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Ebook Experience Design PDF
Ebook Experience Design PDF
Why? Because we already know what to expect. In most cases, we’ve seen and lived it all.
Business events have been the same for the past 60 years, and in some cases 100+ years.
Same format, same dynamics, same speakers.
Of course, there can be some good in tradition. There is a comfort in knowing that you will get
certain things when you attend an event. Knowing that there will be networking, education,
and entertainment is great. It helps to justify the bill with your boss or your business.
At the same time, we need to face up to FAAs (Frequently Asked Annoyances) that we shy
away from changing just because this is how it’s always been done. Is there a reason why
attendees have to wait in line before getting in? Is there a reason why we have to witness
presentations that are not tailored for the audience? Is there a reason why panels have
to be boring or made up of all white males? Is there a reason why entertainment in most
cases means alcohol in excess? Is there a reason why most meeting rooms are designed like
classrooms (the most uninspiring memory we all share)?
These are some of the FAAs that experiences address and simple events don’t. A skilled
experience designer asks at every step of the way if they are adding value for different
stakeholders. They check if they are delivering on the objectives of each participant, whether
they are sponsors, attendees, performers, or staff.
Some elements of experiences have been discussed within the industry over the past few
years. The practice of meeting design has fueled a quantum leap in the evolution of planning
and executing events. This is great news. In this report, we are adding a new element to the
Let’s be honest. The venue can always be better but we usually get it right. After all, selecting
venues is at the core of our role.
What about F&B? We try to stay on trend and spend time researching options. Fair enough,
it’s food and drinks, it’s important!
Same goes with performer selection. We want to impress attendees and we do our research
to make the best possible choices.
However, when it comes to technology we lower our standards. All of a sudden, it is OK to offer a
room with poor WiFi, a cumbersome registration process, or an event app that does not work.
It’s easy to think that an impromptu stunt, a motivational keynote, or a loud show will create a
memorable experience. They will surely get you a lot of ‘likes’, a big wow in the room, or some
chit-chat during the next break but what about six months from now? Long lasting memories
are often associated with events that nailed the experience.
Sometimes, creating those types of memories has to do with the ability to unplan. To let
serendipity happen. To connect attendees, give them space, comfort or responsibility, and let
things unfold. Too much planning can kill creativity and opportunities for better attendee-to-
attendee connection, the latter being by far the most important factor participants consider
when they evaluate events.
To do this, we create experiences by designing a flow through the time and space of the
event to engage all the senses. We use the elements we can control such as venue, timing,
presentation formats, food and beverage choices, sound, music, and lighting. To add depth,
we layer this on the foundation of technology we have available to us as designers, and now in
the hands of every participant. We create experiences which can also be socialized and shared.
It is time to rethink every element and, in doing so, get beyond the oh-too-familiar FAAs!
Behind Creating
learn, connect, network, reflect, collaborate or discuss, and socially interact within
safe environments. These spaces may include arrival and entrance zones, transition
areas, places to meet socially, food and beverage areas, rooms for sharing information,
Memorable
knowledge, and ideas, immersive environments and trade show spaces. How these are
woven together is where experience designers come in.
Experiences stakeholders, including the participants. It’s never as simple as it may first appear.
Meetings become memorable through connections, which are emotional, visceral, and
stimulating, with enough time and space for reflection and contextualizing the elements
by Tahira Endean to create a memory that is relevant.
With smart design, our attendees will want to interact and engage with the experiences
Today’s event team members are likely to cross boundaries and bring together a varied
What do they expect to hear, see, feel while attending the
skill set including learning and performance design, an understanding of production, meeting? What is the outcome, or exiting behavior, desired by the
available technology, and meeting design to support both learning and connections. stakeholders who have invested in the event?
Others may bring skills in creating space, flow, and the particular environments that
You may want to use one of the many visual tools available to show them what their
offer the best settings for what needs to happen, from the first entrance to the final
event will look like and the feeling it will leave with the participants.
departure. This may focus on the stage for compelling keynotes or other presentations,
to areas for working groups or relaxed connections. The flow through the venue should When the participants arrive, there must be a sense of place.
give context to each environment and help participants to make sense of, and create,
This will be brought to life using elements consistent with the expectations of the brand
their own experience, allowing serendipity to happen.
to create a sense of anticipation and, ultimately, immersion with the brand. For a time,
we are one and we understand we are better together. This includes:
Designing a Cohesive Experience
• Overarching destination selections
to Meet Objectives
• Venue choice(s)
When we deliver to objectives, this means acknowledging the objectives for a wide
variety of stakeholders, from the hosts and those financially invested in the meeting, • Invitation/registration/anticipation building
including organizations, sponsors and exhibitors, and the participants. We will examine
• Should they be motivated to buy, invest in, or do more work with your organization?
