4 ways for event marketers to explore AI
How-to guide: Practicing event sustainability for incentive travel
Secrets to a captivating general session from an immersive events expert
Measuring event success?
Ask yourself these 5 questions
Breakthrough event strategy: How a hackathon activated the event attendee experience
FROM THE DESK OF
Do you remember the days when a photo booth was a must-have attraction at events? Attendees would line up to don silly props, squeeze into a tiny booth and capture moments that left us with both physical prints and unforgettable memories.
Those photo booths weren’t just fun—they were powerful connectors, sparking joy and bringing people together in shared moments.
Today, we’re still chasing that same magic, albeit in new and exciting ways.
This issue focuses on the trends that promise to shape the events industry’s future. The transformative potential of AI. Strategies for getting attendees off their screens and into the room. The growing importance of sustainability. How to measure event ROI with precision. And creating unforgettable experiences through experiential learning.
Events are about connections—the bonds formed, ideas exchanged and memories made when people gather. As nostalgia reminds us, it’s the human moments that resonate most deeply.
In an era of virtual everything, the craving for authentic, face-to-face connections has never been stronger. It’s our responsibility and privilege as event experts to craft environments where those connections can thrive.
As you explore this issue, reflect on the trends that resonate with you and the memories that inspire you. Let’s innovate together, combining the best of what’s next with the timeless elements of what makes events so special.
4 ways for event marketers to explore AI
How-to guide: Practicing event sustainability for incentive travel 10
Secrets to a captivating general session from an immersive events expert 16
Measuring event success? Ask yourself these 5 questions
Breakthrough event strategy: How a hackathon activated the event attendee experience
By: Erica Lalk, Senior Event Strategy Manager
Bring up Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a room of event professionals, and you’ll probably see more than a few folks squirm. Advances in AI are shaking up industries, and there’s still plenty of uncertainty about how the tech will impact event planning and promotion. Staying relevant and open to change requires us to have conversations about how to safely, effectively and ethically engage AI.
After tackling the AI topic as a panelist during the SITE Global Conference in Istanbul, I became more optimistic than ever about how predictive technology can improve our work. My peers shared real-life examples and insights from their own experiences that helped demystify AI. Back in the office, I also tapped into the knowledge of my colleagues across ITA Group solutions. Many have integrated machine learning into their workflows and client services.
I’ve turned a few top takeaways into four applications for AI that event pros could explore today.
Event marketers are already using AI for word processing. Spellcheckers and autocomplete functions are commonplace. Virtual Assistants like Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant and Cortana can help set reminders, send messages and make calls. Large language models (LLM) can be used to generate and translate text and other content, which can come in handy for transcribing a panel session or as a virtual assistant during registration. AI also enables instant, high-quality translations, which saves time and money—and minimizes confusion.
AI-powered automation can streamline a whole host of marketing tasks and can be especially helpful for the kinds of segmentation and personalization that set your event communications apart. Our customer experience team uses AIpowered platforms to develop dynamic “right person, right channel, right time” messages. Their goal to create emotionally resonant messaging in the moments that matter most has plenty of crossover into the world of event communications.
Think about how AI might support processes like journey-mapping and audience segmentation. As Gen Z continues to become a larger part of the workforce, personalized attendee journey-mapping is more important than ever. It can be used for everything from session topics to food choices to matchmaking networking connections.
I’m not advocating that event marketers let AI take over decision-making. However, soliciting input from a wide range of sources should be part of the planning process, and AI is another tool for gathering information.
During her SITE Global session on harnessing your data superpower, my colleague Anna Boggs unpacked some approaches to data-driven decision-making. She suggests first defining the problem/ question, then gathering context and data to analyze for planning purposes. AI prompts can narrow your focus, prompt you to ask new questions and shift your typical research style for the better.
Not convinced? We’ve heard from partners and client organizations that they’re creating their own internal AI-powered data hubs to inform decisions.
In the “old days” of just a few years ago, post-event surveys were the best opportunity to gather feedback and measure the effectiveness of your speakers and sessions. Now, tools like Zenus.ai give sponsors and organizers real-time insights into attendee sentiment, traffic, dwell times, etc.
The ability to tie facial expressions into survey results takes the guesswork out of content engagement. Instant results allow organizers to pivot the event based on how attendees are responding and interacting, whereas post-event data could only inform future events.
Don’t wait until the event is over, though. Adding an AI-powered chatbot to your event website can help you provide better customer service. Staying close to chatbot interaction helps your team adapt event content to resonate with attendees.
