We Wake Up as Consumers. Why Do Events Sometimes Forget That?
In my "past life," I got paid to study consumer trends and behavior. I spent my days researching behaviors and trends and asking questions like: Why do people choose one product over another? What makes something memorable? What makes it worth taking home?
At the same time I was researching, I was also planning and helping merchandise our events. Which is probably why I approach events differently. I don't just think about the agenda or the speakers...I think about the decisions people are making all day long.
Attendees don't stop being consumers when they put on a lanyard. They're just like you and me, making the same decisions we make every other day. Is this worth my time? Do I want this? Will I actually keep it?
When I'm at an event, I can't help but study how people move through an event. I look for the spots where conversations happen without anyone forcing them. I notice the booth that's always busy and the one everyone walks past. Then, just like when I was doing my consumer trend and behavior research, I ask myself why. Those little observations usually tell you more about the experience than any post-event survey.
No one asked me, but I think we're moving into the era where successful events are the ones that are planned with consumer behavior in mind.
What I'm Seeing
Rupt, a supplier in the promo industry, just ran a summer camp event earlier this summer and all I have to say is WE NEED MORE OF THIS!
I didn't attend, but seeing pictures of the experience and the merch left me with major FOMO. They had speakers and presentations, but from what I can tell (and from what I read) most of the real connecting didn't happen in a session. It happened on a hike to arches and on a boat ride amongst other things. People were out doing something together, and that's where real conversations happen.
You could see it in what they posted afterward too. Nobody was sharing a photo of a slide deck, they were sharing the moments between the agenda items. And the merch? Actual useful stuff. Things people would reach for again, not toss in a drawer on the way in the door.
That's the whole thing. The agenda was one piece of it, not the experience itself. Give people a reason to be next to each other and the networking takes care of itself.