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Tips & Trends

The concept of <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/tag/153/bleisure">bleisure</a> has influenced the events industry for at least a decade now. As people look to combine business with leisure when they travel—such as adding a family vacation before or after an annual conference—planners are adjusting their programming accordingly. They might provide flexible room packages so attendees can stay longer, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/356/add-family-time-to-the-agenda">incorporate family time in the agenda</a>, or promote nearby activities and attractions in addition to the main events.
While bleisure shows <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/02/03/3019439/32656/en/Bleisure-Travel-Market-Set-for-Explosive-Growth-Projected-to-Reach-US-4-177-2-Billion-by-2035-Fueled-by-a-17-8-CAGR-and-Robust-Revenue-Growth-Says-TMR.html">no signs of slowing</a>, there is a growing attendee trend that also goes by a mash-up name: frolleagues—friends who are also colleagues.
Knowing a frolleague will be at an event may help ease the anxiety of business trips. Among Gen Z travelers (born 1997–2012), 70% look forward to traveling for work, but they are also more likely to find the experience stressful than older generations do, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/press-releases/gen-z-wants-to-travel-for-work/">2025 study</a>. Planners would do well to find ways to appeal to these younger attendees—Gen Zers and millennials (born 1981–96) will make up nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/genz-millennial-survey.html">three-quarters of the workforce by 2030</a>.
Gen Z attendees, in particular, are looking for <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/419/do-good-feel-good:-planning-meetings-with-meaning">meaningful experiences</a> and connections. But designing events that <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/531/win-over-gen-z-win-over-everyone">focus on the needs of Gen Z will benefit everyone</a> at your event.
<h3>Here are four ideas for making events attractive to frolleagues.</h3>

<h2>Unique Transportation</h2>
Sometimes, a journey with friends can be just as exciting and memorable as the destination. When coordinating off-site activities, get creative in considering how attendees will get there.
If your location is near the water, see if the property can access a water taxi. At <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/rswwi-the-westin-cape-coral-resort-at-marina-village/overview/">The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village</a>, for example, friends and colleagues can board the taxi from the event space to the beach and back, or hop on for a sunset dolphin cruise. The daily water taxi is a year-round, complimentary amenity for resort guests, offered through the on-site marina. Guests can choose one of both water taxi options daily.&nbsp;
The hour-long ride takes frolleagues on a cruise to Fort Myers Beach, with views of mangroves, dolphins, and coastal wildlife along the way. At the beach, frolleagues can relax together in the sun or explore beachside bars and shops.
If you’re in a city offering autonomous (self-driving) vehicles, such as San Francisco, this type of ride could also make for a memorable experience. Encourage frolleagues to <a target="_blank" href="https://activities.marriott.com/north-america/usa/california/san-francisco/activities/sf_highlights_private_tour_in_waymo_self_driving_car-XGO8VM">take a Waymo tour</a> between sessions.

<h2>Breweries with Besties</h2>
With nearly 9,800 craft breweries around the U.S., you’re never too far from a fun, pub-inspired place to raise a glass with friends.
Craft breweries, especially, are known for their unique menus of food and drink, and their local flavor. As nonalcoholic beers and cocktails become more widely available, friends can partake regardless of their drink preferences.
Brewery X Harbor Island is an attractive destination for frolleagues staying at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sansi-sheraton-san-diego-resort/overview/">Sheraton San Diego Resort</a> —and they can enjoy it without having to leave the property.
Groups can choose from a variety of draft beers and bottles from Brewery X and other notable local beer-makers while enjoying the laid-back vibes. Seasonal activations include live music, trivia nights, and game-day viewing parties.

<h2>Community Service</h2>
Sustainability continues to be a focus among event planners and attendees. Properties that <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/483/hosting-sustainable-events-while-supporting-local-culture-and-communities">support local culture and communities</a> through conservation efforts give people a means of contributing directly to worthy causes while providing an outlet for collaboration and camaraderie among friends.
For instance, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/hnmsi-sheraton-maui-resort-and-spa/overview/">Sheraton Maui Resort &amp; Spa</a> supports several local initiatives that can allow friend groups to find a deeper meaning and a profound sense of connection through volunteering.
Working with <a target="_blank" href="https://mauinuiseabirds.org/">Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project</a>, for instance, volunteers from Sheraton Maui remove invasive grass that predators use for hiding spots, and plant native plants to prevent erosion and provide safety for seabirds.
Through <a target="_blank" href="https://treecoveryhawaii.org/">Treecovery Hawaii</a>, volunteers help plant trees in pots at the Sheraton Maui that will be nurtured and later donated to residents who lost their homes to fire.

<h2>Serious Game Time</h2>
<a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/421/push-play-on-your-next-meeting-with-games">Games</a> have long been a staple of engaging meetings. They’re a chance to liven any activity, whether attendees are working together to overcome a challenge or simply enjoying themselves.
Las Vegas can be a place where business gets done, but as the entertainment capital of the world, it also regularly ranks among the top destinations for fun.
At the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laslx-luxor-hotel-and-casino-mgm-collection/overview/">Luxor Hotel &amp; Casino, MGM Collection</a> frolleagues can head to HyperX Arena for e-games usually only experienced by professional gamers. The 30,000-square-foot, two-level arena houses 150 PCs ready for gaming, plus a professional esports competition stage and VIP rooms that can be booked for private events.
Elsewhere on the Strip, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/lasgm-mgm-grand-hotel-and-casino/overview/">MGM Grand Hotel &amp; Casino’s</a> Level Up is an adult playground with DJ or live music nightly, arcade games and virtual reality gaming, and special theme nights.

Global

Your Events Should Focus on “Frolleagues,” a New Attendee Segment

Appealing Activities for Frolleagues: Friends and Colleagues

Large-scale meetings and conferences are a hallmark of the events industry, but a new format has emerged as a valuable option to planners: micro events.
Nicole Osibodu and Liz Lathan, CMP are big fans of these smaller events. The co-founders of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weareichi.com/">Club Ichi</a>, a membership group for B2B event marketers, often use micro events to connect people within the industry.
“With micro events, you have an opportunity to do things that feel more authentic,” Osibodu says. “You can think through each attendee as individuals. It absolutely <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/474/small-meetings-big-impact:-the-power-of-everyday-events">creates the impact</a> that a lot of planners are looking to get.”
She and Lathan consider a micro event to be anything under 150 people, although they frequently focus on 30 or fewer.
“The micro event has a very strong place in the portfolio of events right now,” Lathan says. “It’s very bottom-of-the-funnel. It’s very relationship-building.”

With micro events, you have an opportunity to do things that feel more authentic.