Yes, applying AI to business innovation is a serious topic. But have you ever tried a photo filter? Put attendees on top of the Eiffel Tower in seconds with an AI-powered photo booth. Use AI to quickly build info-training quizzes that can get people smiling and keep them learning between sessions. Create memes based on funny keynote quotes and share them to social media during the session.
There are plenty more ideas out there for using AI to get sillier and, of course, work smarter. I’d love to hear how you’re leveraging predictive technology on a day-by-day basis.
Erica’s passion for events and incentive travel can be felt immediately upon speaking with her. With 15+ years’ experience planning and operating global travel and incentive experiences, she’s been well prepared for her role as Senior Event Strategy Manager. From day one of working with clients, Erica prioritizes building strong, trustworthy relationships while offering original ideas that elevate the attendee experience. When she’s off the clock, you can find her laughing with her family. And if you have a Peloton, send her your username so you can become best friends.
info.itagroup.com/event-strategy
By: Meredith Peck, Events Creative Director
Going on an incentive trip is an incredible experience for many attendees. But making it a sustainable experience is now an expectation. Extra costs and effort are a real concern, so it’s worth acknowledging that a sustainability-driven incentive program does demand creative sourcing and planning, especially for a remote locale like Hawaii.
Sustainable incentive travel is doable, especially when you break down how to reallocate spend toward experiences, signage and awards that resonate with attendees and your brand’s long-term commitments.
From sourcing low-waste materials, reducing the environmental impact from shipping and putting more intention behind digital communications, you can offer attendees the same all-out experience. Plus, they’ll appreciate knowing rationale that supports your investment in more sustainable programming. A true win-win for all audiences—attendees and program decision-makers, who often look to prove the event ROI.
Throughout this article, we’ll tie recommendations to how we implemented sustainable practices into a Hawaiian incentive trip.
Upfront event design helps center your sustainability efforts—making it easier to share rationale with attendees during the program.
A client came to us during their second inaugural incentive trip and wanted guidance on how to infuse their ESG initiatives into an immersive incentive trip in Hawaii. They wanted a clear messaging strategy and theme, a boutique experience and a central focus on local, sustainable sourcing. The words “authentic” and “discovery” were used to describe the type of experience their employees would love. Sound familiar? So the theme “It all starts here” was born.
Signage incorporating QR codes helped reduce waste and communicate key details to attendees.
Beyond sourcing the destination, consider materials. Sourcing lowwaste materials was a big undertaking for our team, especially considering the program’s location in Hawaii. We wanted to minimize shipping in traditional materials as much as possible. We also wanted to reduce waste by using more digital assets and QR codes to provide ease of use and attendee clarity on the agenda, general navigation and attendeegenerated content.
One digital activity encouraged attendees to share their moment of “aloha spirit” by submitting a photo to be a part of the farewell event’s grand finale. To minimize the environmental footprint, we proposed recycling logos and assets year after year, making them a part of the client’s sustainable toolkit and not tied to a specific program year.
Leaning on a partner with an in-house print center can play a significant role in your sustainability efforts. During initial discussions around the budget, we helped our client understand that although there was a slightly higher up-front cost to source sturdier, reusable materials, it was a smart move, proving overall year-over-year cost decreases.
Instead of traditional plastic signage, our team created wood signs and sourced reusable metal signs with removable die-cut vinyl logos. We took extra care to ship the signs in flat packs, further reducing the environmental impact. The signage also reinforced good sustainability practices.
> Navigating the destination: Refill your reusable water bottle here!
> Recycling mailing materials: Recycle this box!
While we produced everything we could in-house, we looked at what made the most sense to source in Hawaii—from a financial perspective of shipping costs to a sustainable lens of utilizing local resources.
Reusable signage was shipped in flat packages to reduce environmental impact.
Another opportunity to reduce waste is to collaborate with artists local to the incentive trip location. And while it’s your trip, it’s their home. Their involvement adds an irreplaceable, special touch to your program that gets attendees talking.
It’s why we collaborated with a Hawaiian chalk artist. Their talent brought signage and informational elements to life on reusable chalkboards. This not only further integrated the program into Hawaiian culture and paid respect to a local artist but also set a precedent with the client for reusing the chalkboards during future programs with new artists.
Locally sourced vendors created handmade, reusable luggage tags.
Eco-friendly bags filled with locally sourced gifts from companies who value sustainability.
It’s also worth locally sourcing gifts, or recognition awards. For a pop-up welcome market, we sourced from companies that also had an intentional focus on sustainability, like a certified B Corp. Attendees were also given marketplace tokens as they completed a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity, which they could spend on:
Bamboo products Reusable bags
Hawaii Peeps skincare
Kahuku Farms food FOUNDWOOD And more!
