Event designers are using bold colors, as well as complex and layered designs to entice and motivate attendees. Caryn Mambro / Opus Agency

Gone are the days of “cookie cutter” corporate events, where typical event design included structured agendas, standard food and drinks, and meeting spaces that left attendees unimpressed and uninspired. Today’s corporate event design is teeming with creative ideas that “wow” attendees, giving them what they want: immersion and interaction.

Taylor Bradford, event designer and owner of Sugar Creek Rentals, a specialty event company in Dallas, TX, has recently designed events for Ed Sheeran and Willie Nelson, as well as many corporate gatherings. In her experience, Bradford said there’s been a focus shift for corporate events to include custom experiences for attendees. For example, custom hat bars, unique food experiences, curated beverages, attendee concierge, and beverage napkins with unique information/entertainment, to name a few.

Personalization is definitely top of mind for corporate events. “We’re seeing a push toward how each event can be more unique and experiential versus another event an attendee has to attend,” Bradford said. “We’ve seen an increase in lounge furniture groupings that foster attendee relationships and networking.”

In her event designs, Bradford focuses on “wow” moments — whether it’s custom backdrops, custom installations, custom scents or custom decor — moments that prompt attendees to pause and experience the event as a whole.

Cameron Forbes, event planner and founder of Forbes Functions in New York City, leverages her extensive network of vendors to curate bespoke experiences for her clients. From her experience, Forbes notes that the pandemic has accelerated certain trends in event design — from sustainable design to hybrid events, the industry has undergone a transformation.

Forbes noted that eco-friendly and sustainable event design has come to the forefront, with hosts and attendees alike pushing back against wasteful single-use products and other event purchases that can harm the environment.

“Hybrid events have also started to become the norm, providing a chance for international and local guests alike to engage in a meaningful event experience,” Forbes said. “Inclusivity and accessibility are vital considerations, whether event designers offer flexibility in attendance, diverse speaker series or use data to personalize events to attendees.”

Indeed, today’s event planners continue to innovate to have event design stand out to attendees. Forbes Functions has wowed them at corporate events with better-for-you food and beverage, engaging activations and impactful gifts. Providing health and wellness options for attendees, as well as accessibility and inclusivity, is always a priority for the Forbes’ team.

“In the past, we have offered corporate attendees a juice bar upon entry, healthy light bites and other modern fare. To engage attendees, Forbes Functions likes to bring in alluring activations: illusionists, mixologists and comics are all pros at interacting with an audience,” Forbes said. “Finally, we prioritize the event takeaways and ensure every attendee leaves the event with a sense of impact. Providing follow-up communication to attendees, especially personalized, is vital to continue to stand out. Additionally, unique gifts or party favors for attendees, such as a DIY cold brew or juicing kit, allow them to continue engaging with the brand long after the event.”

Caryn Mambro, executive creative director at Opus Agency, a B2B experience agency, said that culturally, beyond events and marketing, the zeitgeist has moved into an era of maximalism. Bold colors. Complex, layered designs.

“Grids are being broken, and Helvetica is getting some much-needed rest,” Mambro said. “We are bringing this trending aesthetic into the expo floors of our events.”

For example, at one recent flagship technology conference, the colors, curves and curious all came together for an experience that was more of a festival than any corporate event the attendees had ever experienced. The expo was a bold and vibrant extravaganza with an eight-piece Mardi Gras-style band leading attendees from the keynote to the expo space. Stilt walkers greeted attendees, strolling performers kept them entertained, and attendees entered through a massive 3D sculpture that they could sign to leave their imprint. From there, attendees participated in a fully gamified experience, with more than a dozen touchpoints for them to engage and collect pins. All elements within the expo, including theaters, broadcast studio, gear store and activations, were visually threaded from the front to the back with a highway of colorful ribbons.

“This dramatic, festival-inspired design approach kept the energy and engagement at an ultimate high,” Mambro said.

Health & Wellness Focus

Health and wellness experiences also are proving to be an exciting and impactful way to make corporate events stand out, and event designers are taking advantage of this trend by incorporating better-for-you activities, meals and more for attendees.

“Movement and outdoor activities are incredibly popular, whether a morning workout to start the day or destination-specific wellness experiences like hiking or biking,” Forbes said.

Forbes pointed out that engagement in the local community is becoming a critical part of corporate event design, where attendees can enjoy learning about their surroundings from guides at outdoor activities and chefs at cooking classes. Mindful and phone-free spaces are also encouraged.

In the realm of catering, accessibility is essential — event hosts are providing vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and other alternative meal options for attendees. From on-site juice bars and produce to dinners cooked with ancient grains and fresh seafood, culinary wellness sets a corporate event apart.

“Unique wellness treatments, like infrared saunas, cryotherapy and sound healing, can further give your event an exceptional edge,” Forbes said.

Overall, the investment of money, time and attention into the health and wellness experiences is on par with what Mambro delivered in 2019. She continues to see trends like group yoga or running, early morning meditation and content focused on wellness.