<h2>When a Micro Event Makes Sense</h2>
Micro events make sense “when you have something specific that you need to make happen,” says Osibodu. For example, micro events are ideal when you’re catering to VIP customers and you’re looking to accelerate the long-sales process.
“If they have a dream client that they’re trying to land, then this is the perfect setting to create an event almost around and for one person, one account,” she says. “That’s the fastest and probably the most cost-effective way to land those target accounts.”
Gathering 10 or 15 influential people from one account allows you to “craft something that’s going to be relevant to their values and their culture, but also bring your sales team together with them,” Lathan adds.
Small-scale events can also be a smart marketing tool. Sonali Nair, CEO of the marketing services firm Segment Agency, explains that micro events can be held in multiple locations ahead of a larger annual event to build excitement, or as a series of follow-ups afterward to maintain engagement. “This varied approach can help broaden the reach of your marketing and events strategy and deepen your relationship with attendees through more continuous, focused interactions,” Nair writes in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/07/17/maximizing-impact-with-micro-events-examining-the-new-trend/">Forbes blog</a>.
Micro events could also take one of these forms, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cvent.com/en/blog/events/micro-events">Cvent</a>:
<ul>
 <li>Skills workshops. In a smaller group, attendees get more personalized attention from instructors while learning something new.</li>
 <li>Product launches. Planners can host multiple smaller meetings for focused customer groups to introduce products and tailor sales pitches.</li>
 <li>Client meetings. Gathering clients who are facing similar challenges, for example, can ensure that everyone is invested in brainstorming solutions.</li>
 <li>Satellite events. In conjunction with a larger meeting, hold several micro events that are easier to travel to and provide relevant content for the smaller groups.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Ideas for Micro Events</h2>
When looking for micro event ideas, planners should think outside the playbook. “It’s really easy to be like, oh, we’ll do one of those—meaning they think they have to pick from the menu,” Osibodu says. “If you want to do a micro event, your job is to not order off the menu.”
Club Ichi recently hosted a four-hour micro event for 20 people at Marriott International's research and design lab, Room27. “They came from all over the U.S. to have a facilitated focus group,” Lathan says. “If you have something that is the right message, the right experience, and the right audience, they will fly anywhere for you.”
Lathan describes another micro event in Las Vegas that she orchestrated for planners. “Our entire concept was showing you a Las Vegas that you didn’t know existed,” she says. “We created experiences that we never would have gotten access to if we were a larger group.”
Attendees went to the ARIA Resort &amp; Casino, Autograph Collection uniform control center to see how 9,000 uniforms are cleaned and pressed each day. At Bellagio, a Luxury Collection Resort &amp; Casino, Las Vegas, they toured the fountain pump room and watched an exclusive water show aboard the repair barge. At MGM Grand Hotel &amp; Casino, they visited the prop and decor warehouse and went on a scavenger hunt.

We created experiences that we never would have gotten access to if we were a larger group.

<h2>Tips for Micro Events</h2>
More than ever, people are weighing the value of attending your event with their time away from work and family. To get people to come to your event—especially a micro one—you need to make it impossible to pass up. Here are a few ways to do that.
Create a personal invitation. “The intimacy of a micro event requires a personal invitation,” Lathan says. “It has to be much more high-touch: someone of importance or of value is sending that invitation. Work with the CEO or the CMO. Who is the right person to make that invite?”
Identify your host for the micro event (hint: not you). “As planners, we’re managing the logistics and maybe the experience. Appoint someone whose job it is to be the host,” Lathan says. “You need that role, especially for micro events, to make people feel like they belong.”
Give meaningful gifts. “It doesn’t need to be expensive. It needs to be thoughtful,” Osibodu says. “Think of something you could order from Etsy—handmade, handwritten.” For a micro event on a chartered yacht, Club Ichi created luggage tags. “It was hand-embroidered for each of the 20 people. This cost us maybe $5,” Lathan explains. “It’s not a huge investment, but it was so personal.”

It doesn’t need to be expensive. It needs to be thoughtful.

Smaller Is Smarter for Meetings in 2025–Here’s Why.

When to Consider a Micro Event and How to Make It Happen

Promote

What’s better than one stellar meeting? Two stellar meetings, combined. Specifically, two or more organizations combining meetings to share resources. Called colocating, this practice helps maximize budget and can lead to intriguing collaborations.
Take it from your peer-experts. Business Events Industry Week 2024 is a colocated event that’s powered by PCMA and Destinations International, in partnership with Destination DC, Events DC, IAEE, ICCA, and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals, and destination organizations. The 2023 event, which took place at Gaylord National Resort &amp; Convention Center in Maryland, saw nearly 2,000 participants gather—a number made achievable by joining forces.
“Based on what participants for Business Events Industry Week were looking for, based on who our target audience is, it’s a great example of how colocated events can become very, very successful,” says Junior Tauvaa, chief business officer at PCMA. Read on to learn more about how colocation can further your goals—and how to do it right.

<h2>What Are the Benefits of Colocation?</h2>
The number one consideration for your events—the attendee—comes out ahead with colocation. Participants can register for an event through one organization but have access to programming and networking opportunities from groups that are separate from but complementary to their “home” organization. This grants them the benefits of attending multiple events, but in an efficient, realistic manner.
“We’re time-deficient as a society,” Tauvaa says. “Attendees vote with their time. Having these colocated events makes sense for everyone. There’s only so much time you can take out of the office, so it’s a big, big plus for our community to offer this to attendees from a time perspective.”
It’s also a plus for you, your organization, and any exhibitors you have. By expanding your event to include partnerships with other groups, organizations can save on spend while maximizing resources—critical in an era when events divisions at large organizations are still regrouping after the tumult of the pandemic and may be short on personnel.
“For most event organizers, their biggest challenges are lack of budget and lack of time, and most planners are handling multiple events,” Tauvaa says. “Having these events be colocated together takes into account these challenges and makes it easier for organizers.”
Exhibitors may also appreciate the chance to be in front of a fresh audience. As for host organizations’ business development departments, they can use a colocated event as an opportunity to test the waters for future joint ventures.

“Look at the experience you’re trying to create, and make it easy for everyone to see how they can meet their objectives at the event. You can capitalize on the energy of each other.”