Think of your next incentive trip location. Is it on the coast and able to reflect a culture of craftmanship and hand-made goods? Does the site’s natural environment create an opportunity to sustainably source materials?
Hawaii is home to many native florals, trees and plants, so we created mood boards to know exactly what natural elements we could source in the area. In fact, native Hawaiian plants transformed a logo installation into a living, branded wall. Our approach toward sustainable branding also reduced our environmental and carbon footprint, and supported Hawaiian vendors. Items like locally sourced, clientbranded cutting boards, aprons and messaging empowering participants to use reusable items added depth to the program.
The creative problem-solving sparked discussions with the client about long-term reusability, locally sourced materials and the cost implications, aligning our vision. Doing good simply felt good, too. I think it would be worth mentioning here and tying back to the beginning of the article, the positive impact for reducing shipping as well. Not just the costs, but the carbon footprint that creates.
Any destination or program holds the possibility to be more sustainable— and the events industry shares a responsibility to continue pushing for more sustainable programs. But any step toward sustainability should feel encouraging.
The vision and implementation of our client’s program is a testament to the power of sustainability in event planning, and the kind of work we intend to do more of.
By creatively integrating multi-use, eco-friendly materials, local partnerships and reusable branding, we delivered on our client’s vision while building a program that supports even more sustainable practices in the future.
Creative Director. Former designer. All-around travel enthusiast. Meredith is the go-to for events and incentive travel programs that need a creative campaign to transform the experience. She gets that a human touch goes a long way—from the time we drop a mailer at attendees’ doors to the arrival experience to sending a post-trip survey. Every touchpoint and decision matters, like creating a theme and story that resonates, sourcing gifts that don’t get thrown away and connecting attendees back to the brand’s values. Her personal travel motto is: see it all, eat it all.
A telecom brand turned its top-performer event in Puerto Rico into many unforgettable moments thanks to sponsors supplementing the event budget. From a champagne wall and cigar rolling lesson to fireworks, these moments showcased sponsors’ brands and enhanced the attendee experience. READ THE FULL CLIENT STORY
info.itagroup.com/travel-cs
By: Ryan Girard, Sr. Creative Director
Inspiring corporate event audiences to perk up and engage at an 8 a.m. general session isn’t easy. Delivering interesting and memorable presentations is an art. We asked Senior Creative Director at Hartmann Studios Ryan Girard for his secret to helping speakers feel confident in front of a crowd.
Ryan coaches leaders at every level on building a charismatic stage presence. He knows that giving a memorable presentation takes more than a smart event script. He shared ways to make a general session truly motivational. And how to stand out by incorporating spectacular event design and immersive experiences.
How can an event speaker unlock their authentic voice on stage?
Presenting is hard. Authentically presenting is even harder. Too many speakers pack presentation slides to convey expertise. Text- and photo-filled slides might feel like a way to stay on track and help your audience follow along. The opposite is true. Dull templates or cluttered designs distract people and cause them to tune out.
Storytelling techniques and simple language will draw your audience in much more powerfully than charts and graphs.
> Start by trimming your main message to a simple phrase that’s easy to repeat.
> Take voice notes, record yourself and then refine your script based on how you’d naturally speak and share information.
> Find your beats and define key moments. Support those with compelling visuals and build flexibility around the rest.
How you say the message is as important as what you say.
> Experiment with cadence.
> Try speeding up or slowing down your voice.
> Pause to emphasize certain points.
> Let genuine human emotions come through.
> Vary your inflection so you can evoke feelings in your audience. Make them laugh, make them cry and give them a bumper-sticker-sized takeaway to remember you by.
Can you break down what quality event speaker preparation looks like? What coaching would you give to improve event speaker stage presence?
I’m a big proponent of enlisting a speaker coach. Outside feedback makes presentations better and rehearsing more productive.
We’ve all seen award shows where professional actors’ onstage remarks fall flat. Usually, it’s because they’re seeing or saying those lines for the first time in front of an audience, on camera and in the lights. Even the pros need to put in the time and effort to succeed.
Scripting might go through four or five drafts, or more, from outline to on-stage delivery. I’m constantly tweaking my own remarks to speak to specific audiences, too. When rehearsing, plan to run through a talk at least 10–15 times. Mark your emotions. Solicit feedback on flow. Consider where you can try to make eye contact with the audience.
If you can pull together a dress rehearsal on stage, with tech— always take the opportunity. Putting your content and delivery together with the technical side makes a big difference. Get used to lighting, cues and sound levels.
Effective stage presence isn’t about being a “Big Personality.” Any presenter can develop presence through three things: Understanding your material. Presentation preparation.