• Are you looking to sell more of an existing product or service? Or a new offering? The board of Sponsors Exhibitors
executives
Or improve service levels?
• Is there learning to impart that must be contextualized and applied following the
event to achieve this?
• Time and space for the development of deeper connections • Maximize profitability
• Ideas they can implement for professional or personal improvement Participants seek:
that address their personalized needs or interests • Information they can act upon to improve their business; emotional
connection through storytelling or engagement with a speaker or peer
Sponsors and Exhibitors seek:
group (vs. online or digital information)
• Warm leads for key decision makers to interact and follow-up with
• The opportunity to contextualize or validate with their peer network in
• Access to potential new clients or untapped sectors
a face-to-face environment
• Post-event surveys or focus groups • Presenters and presentations aligned to overall desired outcomes with content and
delivery primed for maximum impact
• Social listening on multiple channels of engagement
• Learning spaces designed for specific uses and aligned to targets. This may include a
As you begin to have clear, usable, and consistent data, you will reveal more about the
combination of formats i.e. one to many, peer-group learning, workshops, etc
people who participate and what their needs are. You can then begin to both market and
design in more meaningful ways. • Opportunity for reflection, quiet time or space for those who still need to get work
done or require a few moments of privacy
Great Strategy Requires Prioritization • Charging and recharging for both participants and their devices; consider food as
You can’t do it all, this is a simple truth you must adhere to. There is never an infinite fuel for the day
budget, and choices always need to be made. Designing an event is always part art and
• Digital tools which may include partner recognition, wayfinding, access to
part science, using the framework you have available based on the size and type of
information via mobile, social sharing and two-way communication with organizers
meeting, the location and venue, and ultimately the objectives as your guideposts to
and presenters, and that can even be used in the event of an emergency to share
prioritization.
critical real-time information
Event design is about creating spaces that are safe and comfortable, that create a
• Positive surprises, from pop-up food stands to performances that engage or
sense of anticipation and build energy within the participants as they move through it.
entertain, this is up to your imagination!
The environment should align and support the brand through relevant messaging and
content. Today, technology at a level appropriate to your organization and participants Elements that engage the participant will create more memories and enhance their
should be enabled with an ease of access to available information. overall experience1. When the mind is opened by experiences, neurochemicals that
promote learning are activated, and the overall results - more connections, more
As you strategize your outcomes, you may consider any or all of these in your design:
context, more relevance - are positively impacted.
• An entrance that sets the tone for the event and creates a sense of beginning;
aligned with the brand
• A flow that is safe and welcoming through all spaces; with great wayfinding
• Efficient use of the space so it doesn’t feel too vast or too closed in
While some events have a “check your mobile at the door” policy now, this is not the norm.
Overall, events offer us data-rich environments we can measure. Every mobile device is
full of sensors, from Bluetooth to location beacons, allowing us to collect data (and push
information), with and without a specific event app. When we combine this with geolocators,
facial recognition, sentiment analysis, smart buildings, including convention centers,
stadiums, and hotels, the reality is, the data is already available if we want to take advantage
of it. We need to move past any residual fear and explore options to enhance and evaluate
The organization recognizes The participants leave richer from the
the value in hosting the experience, with actionable, implementable our participant experiences and use the data to enhance our event designs year-over-year.
event ideas and a desire to return again
We hope that you are fired up by the inspiration and ideas already provided. Here is
a summary of the six-step strategy framework every event designer should follow to
elevate their event to an experience.
6 Steps to Success • Develop personas for your primary stakeholders to identify their key
characteristics, preferences, and messaging that will resonate with
by Becki Cross them the most
Dig deep and identify what success will look like: Be number-focused to stay on track:
• Identify your stakeholders and the business • Create an event budget with estimated figures to
challenge(s) they each want to overcome. help to calculate the required budget, income targets,
Rank in order of priority the top three or five wishes that would make and break-even point
the event a success from the perspective of each target group
• Record actual figures, in place of the estimated
• Quantify exactly what success would look like.
For instance, exhibitors might be looking for 20 brand new leads but
figures, as soon as budget items are confirmed and
the board might be looking for making a profit of $50k from the event committed to
• Create realistic milestones to track progress towards • Have a contingency figure, a percentage of the
different goals. overall budget, to deal with any shortfalls for
This might be selling half of all of the event tickets at least 10 weeks essential or wishlist items
before the event and 75% six weeks before
each touchpoint. • Consider the feeling you are aiming to leave the
• This can be little touches through to big elements
stakeholders with at each touchpoint and the
• • Take into account different spaces within the event floor plan
behavior of the stakeholders
What do you expect them to hear, see, feel at each point in the journey?
