In today’s ever-evolving event landscape, keeping attendees engaged is no small feat. They crave unique experiences that go beyond the traditional conference format. They want to connect, learn, and be surprised – all while feeling a sense of belonging.
That’s where Liz Lathan comes in. As a veteran event marketer and founder of The Community Factory, Liz is passionate about creating events that foster meaningful connections and leave a lasting impact. In this exclusive blog post, Liz dives deep into the top 10 engagement trends for 2024, drawing on her extensive experience and insights from the industry.
From the rise of “adventure experiences” to the importance of building communities that extend beyond the event itself, Liz’s expert analysis provides a roadmap for event organizers who want to stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re planning a large conference or a smaller gathering, her actionable tips and practical examples will inspire you to create events that resonate with your audience and leave them wanting more.
So, buckle up and get ready to explore the future of event engagement with Liz Lathan!
We’ve scoured the industry and executed our own research to determine the top 10 engagement trends for 2024. Attendee behavior is changing and we must change our events to match them or we’ll all be put out of business by AI.
What makes events unique and robot-proof is the human experience. So we’ve rounded up the trends that we believe most impact human-centric design in events for 2024.
Engagement Trend 1: The Year Of Adventure
Embracing adventure isn’t just about scoring tickets. It’s about what happens during the experience — and after: meeting new people, discovering shared interests, building connections, making friends, and finding digital and IRL communities to link with beyond that initial event. Immersive, experimental, and interactive events, in particular, are big news.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
Get attendees out of their comfort zone, trying something new, watching someone else try something new, and creating moments of shared experience that they can bond through.
My POV: Examples
- Onsite experiential activities (like graffiti art, animal encounters, AI photo booths)
- On stage adventures (like Hot Ones challenges and interactive keynotes)
- Offsite experiences (local adventures like behind-the-scenes tours, outdoor activities, and things they may not have tried before)
Reported from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/l/event-trends/
Engagement Trend 2: Back To Nature
Three-quarters of 21- to 35-year-olds (and 69% of all attendees) feel more positive about events that enable them to connect with and immerse themselves in nature. Two-thirds of attendees overall (and 73% of 21 to 35-year-olds) feel happier knowing there is a conscious effort to make an event sustainable.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
No one wants to be trapped in a ballroom for 3 days. Your attendees flew somewhere to gather with you – let them experience what’s outside of those four walls.
My POV: Examples
- Communicate sustainable choices you’ve made
- Choose a venue with outdoor spaces
- Offsite experience options outdoors
- Pre- or post-event nature days
- Morning experiences in nature
Reported from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/l/event-trends/
Engagement Trend 3: Disconnect To Connect
We also want attendees to be in the moment instead of seeing an event through their smartphone screen. Regarding concerts and festivals, thankfully, our survey reveals that — on the whole — attendees share this sentiment. 66% of all attendees (and 70% of 21- to 35-year-olds) say they don’t pay much attention to photo opportunities and are only there for the music.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
Plan your agenda with co-working time and catch-up time so attendees can be fully present at your interactive sessions because they know they will be able to answer messages at the next break. Plan analog activities into your event program to give attendees something physical to do with their hands.
My POV: Examples
- Design co-working spaces in hallway areas for attendees to step away
- Plan for conference call spaces where attendees can have a quiet spot
- Craft analog activities for connection, rather than relying on an app
- Hire event wingmen (or women) to help people connect
- Design sessions to be interactive, hands-on workshops
Reported from Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/l/event-trends/
Engagement Trend 4: Zennection
Institutions, brands, and society at large have an important role to play in enabling and supporting the pursuit of wellbeing, without creating stressful imperatives and upholding unachievable standards. It’s time to introduce a softer take on self-care – one where the journey towards being well includes enjoyable, simple acts of movement, mindfulness, and connection.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
It’s not about adding pre-breakfast yoga into the agenda. It’s all about a holistic approach to event design that includes self-care moments and thoughtful cuisine planning, as well as meaningful moments for connection, even curated and/or facilitated conversations.
My POV: Examples
- Quiet rooms.
- Conversation zones.
- Opportunities to get out into nature.
- Experiential group activities to connect outside of work topics.
- Experiences that align with your attendees’ interests (golf, horse-back riding, water activities, depending on location)
Reported from Lululemon: https://bit.ly/LuluWellbeing
Engagement Trend 5: Peerfluence
According to a Nielsen study on consumer confidence in advertising, 88% of respondents preferred recommendations from people they know above other forms of marketing interactions. And according to an Edelman study, there is now a dispersion of authority showcasing that people trust peers with the same level of confidence as they trust scientists.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
Your audience acquisition will come from peerfluence. FOMO isn’t a thing anymore, but “who else is going that I know” is all the rage. With so many events to choose from, knowing you’ve picked the right one with the people you know is the icing on the cake. Even more interesting: attendees prefer experts over celebrities, so bring those industry experts as peerfluencers into your events!