Flexing your response to the audience’s energy.
When you’re not caught up in reading slides, you can read the room. Where do they laugh? Are you getting blank stares in a certain spot? Are people shifting in their seats? Monitor verbal and nonverbal cues. I always tell speakers: don’t memorize word-forword. In fact, the best presentations feel more like a conversation than a monologue or lecture. Rehearse and prepare in front of trusted team members so you have enough confidence to improvise and even riff off feedback.
If the program is running way over schedule or you notice the audience’s attention is waning, condensing your presentation makes it more impactful. Have a shorter version in mind—don’t speak quickly to sprint through the same content.
Let’s move beyond the event script. As a creative director, how do you ensure dynamic set design?
Whether you’re in a hotel ballroom or on stage at an arena, you need to bring your brand to life.
Use screens, lighting and music to support the content and elicit an emotional response. If your budget allows, make a statement with largerthan-life screens. Don’t just zoom in on the speaker, though.
Create “There I am!” moments by featuring people who are having an emotional connection on screen. During high-energy segments, pan across as many people as possible.
Screens can also support immersive experiences, like sing-alongs, live polling or other gamified elements. Think: Price is Right or Family Feud-style framing.
Dramatic lighting sets the tone. Keep the audience engaged with theatrical treatments, from spotlights to sweeping the crowd. Lighting can help with pacing and cue a transition. Providing participants with colorchanging LED bracelets or glow sticks involves them in the effect.
And put as much thought into your playlist as you do your scripted content. Tempo. Lyrics. Volume. Consider it all part of an immersive experience.
What out-of-the-box event experiences enhance on-stage presentations?
Everything you do should show your audience they’re the most important people in the room. Big name celebrity keynotes might draw a small percentage of superfans, but they can also be pretty predictable.
One of the ways to build a reputation for consistently engaging content is to transform general sessions from passive “sage on a stage” presentations into time spent actively and enthusiastically learning.
I’ve seen hands-on tabletop “escape room”-style puzzles encourage teamwork. Nextgeneration technology such as augmented reality sparks imaginations and a sense of play.
To be effective, gamified learning formats tie back into a compelling storyline. When you weave the company narratives seamlessly into event design, new ideas are digestible, engaging and inspiring.
Now that you’ve heard Ryan’s advice for preparing like a presentation pro: Learn what common event production pitfalls to avoid. info.itagroup.com/event-pitfalls
Ryan is a seasoned event pro who brings his experience as an actor, host and scriptwriter to design and deliver captivating sessions. When he steps on stage, he has one goal: connect quickly. He aims to make everyone in the room feel like he’s speaking straight to them.
By: Anna Boggs, Analytics Advisor
When it comes to measuring the success of an event, it’s imperative to plan ahead. If the purpose of your event is to increase product knowledge, you can’t determine whether it was successful or not if you don’t gauge product knowledge before the event.
Not only will effective event measurement demonstrate achievement of goals and objectives, it will also give you invaluable insight as you begin to strategize the design of your next event.
That is, of course, only if you’re measuring the right success factors. Ask yourself these five questions to identify the true metrics that guide your event toward success and prove event impact.
1 What event objectives are you planning to measure?
The objectives you’re planning to measure should directly relate to the overall goal of your event.
If the purpose of your event is to launch a new product, you’ll want to measure objectives related to brand exposure and product knowledge. Or if the purpose is to motivate your sales team, you’ll want to measure objectives related to event engagement and feelings of inspiration.
Here’s a list of potential key event success metrics to keep in mind— before, during and after:
Unique registrations
Qualified marketing and sales leads
Registrant conversion rate
Attendee conversion rate
Participant satisfaction
Training scores
Incremental sales
Engagement metrics (website visits, shares, likes, etc.)
2 What tools and systems can you leverage to support your event measurement plan?
3 When and how often are you going to measure event impact?
Sales are the backbone of every business. And sales are also involved in many strategic events. That’s why it’s more important than ever to tie your customer relationship management software (CRM) to your measurement plan. CRM or marketing automation software will prove invaluable in securing the data your event needs.
But data is gathered through more places than just marketing and sales. Tech-centric tools and features, such as apps, RFID tracking, interactive attractions or other immersive experiences can not only give your participants an incredible experience but collect valuable data about their preferences that can be used to optimize the event.
If you just measure progress once or to key event goals only, you’re missing out on some incredible data. To best collect that data, make measurements at periodic intervals, rather than just once.