<h2>Three Tips for Success in Colocating an Event</h2>
“There’s always an opportunity for organizations to colocate if there’s a similar value proposition,” Tauvaa says. “The challenging part is for these organizations to come together and identify gaps without stepping on each other’s toes.” Here are some principles to help you do exactly that:
● Know what you want to accomplish. What are your educational goals? What are your networking goals? Revenue goals? What sort of business connections do you hope to make? Going into discussions with your potential cohosts with an idea of what you want to accomplish will help ensure that your goals will be met while identifying synergies that work for all host organizations. It will also help you make sure that you’re able to build the best case for bringing in the vendors and sponsors who underwrite the event.
● Let the attendee guide everything you do. “Every organization that’s participating will concentrate on what they want to accomplish,” Tauvaa says. “The key is to understand what the participant experience will be.” For example, as you begin to assemble programming, identify events that compete with one another for similar attendees and find ways for them to avoid missing out. Use participant-first logic at every stage of planning. Business Events Industry Week, for example, used a singular registration platform for its 2023 event. Easy for logistics, but difficult for handling responses. This year, organizers opted to have each participating organization handle its own registration—ultimately putting attendees’ needs first.
● Communicate, communicate, communicate. In theory, a colocated meeting saves all planners time and resources. But unless you’re diligent about regular communication, it’s easy for the opposite to happen—duplicated efforts, important items falling through the cracks. For Business Events Industry Week, all industry organizations met regularly to ensure everything was on track at all points on the journey, from concepting to programming to branding to registration. The size of the event meant that there was a planner dedicated to coordinating across all groups. That might not be necessary for your meeting, but designating a person to be the keeper of liaising may be helpful.
The first time you plan a colocated event, you might feel dizzy—meeting planners are used to shouldering a lot of work, and working with colleagues at different organizations can both ease and complicate the process. But by keeping your eyes on the attendee experience, you’re setting all host organizations up for success.
“Look at the experience you’re trying to create, and make it easy for everyone to see how they can meet their objectives at the event,” Tauvaa says. “You can capitalize on the energy of each other.”

Teaming Up With Other Organizations? Keep Participants’ Needs First in Mind.

The Ultimate Collaboration: Colocate Your Next Meeting

If it were as easy as it sounds to “stay in the moment,” the mindfulness-app industry might be worth $1 million—not $1 billion. Fact is, in a world with distractions pinging us from every angle, it can be difficult to be truly present—which detracts from the attendee experience.
How can planners fight this battle for their attendees’ undivided attention? Use tools to help keep attendees’ minds in the moment and resist getting swept up into the rapids of distractions. Some of those tools are even digital—yes, tech can be a distraction in and of itself, but there are ways to harness it to stay present.

<h3>1) Go retro with instant cameras.</h3>
Yes, cameras are ubiquitous, but we’re not talking about the camera on your smartphone here. Remember Polaroids? Part of their charm lies in the one-and-done factor. Planners can activate this sentiment by supplying instant cameras at in-person gatherings.
You can’t top the convenience of digital cameras, but instant cameras are nostalgic and produce tangible photos that you can hold in your hand, <a target="_blank" href="https://dailytitan.com/opinion/physical-items-are-more-valuable-than-digital-ones/article_41f8716e-b90c-11ec-b87e-e3e633282f8e.html">which engage people more deeply</a> compared with their digital counterparts. And something tangible is probably what your attendees are looking for after two years in front of screens. It’s no wonder that <a target="_blank" href="https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/polaroid-instant-film/">Polaroids are making a comeback</a> in the age of smartphones.
<h3>2) Use apps to help attendees focus on the now.</h3>
Another thing about photography: When people take photos on their phones, they tend to immediately look at how the picture came out. Problem is, while attendees have their eyes on their phones, they’re no longer in the moment, missing parts of the event experience. But some photo-sharing apps can remedy this by delaying the payoff. <a target="_blank" href="https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/dispo-digital-disposable-cam/id1491684197">Dispo</a>, for example, acts as a digital disposable camera, building in time for photos to “develop” before anyone can see or share them—eliminating the tendency to look at photos while actually doing the activities being photographed.
Apps’ here-and-now potential goes beyond photos. Since many attendees are going to have their smartphones in their hands no matter what, planners can help attendees use their phones as a tool to stay in the know, in the moment. Some conference apps—such as <a target="_blank" href="https://whova.com/">Whova</a>—let attendees submit questions to live Q&amp;As, participate in polls and quizzes, access resources for more information on sessions and speakers, and interact with other attendees. On most of these apps, the event manager can also send push notifications to attendees about schedule changes and other updates.
<h3>3) Make it interactive.</h3>
Tech-enabled options to deploy during sessions include polls and quizzes—but there are non-tech options too, such as handheld signs distributed to participants, that allow them to express their sentiments during sessions.
You could also simply give attendees a quick task and have them split into groups to complete it—perhaps brainstorming an idea based on a creative prompt, which is then shared with the other groups. Virtual or in person, the goal remains the same: Get people involved. If you give attendees something to do instead of just information to process, chances are better that they’ll stay locked in.

Tech Can Redirect Attention. Here’s How to Use That to Your Advantage.

Three Tools to Keep Your Attendees in the Moment

Flagship events—annual meetings, biannual expos, major conferences—have their place. But a new trend is emerging that amplifies the power of host organizations, and the power of community.
Meet “everyday events”: smaller, more frequent touchpoint meetings. These everyday events—which can be as short as a half-day in duration—are on a smaller scale than what many planners might be used to, and not just in attendance. They have smaller budgets, more focused goals, and more limited time for promotion. But just because they’re smaller doesn’t mean they carry less weight.

<h2>It’s Time for “Everyday Events” to Shine</h2>
Research from the sales event platform, Splash, shows that people need to interact with a brand nearly 30 times before actually making a purchase—a number that’s increased more than 60% in recent years.
Regardless of whether your event is sales-focused, this emerging phenomenon has a place in your meeting strategy. There’s more information available than ever before, so to drive loyalty—whether in sales, membership, or attention—purpose-driven frequency is key.
Touchpoint events also have the potential to address one of meeting planners’ main pain points: availability. Finding availability for events was planners’ No. 2 challenge in <a target="_blank" href="https://globaldmcpartners.com/sites/default/files/media/files/GDPPulseSurvey2022Q4/2022_GDP%20Q4%20Pulse%20Survey%20Summary%20Report.pdf">a survey</a> by Global DMC Partners. It might seem counterintuitive that more events can help relieve this pressure, but because everyday events are shorter in duration, planners can take advantage of one-day slots at venues and in supplier schedules, which are easier to come by.
Finally, there’s the human factor. The tumult of the past few years has attendees reevaluating the big picture—and yearning for connection. Hosting smaller, more frequent events allows people to nurture that instinct. And if that instinct turns into a loyal attendee for flagship events? All the better.