• Specifically, consider brand alignment and messaging
throughout the different touchpoints. • What is the outcome (exiting behavior) from the
• This is more than a logo presence, these should be tangible ways to
stakeholders who have invested in the event? What
communicate the brand and bring to life the organization culture
and ethos
are the longer-term behavior changes and impacts
you expect to have after the event, at specific time
• • For example, design meaningful interactions in the marketplace,
thought leadership sessions, hands-on participation opportunities,
intervals?
and social media reach
Below, we have listed some common event touchpoints and goals, and detailed
actionable tactics for how technology can help achieve the desired outcomes. From
the first visit to the event website to the follow up after the event, a mixture of these
elements can help to create and refine the experience mix for your attendees and other
stakeholders.
to Elevate the
know if they like your site a mobile site takes longer delay in site load time,
or not, and whether to than three seconds to conversions fall by a
stay or go3 load further 12%4
Event Experience Don’t give any reason for potential attendees to click away, make sure your site is easy
to find, simple to navigate, pleasing to the eye and fast to load. Continually test and
by Becki Cross improve your online user experience.
• Your website should reflect your brand and event, • Use personalized retargeting to tempt back any
making the key event information readily available potential attendee that started the registration
and easy to find process but didn’t complete
• It needs to present a unified and coherent presence in terms of • For instance, if an abandoned booking visited the line-up and artists
branding, fonts, colors, style, and content page, use retargeting ads to promote to them the newest acts added
to the program
• • Include visuals and a strong CTA (Call To Action) button in bold
colors so that attendees are clear about what they need to do
• Use tagged URLs and bespoke landing pages to serve
• • Use tools such as Google Analytics to make informed decisions up targeted content based on the hook that has
about design and improve the navigation and dwell time across the site
attracted the visitor
• • Collaborate with the marketing team to continually improve the • You want a potential sponsor to hit a page with the benefits of
landing page experience sponsoring the event and important stats, whereas an attendee will
be more interested in special booking rates and what happened at the
• The registration process must be fast and painless event last year
• Limit the process to only the essential questions
• If you are working with ambassadors and influencers
• • Have a single page registration or include a progress bar at the top
and using affiliate links to boost event registrations,
• • Bonus points if you can enable social login, which takes some or all keep your network informed about how many
of the registration data required from a social media platform for the
bookings they have generated and what this means
attendee to check and make any amends before submitting
in terms of their reward (this can be an incentive if
they are close to reaching their next goal target)
Experience Design: A Complete Guide to Creating Memorable Events 17
The Event Entrance and Flow
53%
of retail shoppers base their initial
First impressions matter and a high value is placed in the first face-to-face interaction
perception of the shop and their
that a customer has with a brand. A poor start can negatively impact what happens
decision to buy on the appearance
next. The persistence of the first impression will color the rest of the experience and so
of the store exterior6.
it is essential to get it right5. The same retail principles apply to events.
Deliver a fast and seamless entrance to the event to put attendees in the
right frame of mind:
• Ensure there are no queues by enabling automatic • Digital signage and live display can be an efficient and
check-in via the event app as a participant enters appealing way to welcome and direct attendees
the space • Make it clear which entrance to use, the location of the registration
• For super speedy check-in, use facial recognition technology desks and the flow into and around the event
• • Consider creating a tunnel or hidden entrance to enter the event • • This can improve the event in real time (for example adding more
and make an impact when the next space is revealed staff to work in the busiest areas) and inform changes for future events
(such as changes to the site plan in terms of F&B location and footprint)
82%
• • This can also act as a welcome ice-breaker to avoid awkwardness for
those less confident in meeting new people
63%
top deal breaker is
• A virtual goody bag is a good way to give exposure in the lead up to the
when a vendor is selling,
event. Exhibitors can offer a giveaway to people that sign up for their
not educating17
mailing list, which can be unlocked when attendees visit their booth at
the event. Everyone likes a high-quality freebie or perk!
If the show floor is an exciting part of the event, attendees are going
to spend longer exploring and be encouraged to connect more
closely with the exhibitors that most appeal to them.
93% 90% seating plan to create interesting opportunities to meet new people,
socialize or participate in group work
• Use tech to identify business opportunities and bring the right people
together. For instance, if an attendee is seeking a particular product or
service they will appreciate finding it at your event
say meetings improve their say meetings help with
ability to close deals20 networking21 • Develop online communities and conversations to create relationships
before the event to create familiarity and face-to-face networking
opportunities. Interactions can also be nurtured online after the event
• Choose a registration system that syncs with your preferred CRM for
up to date information and history about each of your customers. Use
88% this data to entice them to sign up for events they have attended in the
past or send them a special discount code on their birthday
Learning is the second most important motivation to attend events. • Make learning more interactive and fun throughout your event by using
Education, through programming, content, speakers, and exhibits, audience response systems for live Q&A, quick polls, and feedback
is a key event consideration and an important part of the event which the speaker can use to adapt and direct the content of their
experience. An event needs to keep interest levels high and should presentation in real time to ensure it is relevant and customized to
spark ideas and energy in participants. what the audience needs most
91%
Of respondents feel that keeping problem and create a solution within a set timeframe
up with their profession and
• Track long-term learning and retention by repeating a proficiency
industry is a top reason to attend
test at an agreed date after the event to see if the scores improved on
an event24.