For example, if you measure pipeline growth or sale lift postevent, you may not be seeing the complete picture of growth as a result of attending the event. This is because sales take time. However, if you do the same measurement immediately following the event; again six months later; and, again nine months later, your data confidence and ability to segment sales data and differentiate lift between attendees and nonattendees exponentially increases. Whatever intervals you choose, make sure they’re standardized from event to event. This will provide more accurate benchmarks for the future.
4 How will you learn about what your event attendees liked?
You can’t just guess what it is about your event that your attendees really enjoyed. You need to figure it out. And the best way to do that? Ask. Don’t underestimate the power of polling. Create a quick email survey and ask your attendees what they thought. Example questions include:
How satisfied were you with the event?
How useful did you find the information presented at the event?
Would you recommend it to a friend?
Are you likely to attend in the future?
How much have your professional skills improved because of this event?
How would you rate this event’s organization?
Was the event better, worse or about what you expected?
What sponsors do you recall seeing at the event? (This question helps quantify and justify sponsor participation)
Survey and simply ask your attendees what they thought. What worked? What didn’t? You’ll be surprised at what you find out.
Whatever you do, make your event measurement a cyclical process. Planning for after the event can feel like miles down the road but be ready to act upon what you’ve learned. After you’ve identified your goals and measured throughout the event, don’t let those results rot away in an Excel document. It’s time to act with them. How? There are two major avenues:
If you’re lucky enough to avert problems while on site, alter elements before they become a problem. (Did participants have questions left unanswered on one topic you featured in a mainstage presentation? Invite the speaker to come back up on the mainstage to respond to questions on Day 2. There’s nothing like feeling heard to make attendees feel like they belong.)
If you catch problems after your event is over, use what you learned to guide the strategy of your next event. (Do your attendees dislike/like the keynote speaker? Take their feedback and find someone new next time.) 1 2
Anna graduated from Purdue and has 13 years of experience in the industry. Eight of those years have been with ITA Group split between the Event Operations and Analytics and Decision Support teams. Solving puzzles with data is her jam, using the lens of operations and industry knowledge as a guide. She’s passionate about creating new things—currently making homemade bread and quilts from her home in Minneapolis are top of the list.
We have the right people with the right tools and expertise to create authentic experiences your people crave.
Breakthrough solutions wouldn’t come from the typical sales rally. Empowering strategic change required an experiential learning workshop.
Biotechnology company executives needed their annual summit to support a strategic reset. They had two goals in mind: reclaim a thriving team culture and inspire sales leaders to share accountability on organizational goals. Sales leader input guides event
Instead of a typical motivational speaker, executives were looking for meaningful content delivered within a collaborative experience. The solution? An immersive hackathon concept to inspire immediate change. During discovery, ITA Group met with decision-makers one-on-one and in focus groups to uncover key summit objectives. Insights from those conversations guided the event strategy.
Hackathons bring teams together for a scalable ideation workshop to creatively solve problems without distraction. The structured breakouts help sales leaders hack away at old beliefs and ways of working.
The hackathon process creates solutions to:
Center on user needs
Align to organizational values and goals
Collaborate cross-functionally
Create a sense of ownership to outcomes
Demonstrate leadership commitment to innovation
A credentialed leadership coach facilitated the event and set a positive tone for a four-hour ideation workshop designed to maximize inperson connections. Team-based immersive activities uncovered “quick win” solutions by following the hackathon process.
> Empathize: Bring employee and customer perspectives into a mapping exercise.
> Align: Clearly articulate the challenge the hackathon teams will address.
> Ideate: Use “blue sky thinking” exercises to develop ideas, then evaluate and prioritize.
> Prototype: Select and refine the best idea, detailing the how and why of their solution.
> Test: Share progress and integrate feedback into a model that can meet real-world applications.
Breaking the event into five fast-paced phases kept the energy high, while a “Shark Tank”-style pitch opportunity tapped into sales leaders’ competitive spirit. They produced well-aligned proposals given the ideation time and prompts used during the hackathon.
With the help of a post-hackathon coaching session, executives created an action plan the next day. They announced immediate changes that benefited sales leaders and supported the company’s goals. Championing new approaches and taking swift action showed leadership is open to team member-led ideas. It re-established comradery and trust between executives and sales leaders, which brought new energy to the culture.
Sales leaders left the summit feeling empowered and eager to implement their learnings.
Empowered sales leaders who felt heard through the process
Strengthened connections among participants across leadership levels
Demonstrated sales leaders’ willingness to act on top priorities
Executive team modeled ownership and accountability
“… Your support helped us deliver exactly the summit that our organization needed during a challenging time. … You helped executives demonstrate that our leaders are listening and prepared to roll up their sleeves as a team for meaningful change. And we have a set of concrete actions that we are already committed to.” —EXECUTIVE