<h2>Four Principles for Creating Successful Touchpoint Events</h2>
1. Lean into what makes an everyday event special. If you approach a touchpoint meeting as a miniature version of an annual conference, you’ll be overwhelmed and attendees won’t get what they need. Instead, remember your mission for these events.
Intimacy-building. Creating a pipeline of communication. Fostering connections that go beyond networking and into collaboration. Large meetings can achieve these goals, but everyday events are crafted specifically for them. Let that guide your attention and your resources.
2. Frequent meetings require frequent communication. Potential delegates can easily be overwhelmed with emails and text blasts about events, and overdoing it risks drowning out communications about larger, revenue-building events. That said, the nature of everyday events means that attendees who might be interested but can’t make the first few iterations might be able to attend later ones.
Social media can hit the right tone and frequency about touchpoint events without overwhelming attendees. <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/422/perfect-the-art-of-the-hashtag">Strategic hashtags</a> can help you subtly avoid confusion among followers about the difference between flagship events and these smaller ones. Also consider a unique branding for these events—an “unplugged” version (softer colors, less flashy typefaces) of your larger event communications can help get the point across.
3. Get experimental. Everyday events aren’t incubators for larger events. That said, their smaller scale allows you to try out new formats and new suppliers with less risk. You can even use everyday events as a pressure test for themes and topics for upcoming conferences and panels, inviting attendees at the smaller events to share their experiences with the “trial-size” version on your social channels to generate excitement for larger meetings. (Who doesn’t love feeling like an insider?)
The smaller format also lets you better connect with attendees to hear their feedback. Post-event surveys are always useful, but these smaller events are also a space for casual feedback, because you’ll have less going on during the event itself. Let attendees tell you what they want to see, what worked, and what didn’t—not just for potential use in upcoming larger events, but to inform your strategy for your next intimate gathering.
4. Choose your team wisely. Touchpoint events are a lighter lift for you and your team, but they still require a good deal of communication. This shows in what marketers report as the No. 1 problem with repeatable events, <a target="_blank" href="https://go.splashthat.com/rs/985-MUN-268/images/2023-events-outlook.pdf">according to Splash</a>: coordinating across departments.
Think of your team as a task force, with each member selected for a specialized skill. When assembling your task force, look for people who are adept at creating systems that can pseudo-automate the logistical planning that goes into these events, people who don’t need a lot of hand-holding, and people who might thrive on having a pet project. Everyday events are an opportunity for early-to-mid-career meeting planners who have enough experience to know what success looks like and how to get there, so keep an eye out for eager employees who are at that point in their careers.

Are More Frequent Meetings the Answer to Planners’ Woes? Surprisingly, Yes.

Small Meetings, Big Impact: The Power of “Everyday Events”

Artificial intelligence has seamlessly integrated into our personal and professional lives. <a target="_blank" href="https://openai.com/index/how-people-are-using-chatgpt/">Hundreds of millions of people</a> use AI-powered conversational assistants to answer quick questions, summarize complex topics, draft emails, and manage daily schedules.
How AI can help event planners, however, is slightly uncharted territory. Discussions in industry forums show that people are open to using AI for event planning but unsure about what tools are worth their time, and how to use them.
Princess Castleberry, a global speaker with more than 20 years of experience in enterprise risk management, crisis response, and wellness, is a self-described AI power user who’s fascinated with the tools. Below, she and Nicole Osibodu, co-founder of Club Ichi, a membership group for B2B event marketers, share their thoughts with us on how to make the most of AI for event planning.

<h2>Planners Use AI to Learn About AI</h2>
You might feel pressure to know everything there is about AI tools if you’re looking for one to use, Osibodu says. The problem is that AI has exploded to the point that it’s virtually impossible to stay on top of it all.
“Expectations of self are really important to set, because AI will drown you,” she says. “It’s a lot to learn about, especially if you don’t even know what it could do and you’re just trying to keep up.”
Thankfully, AI can help with that.
If you don’t know the capabilities of AI tools such as <a target="_blank" href="https://chatgpt.com">ChatGPT</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://gemini.google.com/app">Gemini</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://claude.ai/login?returnTo=%2F%3F">Claude</a> or how they can help, ask them. “You don’t even have to be a prompt engineer. You can go to an AI tool and say, ‘I want you to ask me questions that help me prompt you better.’ Then it will ask you a question, and it gets you in the game,” Castleberry says.
“It solves for the number-one challenge people think they’re going to have, which is: The machine is going to replace me or is going to diminish my intelligence or my contribution or my authenticity,” she says. “It doesn’t have to.”
For a crash course in getting more comfortable with AI tools, Osibodu recommends taking one of the many 28-day AI challenges online. “Just Google them,” she says. “It will tell you every day how long to spend and which new AI tool to learn about. That doesn’t mean download it, use it, do all the things. That means go through for 28 days to know what’s out there.”

<h2>Planners Personalize Their AI Tools</h2>
Have you ever joked about how you need two of you to get all your work done? In a way, AI is the answer. But there’s a caveat: AI can give you generic and uninspired information if you’re not careful, so the more you can train AI by using details about yourself, the more personalized the tool will be for you.
“I use AI as an extension of myself,” Castleberry says. “My AI tools are trained on my persona. For example, I address my ChatGPT as, ‘Hey, twin,’ and start the conversation that way. ‘Remind me of the last five things that we talked about. Do you remember what we worked on?’ And it’ll bring up those conversations.”
As she develops learning experiences for organizations, Castleberry leverages her professional background to further personalize conversations with AI. “I can give my AI a persona and say, ‘As we’re designing this part of the experience, think like a wellness counselor, a client-directed therapist, who would give great advice but not tell people what to do,’” she explains.
“Because I have some expertise in that area,” she adds, “and I know what level and what quality of response I’m looking for out of the AI, if it spits out junk to me, I’m able to use my human intelligence and say, ‘No, that’s elementary. This is an event for Marriott Bonvoy, and these are going to be senior executives, and we need to be at this level.’”
Similarly, Osibodu crafts her AI prompts to get responses that reflect her personality. “I’ll say, ‘Make it sound like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.biography.com/actors/melissa-mccarthy">Melissa McCarthy</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/richard-branson">Richard Branson</a> had a baby.’ It’s perfect every time,” she says. “And then I’ll be like, ‘Give it some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.biography.com/history-culture/betsey-johnson">Betsey Johnson</a>,’ and now it’s a little bit more rebellious and colorful. So that will just help spark some ideas.”
But Osibodu doesn’t stop there. She says she is known for her voice, so after AI helps with the heavy lifting, she takes the ideas and infuses them with her tone.

<h2>Planners Use Industry-Specific AI Tools</h2>
The same AI tools that help with other aspects of your life can be applied to event planning, Osibodu says. For instance, “why don’t you just run your agenda through ChatGPT for help with formatting and emails?”
Event management platforms such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.swapcard.com">Swapcard</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cvent.com">Cvent</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://whova.com">Whova</a> are moving beyond basic voice assistance features and adding robust AI capabilities to their apps, Castleberry says. She shares an example from Swapcard:
“Let’s say you and I are both attending a conference, and we have filled out our profiles, but I don’t know that you exist and how brilliant you are. The app, through the AI, will say I’m very interested in these three things and suggest I connect with you because we have those interests in common.”
One industry-specific AI tool to consider adding to your personal “tech stack”—the collection of apps and digital platforms that you use to go about your business—is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sparkit.ai">Spark</a>, Castleberry says. PCMA launched the platform in 2023 and promotes it as the only AI tool developed by event professionals, for event professionals.
“Spark does a ton of things,” she says, “everything from budgeting and budgeting analysis to RFPs, legal agreements and all of the marketing elements.”