results from before or during the event. Significant improvements will
prove the value of your event to the attendee and stakeholders
94% 91%
colleagues outside their usual office environment
88% 84%
Keep your event fresh in the minds of attendees: Tools and techniques can help you measure and report event ROI and
• Use tech to demand a more hands-on and interactive approach deliver an event that continually improves:
to learning. Consider throwable mics, event apps, collaborative • Monitor movement around the event. Heat maps and other tracking
documents or audience response solutions, such as live polling and Q&A methods can identify the areas with the highest footfall and this data
can be used to improve the event layout, sell the most prominent
• Schedule an automated and personalized email to check in with
locations and design purpose-built interventions to encourage more
attendees and see if they have kept up with a specific action they
traffic to less visited areas. Add cool interactions, tech, giveaways,
pledged to undertake as a result of the event
photo opportunities and F&B stations
In Conclusion
environments, needs deep understanding and awareness of brand values.
Every element must align with the organization’s values, and make sense
so it is appealing to the audience and creates the desired response.
The age of running events and focusing only on • Rethink every element and move beyond the obvious.
Don’t do things according to history or tradition. Ask difficult questions
logistics planning is over. Event professionals and delve into the layers that go beyond the obvious to find the “why”
and create a purpose-designed event experience.
are looking to create and design experiences
• Tech can elevate to the event experience.
that impact the memory of attendees forever. Event technology, AV, and production can play an essential role in the
event experience mix. For each element you consider, ask how it will
help you get to a positive impact and a measurable outcome.
• Content is king.
Experience designers need empathy with the
audience to determine the content that will be
the most meaningful and meet (and exceed)
their needs. This includes determining the
delivery methods and formats that will have
the most impact.
Event Gamification: Maximize Attendee 5 Things Every Sponsor Wishes Event How to Use Social Media & Event Tech to Grow
Motivation, Learning & Networking Professionals Knew! Your Event Community
Gamification was mentioned as a useful tool throughout Sponsors are a key stakeholder you constantly need to Social media and event tech are extremely powerful
this ebook. In this webinar, you’ll learn creative game attract and retain to ensure maximium event revenue. tools for creating year-round event communities. In
ideas based on successful case studies that will help you Learn the top 5 things that will keep them coming back this webinar, you’ll learn best practices for growing and
achieve your event goals. year after year. maintaining engagement.
He has been named one of the 25 most influential individuals in the Meeting Industry.
He is the author of over 10 books on event technology and innovation (The Eventtech Bible, The Good Event Management Software Guide,
The Event App Bible, Meeting Design, The Future of Event Marketing, The Art of Venue Negotiation, the annual Event Trends Report, Social
Media for Events, Engaging Events and The Venue of the Future).
Tahira has been named a MeetingsNet Changemaker and a Meetings Trendsetter: Agents of Change by MeetingsToday (2018)
and is a member of Meetings and Incentives Canada Hall of Fame,
Tahira loves being part of a team that brings ideas alive and is excited for her next adventure. @tahiracreates.
Becki Cross
Becki Cross set up the UK based event management company and SME, Events Northern Ltd, in 2004. Becki has organized events ranging
from conferences to exhibitions, festivals to awards ceremonies, fashion shows to golf tournaments and everything in between. Organizing
conferences and corporate events are Becki’s passion and she believes that conferences should never be boring!
Becki is the Deputy Editor of EventMB, which she describes as her dream job alongside event planning! Follow Becki on Twitter: @beckitrain.
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EventMB releases industry reports and intelligence about event technology, social From planning to marketing, management to measurement —at every stage of the event
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Thousands of event professionals have downloaded EventMB free reports at: Event technology is a critical component of your overall event design.
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EventMobi’s Experience Manager helps you manage your event app, registration,
notifications, polls, surveys and games all from a centralized event management
platform.
This report is worth 1 CE Credit! Tahira Endean - for contributing her expertise in experience design to the strategy
section of the report.
To acquire CE credits through this or other reports, webinars and reading material from
EventMB, please refer to http://www.eventmanagerblog.com/cmp Becki Cross, MD of Events Northern Ltd and Deputy Editor of EventMB - for co-writing
and editing.
For more information about the CMP credential or Preferred Provider Program,
please visit: http://www.eventscouncil.org/ Camille Wagner - for project management and support.
Disclaimer
While this report has been sponsored the analysis is completely unbiased.