My POV: Examples
- Testimonials
- Case Studies
- Social Sharing
- Endorsements
- Awards & Recognition
- User Generated Content
Engagement Trend 6: Regist-Waition
45% of registrants delay registration until less than four weeks before the event. While patterns have now (mostly) normalized, nearly one in four attendees (22%) waits until the final week before the show to register. Nine percent don’t register until they arrive on onsite. Almost twice as many first-timers register late as repeat attendees who register late (47% vs. 25%). Said simply, your veteran attendees aren’t the problem: 75% of them are registering early.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
You have a choice: Plan for late registrants, or plan to close registrations having potentially not met your target number of attendees. The Maritz report share several tactical mitigation solutions, but in the end, you’ll need to either drive urgency or scarcity or budget for the consequences.
My POV: Examples
- Analyze your own history
- Rethink early bird discounts
- Don’t open registration too early
- Plan targeted discounts and group rates
- Bundle conference fees with membership
- Focus on VIP packages to drive early registration
Reported from Maritz: https://info.maritz.com/registration-report
Engagement Trend 7: The Core Four
Commerce, networking, learning, and experience are top priorities. Varying priorities influence decision-making and desires. It all comes back to personalization. It’s time to move from “We have lots of activities” to “We have invested in the type of experience/ learning/networking/commerce that you need.”
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
Strategic planning for your event is more important than ever. You can no longer reproduce last year’s event with last year’s format and think attendees will be happy. It’s time to take a look at your demographics and adjust the mix of activities based on your goals and the desires of the attendees.
My POV: Examples
- What percent of your agenda is each element and does it align with the needs of your attendees?
- Are you exhibitors and sponsors getting the audience they need for ROI?
- How does your event experience differ from competitive shows?
- Are you adding curated networking opportunities into the mix?
Reported from Freeman: https://bit.ly/Freemantrends
Engagement Trend 8: Work-Life Integration
Attendees’ desire for professional and personal alignment comes as no surprise considering that an increasing number of professionals seek work that provides purpose and prioritizes work-life integration.
Although Next Generation Event Goers are more likely to seek close overlap (36%), whether you’re 25 or 55, most respondents feel that at least some overlap is important.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
It’s time to ditch the demographics and focus on the valuegraphics. Explore David Allison’s Values Guide and add this foundational element into your strategic planning process. You can no longer design for generational needs. You now must design for value needs.
My POV: Examples
- Dig into valuegraphics: https://lnkd.in/gfvmJpTx
- Plan for co-working spaces at your event and time in your agenda
- Design activities that let attendees make friends, not just transact business
- Choose locations that are conducive to letting attendees bring their family
- Design the keynote room so people who want to text during sessions have a standing table in the back to lean and work
Reported from Freeman: https://bit.ly/Freemantrends
Engagement Trend 9: Meaningful, Not Transactional
Attendees don’t just want to swing by an exhibit booth and grab a pamphlet. They want to engage with exhibitors intentionally through hands-on activities.
However, our 2023 exhibitor report uncovered that only 7% of exhibitors believe that lead nurture and engagement are top priorities.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
Attendees who are coming to your event to solve a problem want help finding solutions and don’t want to trick-or-treat from booth to booth. It’s time to put more thought into what happens inside the box, and not just focus on creating the box.
My POV: Examples
- Meetings
- Conversations
- Hands-on demos
- “Event wingmen” (or women)
- Curated networking opportunities
Reported from Freeman: https://bit.ly/Freemantrends
Engagement Trend 10: Belonging Over Inclusion
It isn’t enough to be inclusive if that means that your voice still isn’t heard, welcomed or valued. That’s why the topic of belonging is one to watch. Belonging is different. Belonging is the next evolution in diversity, equity and inclusion. As these terms have become more polarized in recent years than intended, it’s time to focus on the end goal: belonging. Helping people feel valued—regardless of their differences—is where we need to be.
My POV: What It Means For Your Events
There’s a difference between being invited and feeling like you belong. You truly feel a sense of belonging when you meaningfully connect with others and believe that you’re a part of something. Ensuring that all attendees feel that sense of “home” with your attendees and at your event is key.
My POV: Examples
- Acceptance
- Inclusion
- Support
- Safety
- Connection
- Recognition
- Engagement
- Empowerment
- Shared values and goals
Reported from Forbes: https://bit.ly/ForbesTrendsBelonging
If you need any help sifting through these and understanding examples that can apply to each one, drop me a line. I’d love to speak at conferences, to internal teams, or even on podcasts sharing these findings and ways you can design for the next generation event goer (as Freeman calls them).
We also offer engagement audits and consultations through The Community Factory, so I’d be thrilled and honored to help your company or association!