Power Users Share Their Tips to Help You With Your Events

AI in Events: 3 Smart Ways Planners Are Making the Most of the Tech

Gen Z is entering the workforce in droves — they now outnumber baby boomers in the workplace — and they’re bringing new expectations with them. This digital-native generation, born between 1997 and 2012, wants seamless technology, work-life balance, careers that provide a sense of purpose, and attention to diversity.
Though more than 17.5 million Gen Zers are now working full time —and likely planning to attend their first professional meeting or career development conference in the coming year—only 1 in 4 event planners are leaning into the innovation that this generation expects, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.freeman.com/resources/freeman-trends-report-q4-2024/">according to a Freeman trends report</a>.&nbsp;
Read on for four ways you can engage Gen Z professionals with thoughtful touches tailored to their needs and preferences.

<h2>1. Prioritize Digital Communication</h2>
As the first generation of digital natives, Gen Zers have grown up with phones, computers, and smart devices at their fingertips. Their tech-friendly upbringing heavily influences their professional expectations, too.
“Gen Z isn’t just comfortable with technology—they expect it,” says Madeline Miller, a Gen Z career and leadership coach. “They want constant communication and seamless transitions between their physical and digital lives.”
What to try: Communicate about your event early and often, including on social media, so attendees know exactly what to expect before they even get there. Make event hashtags easily accessible so guests can share their experiences with their networks. And consider creating an app that enables eventgoers to easily access schedules, connect with peers, register for workshops, and share feedback in real time.

<h2>2. Include Purpose-Driven Touches</h2>
Gen Zers want to find meaning in the work they do, and they expect the same from the brands and companies with which they affiliate. “They need to feel they are turning up to do something purposeful each day,” Miller says, “and they want their values to align with their work.”
What to try: Focus on sustainability. Print event communications on recycled paper—or, better yet, go completely paperless. Partner with a meeting and events provider that <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/#sustainability">prioritizes eco-friendly initiatives</a> and offers opportunities to offset carbon emissions from your event. “At the end of the day, they can feel good knowing the meeting they’re attending pays close attention to social responsibility and takes those things seriously,” Miller says.

<h2>3. Emphasize Diversity</h2>
Miller says that Gen Z is highly conscious of diversity. “They want to see that there are accommodations for people of different abilities and backgrounds,” she says. That means, in addition to being inclusive of all genders and races, events should be considerate of attendees who live with disabilities, neurodivergent guests, and people with food and dietary restrictions.
What to try: Create a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sensoryfriendly.net/how-to-create-a-sensory-friendly-event/">low-sensory zone</a> for neurodivergent guests or anyone who needs a break from the highly stimulating event environment. In a quiet space, offer comfortable seating, low lighting, and reduced noise. You can set up sensory activity zones so attendees can complete a puzzle, sculpt with clay, draw, or play with fidget toys as they unwind. Remind visitors that while everyone is welcome to use the space, it is not meant for loud conversations or phone calls.

<h2>4. Make Networking Approachable</h2>
Because they entered the workforce during or after the pandemic, many Gen Z professionals are unimpressed by 9-to-5 office work and dated networking expectations. “They find the traditional work structure very constraining,” Miller explains. “They are looking for work-life balance, and that applies to networking, too.”
What’s more, a large networking event can trigger anxiety, especially for first-time eventgoers and Gen Z attendees who may not have many peers with them. “If you’re at a cocktail party facing a big open room of strangers, it can feel like too much,” Miller says.
What to try: Offer thoughtful socialization opportunities. At larger events, try grouping guests by discipline, background, or interests so they have easy conversation topics with other guests. And to facilitate more intimate conversations, allow guests to book short one-on-one sessions with other guests, speakers, or industry experts during a coffee hour. “The barrier to entry is really low, and it can really make it less intimidating to walk up to a stranger and introduce yourself,” Miller says.

Discover more ways to offer meaningful experiences at your next event with our <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/704/designing-for-engagement">Designing for Engagement Toolkit</a>.&nbsp;

From Purpose-Driven Mixers to Paper-Free Programming, Here’s What Really Resonates.

4 Ways to Engage Gen Z Professionals at Your Next Event

You want your event to have a lasting impact. But you don’t want that impact to be on your attendees’ hearing.
Noise-induced hearing loss isn’t limited to people who work with heavy machinery. Repeated or extended exposure to sounds above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss—and given that many sporting events and concerts register at 110 decibels, that’s not a high threshold.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.asha.org/about/press-room/articles/protect-your-hearing-during-noisy-summer-events/">According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association</a>, more than a billion young people are at risk of irreversible hearing damage, in part because of noisy events. But hearing loss aside, too-loud events can also trigger sensory disorders—and can be just plain unpleasant.
“Not all ears are created equal,” says Kayla Johnstone, senior director of project management at Encore, an event experience organization. “Hearing can be a subjective experience and can vary not just person to person but also vary on where a person physically is within a space.”
Protect your attendees’ well-being by reading our guidance on communicating about audio needs, and top-level tips on what to look for.

<h2>Listen Up: Communicating Clearly Now Can Prevent Audio Issues Later</h2>
You’ve devoted yourself to understanding your attendees’ needs. If you’re stopping short of considering what they need aurally, you’re not considering the full scope.
“It all starts with communication with the attendee,” Johnstone says. This can include assessing attendee needs by giving them opportunities during registration to specify preferences or requests, alerting them of any particularly loud programming, and identifying resources you have on hand for people with sensitive audio needs.
Resources Johnstone identified include noise-canceling headphones, designated quiet zones, and flexible seating arrangements that allow participants to enjoy programming while finding the level of stimulation that’s best for them. Low-sensory environments can satisfy a variety of needs: a space for attendees who desire quieter surroundings, closed-captioned programming, and an overflow room for plenary sessions.
She also advises that meeting planners consider the full scope of potential sensitivities when offering alternatives, pointing to the example of silent disco experiences, in which attendees listen to sound through headphones so they can adjust according to their needs. “That’s not a one-size-fits-all solution—some people can experience discomfort when it comes to touch, which needs to be considered,” she says.
Once you understand the attendees’ concerns, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/481/five-tips-for-better-communication-with-your-tech-team">it’s time to communicate with audio technicians</a>. Let your audio team know not just the content of each segment, but the intent behind it. Is the keynote meant to kick off an energetic networking session? Or is it a more somber event meant to ground attendees in fulfilling an organizational mission? Skilled technicians can ensure that the volume matches the mood you’re hoping to evoke at each point.
And don’t skimp on prep time. “Rehearsals and cue-to-cue sessions are crucial for fine-tuning the audio setup, allowing technicians to perfect the balance and energy needed to support the content and atmosphere,” Johnstone says.
As you connect with the audio team, be specific and timely. You don’t have to know exactly what to ask a technician to execute, but the better you can communicate the desired effect—or what undesirable effect is hampering the moment—the better the solution will be. When communicating with the tech team, know whether the issue is general or specific to one part of the space to help them diagnose and fix the problem quickly.

