What Event Attendees Want – Part 1
Results from a cross-sector, international survey
The global events sector is booming. Valued at $1,135 billion in 2019, it is projected to reach $2,046.7 billion by 2032, growing at 6.4% annually (source: Allied Market Research). However, shifting attendee priorities requires evolving event design, creativity and innovation.
To better understand their expectations, I turned to research firm Syno International to conduct a survey for That Coalition (November/December 2024).
ABOUT THE SURVEY:
It covers 202 responses from five countries on three continents and in fourteen industry sectors. All the respondents are in managerial positions.
Almost 85 per cent attend at least one event per year (57.43 per cent = at least two per year). Seventy per cent participated as attendees, 39 per cent as sponsors/exhibitors, and 37 per cent as speakers (the overlap is because participation can differ from event to event).
The survey covered a variety of questions addressing considerations such as:
Event preferences: Size, type and motivation for attending.
Value propositions: Importance of speaker sessions, workshops, networking, etc.
Attendee barriers: Challenges to attendance, and solutions.
Technological Enhancements: Interest in event and post-event integrations.
Experiences: Interest in on- and off-site experiences.
I am sharing the results from the survey in a two-part Substack.
In this Substack (Part 1), I focus on participants’ favoured types and sizes of events, and their primary motivations for attending.
It shows the importance of evolving event design, prioritising quality over quantity, meaningful connections over massive scale and continuous engagement over one-time experiences. It underscores the opportunity for carefully created, technology-enabled, human-centered experiences that deliver lasting value.
In Part 2, I will share the results on things like barriers to attendance, networking, content and experiences.
TYPES of EVENTS:
Attendees plan to participate in a wide range of events in 2025.
Conferences and seminars are most popular, arguably because they offer the dual benefits of knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer interaction. Trade shows and webinars are next, followed by product launches. As will become more apparent in Part 2, conference organisers will do well thinking about how they better integrate product and online (webinars/virtual) with their events.
SIZE of EVENTS:
In a similar survey in 2023, respondents indicated that they prefer smaller to larger events. This has not changed, although there is a slight adjustment in year-on-year their selections.
In 2023, 60 per cent of respondents preferred events smaller than 500 people. In 2024, that percentage was 67 per cent. Reasons could include that smaller events are more exclusive and make for more relevant, higher-quality networking experiences (it’s easier to feel lost at bigger events!) and conversations. Content-wise - much like for any specialist media brand - the programme and speakers will be more targeted to appeal to a finely defined niche.
Organisers will, therefore, do well to prioritise high-value, personalised experiences that foster genuine connections, conversations and collaborative opportunities, compared to one-size-fits-all mega-conferences. Not that mega-events do not have a place, of course.
MOTIVATIONS to ATTEND:
We asked respondents to list the single biggest reason for attending in-person events.
In the first instance, there is a fairly even split between networking, gaining knowledge and doing business development. For some, the inspiration (those “wow” moments) they get from events is the biggest motivator.
We then dug a little deeper. The following chart weights respondents’ ratings out of 5 (1 = not important at all and 5 = of critical importance) for various event components.
The weighted ratings support the idea that a balanced approach is required, with all components coming in with a rating of more than 3.5 out of five.
Networking:
However, when it comes to priorities, networking reigns supreme for in-person events. It makes sense. Replicating those formal and informal conversational opportunities is, after all, the hardest thing to emulate online. A way to think of it is that if content is king or queen, networking is an emperor.
Organisers should double down on creating structured networking opportunities such as curated meetups and facilitated conversations. They should provide opportunities for general conversations (and “serendipitous moments”) such as during programme breaks or with off-site add-ons. As will also become clear later, enabling conversations to extend post-event will add further value.
Content:
While off-stage content, such as roundtables and workshops will add value, crafting superior on-stage programmes remains the priority. As will also be seen later, consideration should be given to extending the value of content beyond the event itself.
This makes logical sense. In-person events create fleeting moments when large groups of experts share their knowledge in a live environment. It is a lost opportunity if you do not extend the value they deliver beyond the event itself.
Experiences:
Over the years, we have seen how add-on experiences increasingly contribute to overall event value. 70 per cent of respondents said they were interested in such add-ons, 16 per cent were unsure, and 14 per cent said they were not.
Here are some add-on options event organisers can consider, ranked in terms of popularity:
On-site:
Off-site:
Two other points about developing the attendee experience.
Language:
For international event organisers, offering translation has long been a factor, and rightly so:
Fortunately, there are already massive strides with AI translation tools, and this will continue to improve rapidly. Integrating such tools will enhance the event experience for many.
Event apps:
Around 67 per cent of respondents said that event apps contribute to their experience (19 per cent were neutral and 14 per cent said it wasn’t important). Top features include:
Pre-event registration and check-in (51 per cent)
View speaker and sponsor details (49 per cent)
Arrange meetings (46 per cent)
Access content sessions (43 per cent)
View, connect and chat with other attendees (39 per cent)
Interactivity, such as polls and surveys (39 per cent)
Notifications, such as reminders (33 per cent)
IN SUMMARY:
The survey results reveal several trends and preferences that should shape event planning strategies in 2025 and beyond. Some actionable insights for planners:
Create intimate, high-value events or “events within events”: With 67% of respondents preferring events under 500 attendees, consider launching more focused, niche events. These smaller formats facilitate deeper networking and more relevant content delivery. For larger events, create "events within events" - smaller breakout sessions and guided, intimate networking opportunities to ensure no-one gets lost in the crowd.
Optimise networking: As the top motivation for attendance, networking deserves special attention. Simply adding coffee and lunch breaks is not enough. Think about pre and at-event matchmaking, facilitated networking sessions, comfortable spaces for lean-back conversations, etc.
Multi-format content: Shake things up by delivering content in different formats, from presentations to conversations, from on-stage to interactive workshops, etc. Offer pre-, at and post-event value with your content. Consider accessibility, for example of format (text, audio, video) and language, using AI translation tools.
Enhance the experience layer. With 70% of respondents interested in add-on experiences, organisers can develop a robust programme with interactive product demonstrations and hands-on testing opportunities, local food and other cultural experiences, wellness and recreational activities that create memorable moments, etc.
Leverage technology: Apps (and that could include other event tech enhancements) are valued by 67% of respondents, but implementation should focus on high-impact features and be helpful. For example, thinking about streamlining processes, connecting participants, delivering valuable information, etc.
Build continuous engagement: Events are not singular occurrences but exist in a continuum (more about that in Part 2). Organisers must think about how they engage their audiences from pre- to post-event, delivering value in each step of the way.
COMING UP IN PART 2:
Stay tuned for Part 2, where I discuss the barriers event organisers must flatten to get attendees to their events and the choices they must make to keep them coming back.