Personalization has become an event-strategy buzzword, but the execution often is surface level, leading to subpar results. As we approach a new year, now is the perfect time for planners to rethink their approach by experimenting with more innovative, meaningful ways to personalize the on-site experience.
"Sometimes we get caught up in the technology side of personalization. We personalize emails, we recommend sessions, we put people's names on badges and color code them," said ElectraLime Marketing founder Lisa Schulteis during a recent Northstar Meetings Group webinar. “What people really want is to feel like the experience was designed with them in mind. They want to know that their time matters, that they belong and that they have some control over how they participate.”
During the webinar, Schulteis and strategic EDI consultant Zoe Moore discussed various ways that planners can be more creative and inclusive with their event-design choices — and how even small, intentional changes can have a big impact on attendee engagement and overall satisfaction.
Following are a few of the top tips they shared. The full webinar is available for on-demand viewing.
Go the extra mile
Make sure there are staff members ready to greet attendees not only when they first arrive at the event, but also outside the sessions and at every major part of the agenda. The staff should be prepared to answer questions, help attendees find their way and proactively ask if they can do anything to improve the experience. As a bonus, staff members can make recommendations and introduce attendees to one another.
"I went to an event where I got to the door and the person greeting me said, 'I am so happy you're here. This is what's going to happen tonight, and you need to go over here and meet Zoe because the two of you have so much to talk about, and I know that you guys are going to get along,'" said Schulteis. “They walked me over and introduced me. That was huge, and it dramatically improved my experience.”
Embrace interactivity
Ditch the standard lecture format for keynotes. Instead, build in time for reflection and create different stations where attendees can do so in their preferred way. For some, this might mean a roundtable discussion. Others might want to brainstorm and draw on a whiteboard, while a small group heads to another corner of the room to take notes in silence and reflect on their own.
"Don't do things the same way just because that's the way we've always done them," said Schulteis. “Give people the opportunity to control how they participate.”
Design with compassion
One of the biggest ways to improve the attendee experience is to make sure it's inclusive and that everyone can participate fully. This means building accessibility into event planning from as early as the RFP stage.
Wheelchair accessibility, live captioning and other elements should be considered the baseline experience, rather than an add-on. After all, inclusive design choices can benefit everyone and attendees shouldn't feel like a burden for having to ask for them.
"Accommodations shouldn't be about compliance, but about compassion," said Moore. "Design like you're the caretaker of someone with these particular needs. If it's your loved one that you're designing for, you'd want them to come to the event without feeling like a burden and without having to disclose all of their medical history. You'd want them not to have any barriers."
Be mindful of wording
Registration forms matter and certain wording can be exclusionary. Moore suggests that planners remove words like "other" and "special needs" from their registration forms. Instead, it's better to ask how you can support attendees on-site, help them have the best experience and make sure they're getting the most value for their time.
"I don't want to bother anyone or marginalize them," said Moore. "I'm constantly looking at wording and asking if I'm being mindful. If a person is reading your registration form and sees that they don't belong in that space, they're highly unlikely to even buy a ticket."
Stay flexible and embrace criticism
The nature of the events industry is that it is likely there will be last-minute changes or issues. Planners need to be ready to accommodate, make changes on the fly and improve the experience moving forward.
"Being critiqued is something that I want more event planners to be comfortable with," said Moore. She advises event organizers to make sure their teams are diverse in terms of culture, race, gender, age and more. Having a wide range of voices included at the decision table can help ensure that different perspectives are considered during the planning process, leading to a richer experience on-site that attendees can customize to their personal preferences.