<h2>What Makes a Successful Audio Experience?</h2>
Balancing the need to create an energetic environment with protecting attendees’ hearing doesn’t mean keeping the volume at a bare minimum. “Loud audio is safe in small durations and can be used intermittently throughout a program for moments of impact and high energy,” Johnstone says. “This should be spaced out with moments of lower audio levels to create a dynamic environment while minimizing any harmful effects of constant exposure to loud sounds.”
Go into your tech check-ins understanding that the audio experience isn’t just about volume. It’s also about space. What sort of sound-absorbing elements are in the room? What microphone system is best for the space and the programming? What speaker layout is going to yield the desired effect? Are you able to use delay speakers to evenly distribute sound throughout the room?
“Without delay speakers, attendees at the back may struggle to hear, while those in the front rows could be overwhelmed by the volume,” Johnstone says. Your tech team will guide you to the right choice, but to help them do that, come to your sessions with them equipped with knowledge about your event.
In a world where loud is proud, finding the right volume at your event is as important as finding the right DJ for the after-party. Focus on kicking your communication skills up to 11 and you’ll be in the right groove.

Hear This: Getting Audio Levels Right Requires Strong Communication.

Is Your Event Too Loud?

Channels, frequency, timing, topics—that’s what you expect from a social media strategy. And yes, you need them.
But for any of those decisions to make sense, they need to stem from your driving force: audience and goals.
“For me, content strategy always goes back to: Who’s your audience, and why did they come to your organization?” says Hilary Marsh, founder and chief content and digital strategist of Content Company.
Everything begins with the who and the why. From there, you and your team can figure out the where, when, how often, and what—aka channels, frequency, timing, and topics. Understand your audience and your goals, and you’re positioned to choose the tactics that will reach the right people in the right way. Rush through that foundation, and you’re positioned to … post a lot of tweets.
Here are three principles around audience and goals to keep in mind as you develop your social media strategy.
<h3> </h3>
<h3>Know why your attendees care about the organization in the first place.</h3>
No matter how epic your event, people aren’t showing up for innovative displays and fun cocktails. They’re showing up because they have a connection with the host organization. That connection might be literal (as with an association or corporate event for members or employees only) or figurative (as with a consumer trade show). Whatever that connection is, your social media strategy begins with understanding the bigger picture from your attendees’ perspective.
“Why is the person a member of the association that’s having an annual conference? The reasons they join are the reasons that they would attend,” Marsh says.
Understanding your audience’s motivations lays the framework for every arm of your social media strategy—indeed, for your meeting as a whole. It also has tactical implications: Setting up separate social media accounts for the event might seem like a way to build interest. In practice, it separates the event from the organization as a whole.
“Nobody has subscribed to [a separate meeting account], so then you have a giant challenge of building an audience so that you can engage with them,” Marsh says. “Instead, what a meeting planner might do is weave in information promotions—early bird registrations and such—into the organization’s larger social media channels.” Trust that the content itself, hashtags and all, will be an effective vehicle for what you want to convey without a separate channel.
<h3> </h3>
<h3>Be a translator.</h3>
Learning about your attendees begins with deep engagement with the host organization. Independent meeting planners may have a steeper learning curve here than planners employed by (and therefore immersed in) associations or corporations. For all planners, though, the host organization offers a well of expertise on what matters to you: who the audience is, why they’re invested in the event, and where and how to reach them, in addition to the topic of the meeting at large.
But when you’re crafting a social media strategy, take care not to put the organization’s expertise ahead of your audience. The more of an insider you become, the more information you have—and the higher the risk of being in sync with the organization’s knowledge rather than the attendees’.
For example, branding an event makes sense strategically, but referring to the meeting exclusively in branded terms leaves out attendees and ignores their reasons for wanting to attend.
“Let’s say it’s called the Connections conference,” Marsh says. “Then you see, ‘Connections is happening next week’ or ‘Save $200 if you register for Connections by February.’ Well, if you don’t work there, you’re going to have no idea what ‘Connections’ is, and then it gets overlooked. It’s a matter of not being able to see outside of what you already know. And I see it all the time.” Instead, think of yourself as a translator between the “insider baseball” lingo of the organization and the attendees.
<h3> </h3>
<h3>Think engagement, not marketing.</h3>
You might be marketing an event, but a social media strategy that puts promotion ahead of engagement is likely to be ignored. “Social media is not a one-way channel,” Marsh says. “How do we join in those conversations that the audience is having?”
Think of social media strategy as a microcosm of your meeting. You want the event itself to go off smoothly—and that begins with engaging attendees well before the first keynote, and keeping the event top of mind after everyone is back at home. Social media strategy breaks ground for that ongoing connectivity, lending a layer of continuity to the work you’ve put into the meeting itself.
After all, your meeting exists to help people connect. Why would your social media strategy not do the same? “If you just see social media as a marketing channel, people will tune you out,” Marsh says. “Nobody’s got time for that.”

It starts with the basics—but maybe not the basics you’d expect.

Three Keys to Creating a Social Media Strategy That Works

Audience participation is one of the most tech-forward meeting developments today, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.iacconline.org/iacc-meeting-room-of-the-future">research from IACC</a>. In-session polling offers a particular benefit to presenters and planners: By giving attendees a real-time, active presence in programming, in-session polling can drive engagement and focus.
But there’s a difference between throwing a single question on the screen as a gimmick and truly leveraging the possibilities of live polling technology. Here are three tips for deploying polls in sessions, for you to use directly or to pass on to presenters.

<h2>Power Poll Tactic #1: Choose Your Own Adventure</h2>
Let the poll dictate the direction of a session by allowing attendees to choose at the start what they’d like to learn about. Give two options—or more if presenters are OK with it—and kick it off with the question to the audience.
This requires presenters or panelists to be on board with the plan, but the possibilities for an energetic, spontaneous session may be worth it to the right team. Written agendas should communicate the “choose your own adventure” aspect to attendees, which both builds anticipation for the structure of the session and sets expectations that attendees should be prepared to go with the flow.
This style of engagement works particularly well with panelists who are dynamic and have presented together before, or who otherwise have a strong rapport.

<h2>Power Poll Tactic #2: Repeat Yourself</h2>
Most sessions are meant to change or open attendees’ perspectives in some way, whether that’s through education, persuasion, or promotion. You can get real-time insight into a session’s effectiveness by posing the same question at the beginning and end of a session to gauge whether attendees have changed their mind in any way.
Launch a session by asking a question that’s central to the presentation’s message. Aim for a question that’s slightly provocative to generate intrigue, or simply ask a matter-of-fact question that leans into the possibility of someone changing their mind in-session, such as, “Do you believe that [topic] has the potential to significantly better our industry?”
Yes/no or multiple-choice questions can have a dramatic payoff, but they run the risk of indicating that the presenter has failed to change anyone’s perspective. Depending on the session, eliciting open-ended responses such as “What word comes to your mind when you think about [topic]?” can be effective. Some polling tools have word cloud generators built in; using these to do a before-and-after word cloud can show how an audience has evolved during the session.

