalized conversations.

“This experience reinforced the importance of flexibility in event planning and highlighted the value of offering experiences that resonate with individuals’ personal and professional aspirations,” Salas-Burnett said.

When being given the opportunity to choose topics that excite them, Bean added that attendees are grateful when they can drill down on specifics, advance successful outcomes, as well as gain better understanding and proficiency in various topics.

“The ‘buzz’ is palpable within the conference/meeting community, word travels quickly and it often leads to standing-room-only in certain sessions,” Bean said.

When registering for a conference, Bean has designed questions where attendees are able to choose their sessions in advance (within a capacity); pre-planning is a “must.” However, this does not guarantee that someone won’t “jump ship” and float over to the more popular speaker/subject.

Bean said it is important to understand your audience and their expectations. Attendees should not feel they are being “monitored” and not allowed in sessions that might truly be helpful or educational, so it is a tightrope of sorts.

Bean has groups that offer breakouts concurrently, which keeps the participants energized and engaged, but that takes valuable breakout space, speakers must be carefully scheduled and costs more to have additional space in a venue setting.

Going Beyond Content

While personalization in content is appealing to today’s attendees, so too are customized food, activities and breakout sessions.

According to Salas-Burnett, attendees nowadays are voicing a desire for more diverse and healthier food options that accommodate a wide range of dietary needs, including vegan, plant-based, gluten-free and keto choices. The use of food trucks at events has also gained popularity because of the variety of cuisine offerings and unique dining experience it offers.

“Regarding activities, there’s a trend towards more varied and immersive experiences,” Salas-Burnett said. “Modern attendees appreciate opportunities to be entertained and engaged in ways that align to the event’s theme or their personal interests.”

This might involve hands-on workshops with practical outcomes such as developing a social media content strategy, or wellness activities like yoga or terrarium-making workshops. Modern event activities should aim to strike a balance between entertaining, valuable and relevant.

The format of breakout sessions is evolving as well. In Salas-Burnett’s experience, there’s a noticeable shift towards more interactive and intimate settings, like smaller roundtable discussion focused on specific affinity groups, or “ask me anything” sessions with industry leaders, moving away from the traditional lecture-style format.

“These varied session formats encourage active participation and deep exploration of topics, allowing attendees to engage more meaningfully with the subject matter and with each other,” Salas-Burnett said.

In Bean’s experience, meetings and conferences are no longer cookie-cutter, one-size fits all. The audience is enlightened and expects far more than 10 years ago. That’s why careful consideration is required in the planning process, healthy F&B options are now the norm and special attention must be given to creative, attractive and delicious menus that accommodate those with various dietary restrictions.

“Activities for interests range from culinary pursuits, athletic options and historical tours. Many organizations are also choosing to ‘give back’ to the community in which they are hosting a conference/meeting,” Bean said. These “give back” opportunities range from food drives, to assembling toiletry bags for shelters, children’s hospitals and retirement homes. It is a positive and beneficial experience for everyone involved.

Bean has had groups that immediately notify caterers that all leftover food will be immediately taken to the local shelter. Also, when planning celebratory events, Bean encourages clients to allow delivery of floral centerpieces and swag to the local Ronald McDonald House and assisted living facilities.

“Breakout sessions must provide content that is genuinely useful and worth the time required. Attendees are well-versed in their fields, therefore breakouts should be informative, reliable, accurate, feature interesting presenters and experts in the fields that engage and educate.”

Challenges of Choice

Delivering a well-established, non-flexible itinerary is simpler and more efficient than offering attendees a variety of choices. Incorporating choice into event planning, while immensely valuable, can be a complex undertaking, particularly in terms of logistics and resource management said Salas-Burnett. “This complexity is often magnified by the event’s size and the support team’s capacity.”

One of the primary challenges is ensuring that the quality of the event remains high across all offered options. “With diverse topics, multiple tracks and varied session types, it’s easy to overextend resources and dilute the overall event quality,” Salas-Burnett said. “It’s also crucial to maintain the event’s central narrative amidst a broad array of choices, balancing the need for variety with coherence.” Remember, options should be distinct enough to cater to different audience segments, but also harmonized enough to fit seamlessly within the event’s overall theme.

Budget constraints present another significant challenge. More options typically mean increased costs, not just in terms of content but also in logistics, staffing and technology. As Salas-Burnett said, this necessitates careful budget-planning and often creative problem solving to strike a balance between offering variety and maintaining cost-effectiveness.

“Additionally, managing attendee flow and space allocation becomes more intricate with multiple concurrent sessions,” Salas-Burnett added. Efficient utilization of spaces and smooth navigation for attendees are essential to prevent overcrowding or confusion.

Bean agrees that the square footage for breakouts can suddenly become an issue, as either the room is too small or very few attendees show up for a specific speaker/session and the speaker feels second rate.

“Standing-room only does not always convey success when reflecting on a conference,” Bean said. “Participants expect comfortable seating and temperature; good sound, top audiovisuals and attractive aesthetics of the space, such as natural light, are often a fundamental expectation in today’s meetings and events.” Every venue, be it hotel, resort or convention center does not have natural light from the outdoors, so breaks and meals should be planned accordingly in light, bright and separate pre-function spaces.

For planners exploring the idea of allowing attendees to customize their experience, Salas-Burnett advises planners to start small and gather as much feedback as possible. Understanding your audience is key; the more insights you have into their preferences and needs, the better equipped you are to offer choices that are both attractive and of high value.

“Start small by introducing a few elements of choice, such as varied session formats or parallel tracks, and use attendee feedback to refine and expand the options,” Salas-Burnett said. “In addition to post event surveys, consider live polling during the event and informal conversations to get the most genuine and specific feedback.”

She would also remind planners to keep the primary goal in mind: enhancing attendee experience without compromising the event quality or coherence. Though it is tempting to jump right into diversifying an event’s offerings, take your time and let your attendees’ feedback guide you. This measured and controlled approach will allow you to seamlessly transform your event experiences.

Customization is vitally important in today’s planning and attendees want to ‘own’ their experience; and they expect planners to understand their time is honored and not to be wasted. “If an attendee or client feels valued, it is appreciated and that, to me, is the definition of a successful conference or meeting,” concluded Salas-Burnett. C&IT