Power Poll Tactic #3: Play With Contrast
Solemn topics may call for solemn poll questions to avoid seeming flippant. But a gently amusing question can also serve as an icebreaker—not to get attendees to mingle with each other, but to get attendees to engage more deeply with a topic. In fact, it can help the audience weather any stresses that might arise as a result of a sensitive topic: A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8012602/">2021 study</a> showed that humor lessened levels of the stress hormone cortisol when study participants were faced with a stressful task.
Ideally, a humorous poll question adds both levity and meaning. But if that bar is too high, a playful question with only tangential relevance to the session can still relax attendees. A session on developments for auto safety might, for example, begin by asking a trivia question about a well-known road-trip movie; a presentation about cybersecurity might begin by asking people to vote on what they think is the most commonly used password (<a target="_blank" href="https://nordpass.com/most-common-passwords-list/">it’s 123456</a>, for the record).
Asking questions during a session is more than an engagement gimmick. It can give presenters valuable information that they’ll carry into their future research, help anchor the session, and create a unified experience. And if your presenters are still having trouble getting on board, remind them that <a target="_blank" href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-18566-001">asking questions makes people appear more likable</a>. Who doesn’t want that?&nbsp;

Level Up Your In-Session Polls, Level Up Your Session.

Survey Says! Three Ways to Add Polling to the Program

Meeting planners since the dawn of time have had their eye on attracting the next generation of eventgoers: the people who, if planners can catch their attention now, will form their clients’ base now and in the future.
Generation Z is no exception. But what might make Gen Z a little different as far as today’s meeting planners go is their unique spot in the landscape of eventgoers.
They’re digital natives who launched their careers during a time of global upheaval. But those same traits—taking technology as a given, a sensitivity to the world around them—are shared by every single person at your events, to a degree. In other words, if you cater to Gen Z, you’re actually catering to all of your attendees.
Consider it a variant of the <a target="_blank" href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_curb_cut_effect">“curb cut effect,”</a> or the idea that &nbsp;supporting one group supports everyone. When disability activists successfully advocated for wheelchair-accessible curb cuts (small ramps) throughout United States built environments, they learned that they had achieved a victory that went beyond their specific needs. Curb cuts allowed wheelchairs access to the streets—along with parents pushing strollers, travelers hauling wheeled luggage, workers pushing heavy carts, and skateboarders making use of the urban landscape. In fact, one study showed that 9 out of 10 “unencumbered pedestrians” use curb cuts.
A win for one specific demographic became a win for the community at large. In the same way, taking stock of the needs of Gen Z can help you create events that are more meaningful for everyone. Here are four ways to do just that.

<h2>Make Sure Your Meeting Has Community Impact</h2>
Generation Z came of age during the era of “cause marketing,” with brands promoting their value and community impact along with their wares. This has played a role in younger attendees’ expectations that events will do more than just benefit them—they want the events they pour resources into to support a mission.
Making your meetings <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/482/how-to-talk-with-vendors-about-your-sustainability-goals">environmentally sustainable</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/410/is-inclusion-part-of-your-organizing-principle">inclusive</a>, and culturally sensitive goes a long way with this group. Consider adding an explicit charitable aspect to your meetings too, whether that’s highlighting the economic impact your event has to the host organization (if it’s a nonprofit), creating opportunities for attendees to volunteer at the destination, or hosting extracurricular activities with a philanthropic bent.

<h2>Support Attendees’ Mental Health and Well-Being</h2>
Younger attendees began their careers during the pandemic—a time of peak attention to mental health and emotional wellness. The stresses they experienced as students and young adults show up in their <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/addressing-the-unprecedented-behavioral-health-challenges-facing-generation-z">levels of emotional distress</a>, and it takes flight in the form of their resilience, with self-care becoming a pillar of how young attendees make their way through the world.
To support this mission for all attendees, pay particular attention to how you’re constructing your meetings’ time and space. According to research firm Mintel, 38% of Generation Z reports prioritizing time for themselves, compared with just 27% of adults overall. Incorporating downtime into events can help attendees meet their self-care needs without missing out on programming and networking opportunities. Designating spaces as “quiet zones” or sensory rooms can provide eventgoers with a haven during “on” times as well.

<h2>Demonstrate Your Event’s Value</h2>
Generation Z is less willing to spend money on experiences for experiences’ sake than their predecessors, according to research from Mintel. Yet they’re eager to meet in person: The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.freeman.com/resources/freeman-trends-report-q1-2023/">Q1 2023 events report from Freeman</a> shows that 75% of younger attendees say in-person gatherings provide the most trustworthy information. 
 
To keep their trust, let them know what they’ll expect. Focus on the value they’ll get from investing time in your event, not just the “experience.” Knowing specifics about how they’ll be getting hands-on learning and a deeper connection to colleagues will help them—and all attendees—click “Register Now.”

<h2>Artfully Integrate Technology Into Every Part of Your Meeting</h2>
Digital natives value many of the same analog approaches of previous generations; they just see technology as being complementary to those approaches, not separate. It’s easy to see how that comes into play in remote and hybrid meetings. But keeping technology in an active support role in fully in-person meetings can amplify the reasons people gather in the first place.
What this means for meeting planners: Lean into technology for every aspect of your programming, without making it the focus. In-session live polling, interactive displays, tech-enabled accessibility options, LED volumes, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/422/perfect-the-art-of-the-hashtag">skilled use of hashtags</a>—all of these ladder up to an attendee experience that’s amplified by, not dominated by, technology.

Want to Make Your Meetings More Valuable for All Your Attendees? Pay Attention to the Needs of Generation Z.

Win Over Gen Z, Win Over Everyone

Celebrate

When you’re determining the best furniture setup for your meeting, it may be tempting to go with the obvious. General session? Theater seating. Breakout discussions? Circle or horseshoe. Networking event? Cabaret-style seating.
That might indeed be what your event needs. But to make your meeting more memorable, consider the furniture configuration as a part of the overall design.
“Every single day, you are in interior spaces,” says Drew Condon, studio director and senior associate at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ccirclecreative.com/">CenterCircle Creative</a>, an interior design &nbsp;firm focused on business events. “And how that interior space is designed is going to reflect how you feel. If you’re in a space that feels cold, you’re going to feel that—so we like to design our spaces to where people want to stay in a general session for five hours, people want to go to the breakout and have a collaborative, meaningful meeting.”
Working with an interior designer can ensure that you’re fashioning the space that will help your meeting achieve its mission. Whether you’re working with a designer or DIYing it, here are three territories to consider as you determine which furniture configuration is best for your meeting.

<h2>Start With the Basics</h2>
Much of this will be the nuts and bolts of your meeting’s framework. How many attendees are you expecting? How many general sessions will you be hosting, and how many breakout sessions? What level of catering will you be providing?
Here’s the key to using this rudimentary information skillfully: Don’t stop there. “A lot of times meeting planners think they need something, and we want to help guide them to what they actually need,” Condon says. (The same principle holds true for <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/481/five-tips-for-better-communication-with-your-tech-team">working with your audiovisual team</a>.)
He gives an example of a meeting planner saying that they need a general session with 500 seats and that it doesn’t matter how the furniture is arranged. “So we try to pry into them. Do you need particularly comfortable seating? What demographics are we looking at? Are they wearing casual clothing or are they wearing suits; will they need power?”
If you find yourself making basic seating equations based solely on session type instead of on the needs of your attendees, that could be a sign you’re working by rote. Dig deeper.

<h2>Envision How You Want the Space to Be Used</h2>
“One thing we really wish we knew right off the bat is how attendees are going to use the space,” Condon says. “How much actual time are they spending there—is it an hour or a day? We need to know that so we can design the right space, whether that’s quick and agile or if they’re going to be spending the majority of the conference in that space so we need to provide more comfort.”
The choice of posture, as Condon refers to the way seating affects engagement, can lead you to the right setup. Consider the task that attendees will be engaging with, and plan accordingly. Say that you expect a session to be an intense breakout requiring high focus. Choosing furniture that necessitates an upright posture subtly encourages that attentiveness.
Knowing how you want attendees to interact with technology also informs your setup. If the space is not meant to be used in a technologically interactive way—i.e., phones discouraged—having spaces specifically for attendees to briefly use their devices helps support conference-life balance without encouraging excessive phone use.

<h2>The Biggest Takeaway: How You Want Attendees to Feel</h2>
After Condon has ascertained his clients’ basic needs, he goes to the heart of the matter. “We like to dive in a little bit deeper and ask about what they want their attendees to feel,” he says.
Just as leveraging a destination in a meeting can help make an event more memorable, using furniture and accessories to anchor attendees in an emotional state can help the meeting take root in their memory after the conference has ended. Upholstered furniture, for example, is likelier to create a feeling of softness than metal furniture, which might be more suited to a meeting aimed at productivity.
Even when you’re limited to the furniture inventory at the venue, choosing creative configurations can help facilitate the feeling you’re after. Banquet-style seating for general sessions can help elicit conversation, which may be what you’re after—but if you want attendees to walk away dazzled by a big-name keynote speaker, traditional theater-style seating may keep people’s attention where you want it.
If you’re able to work with a designer, you’re a step ahead. But preparing for your conversation with that designer will pay off. “I hate to say it, but sometimes furniture is the last thing that planners are thinking about,” Condon says. “We want to remind them how important that feeling is to making an event successful.”

Furniture Isn’t Just About Seating. It’s About Feeling.

Three Keys to Choosing the Right Furniture Setup

You want your event to linger in your attendees’ minds long after they’ve gone home. Here’s a way to do that: Have less content.
That might seem like a paradox. But taking the foot off the gas pedal can help make meetings more memorable—the less jam-packed a schedule is, the better that attendees are able to absorb what they’re learning. Here’s why and how to ensure your attendee experience is richer, not busier.

<h2>Why Less Content Makes a Meeting More Memorable</h2>
Meetings, especially multiday gatherings, require a lot of focus from attendees. They’re in sessions, they’re learning, they’re networking. That’s why they’re there, but their cognitive resources often become overwhelmed anyway, leading them to not retain as much information as they would at a slower pace.
This in turn diminishes the value they derive from attending, rendering your meeting less productive than it could be—and potentially making attendees less likely to sign up for your next event. It can also drive burnout, something that 39% of attendees say is still a top challenge for them, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.freeman.com/resources/freeman-trends-report-q1-2023/">according to research from global events firm Freeman</a>.
This is particularly true of Generation Z and young millennial attendees. Freeman’s 2023 report states, “holding them captive at an event center for four days, feeding them every meal and keeping entertainment on-site, flies directly in the face of their well-researched preferences. Their time is their most valuable asset, and they want to spend it wisely.”
Easing up on a meeting’s agenda also supports <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/news-and-highlights/article/518/the-form-of-inclusion-your-events-might-be-missing">neurodiversity initiatives</a>. Delegates—both those with specific neurodiversity needs and those who do not require accommodation—may begin the day full of energy and eager to take in a full day of programming. But between being out of their normal cadence, not having control over their diet and environment, enjoying serendipitous encounters with long-lost colleagues, and being “on” for long periods, they may need time to recharge. People with neurodiverse needs have long been accustomed to modulating their energy to accomplish their goals; when you adjust your programming to account for people who explicitly need support in managing their time and energy, you give everyone a boost.
Not yet convinced? Pruning your schedule can translate to spending less, supporting your budget needs—which <a target="_blank" href="https://globaldmcpartners.com/global-dmc-partners-releases-results-and-key-findings-q2q3-2023-meetings-events-survey">75% of planners</a> say is their top challenge right now.

<h2>How to Pare Down Your Agenda</h2>
Given that costs are still a top challenge, lengthening the duration of an event may not be on the table. Instead, find ways to do less in the amount of time you have.
There are two primary ways to do that: Have fewer sessions and activities, and have the sessions themselves be less jam-packed.
If you opt to have fewer sessions overall, consider facilitating transportation to your destination’s attractions—but without planning a full off-site activity. This helps your attendees make the most of your destination without adding another must-do that might make overburdened attendees groan.
As for giving the sessions more air, work with session leaders to ensure they’re not overloading their presentations with information. If speakers are concerned that their presentations won’t deliver unless they’re crammed with information, remind them that details can be circulated after the presentation via a handout or electronic means. That can free up the talk to give their overall message—and their audience—room to breathe.
Consider incorporating Q&amp;A sessions with no set agenda. At October 2023’s CDW Solution Forum on Cybersecurity at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/satjw-jw-marriott-san-antonio-hill-country-resort-and-spa/overview/">JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort &amp; Spa</a>, one session was a completely freestyle Q&amp;A among panelists from various sessions. Another, dubbed “Hot Topics,” saw two panelists eating progressively hotter salsas while answering audience questions collected throughout the two-day event. The result: a playful, low-cognitive-load session that allowed attendees a chance to relax without worrying about taking notes.
Whether you host fewer sessions or just clean up the ones you have on tap, follow the advice of meetings efficiency expert Philippe Beaudry, who <a target="_blank" href="https://www.meetingcatalyst.co/limit-overload-enhancing-meeting-effectiveness-by-managing-cognitive-load/">recommends</a> scheduling breaks in addition to other tactics that help prevent cognitive overload.
If you find yourself reluctant to pare down on content in order to preserve your event’s value, just remember: When attendees are too drained to enjoy your programming, they’re also too drained to be invigorated by your message. The biggest value-add of all might not be an addition, but a subtraction.

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