“In the broader ‘agenda design’ trends, our events are reducing content-centric time to prioritize more connection time for attendees. During these blocks of connection time, we are laying networking-centric activities, health and wellness experiences, moments for play, spaces for taking a break, zones for work and more,” Mambro said. They are also designing spaces for attendees to escape from the crowds and noise, with quiet rooms, meditation rooms and ASMR booths growing in popularity.

Caryn Mambro / Opus Agency

Entertainment Trends 

Post-pandemic, live music and other forms of in-person entertainment have been on a massive rise. As Forbes explained, with event technology improving at a rapid rate, new forms of entertainment have taken the place of more traditional ones. Projection mapping onto the floor or ceiling of an event can provide engaging audiovisual entertainment for attendees.

“Traditional industries like catering and bartending are becoming infused with entertainment. From creative and interactive food service, like fresh oysters and pasta bars, to talented mixologists, food and beverage is one new way to entertain attendees,” Forbes said. “Unique performers, such as electric violinists and saxophonists, have also become popular. Performers that engage attendees, such as psychics, illusionists and comics provide an impactful experience as they interact with their audience.”

Today’s trending event entertainment is based on the overall theme of the event itself, whether it’s a country/western band with line dance instructors or a silent disco curated by a DJ and complete with headphones for each attendee.

In Mambro’s event planning experience, live artists, light and laser shows and DJs (like Steve Aoki, a DJ and music producer famous for throwing cakes at attendees) are trending. Bands and comedians continue to reign. Group activities and gamification remain popular.

“The key to entertainment is understanding what your audience wants so you can engage and entertain them in a way that really resonates,” Mambro said. “Validate your entertainment selection with pre-event surveys. The entertainment needs to tie back to your brand as well as the event theme and goals.” In Mambro’s event design, she is harnessing the power of “glimmers” to make the event memorable and bring the “wow” factor.

As she explained, glimmers are those micro-moments that spark awe, joy, happiness, peace, gratitude, safety, calm and connection. Last year was tough financially for many B2B businesses.

“Experts say embracing glimmers positively impacts our mental health, so we aim to spark glimmers for attendees throughout the event. The intent is for attendees to feel motivated to engage, and leave with positive memories of the experience and the brand,” Mambro said. “This includes experiences like light shows, aromatherapy stations, culinary delights or animal therapy. For me, hearing laughter is a glimmer, and in turn, my sense of connection is sparked.”

Team-Building

As with any facet of the meeting and events industry, the popularity of certain types of team building activities ebbs and flows from year to year. Team building experiences are certainly being impacted by today’s event design trends. More and more companies are recognizing that team building experiences should not be limited to a conference room; instead, corporate event designers should think outside the box to engage attendees.

“Hobby-based experiences, like cooking classes or crafts, allow teams to interact in a new environment,” Forbes said. Outdoor activities, like group kayaking or biking, also enable attendees to explore their surroundings while bonding with teams.

In team-building spaces, Mambro said the big trends fall at the intersection of pre-assigned cohorts, prioritization of play and active emphasis on belonging. The emerging tactics are yet to be new or innovative, but they remain meaningful. Things as simple as Lego tables with team-based builds still unite attendees in simple yet profound ways.

“In the spirit of ESG (Environmental, social and corporate governance), community give-back activities are popular with attendees and create excellent team-building opportunities as attendees rally behind a shared cause,” Mambro said.

Seasonal programs like scavenger hunts continue to have a place in many meeting planners’ repertoires. Another favorite new team building event is referred to as the “Do Good Bus.” This team-building program delivers the team to a local charity to really give back, while conducting team building to and from the charitable organization.

When considering these types of activities, meeting planners should take the time to talk to the team building company about the group and what they hope to achieve with the event. The more information shared with the team-building planner or facilitator, the better job they can do at customizing a program to make sure it is a really great fit.

Personalization Is the Future

Personalization of event experiences for corporate events is critical. Forbes pointed out that event planners can use data captured by event technology to understand their attendees’ needs, interests and concerns, tailoring the experience to fit their audience.

“Involving attendees in the pre-event and registration process can engage them and allow them to define their agendas, further customizing the event to their needs,” Forbes said. “As AI and machine learning continue to develop, I foresee further integrating these technologies with event data to optimize attendee experience through personalization.”

Suzanne Pruitt, event director for Indoor Ag-Con held in Las Vegas, is a seasoned event and marketing professional with 30+ years of experience. Pruitt said personalization is a key focus in today’s event design.

“We provide attendees with the flexibility to customize their schedules, allowing them to choose from a wide range of educational sessions  or tracks that align with their specific interests and expertise,” Pruitt said. “This tailored approach ensures that each attendee feels the event caters to their individual needs and professional goals.”

One standout example of ways that Pruitt and her team have “wowed” recent attendees was at the Topgolf VIP party in Las Vegas. By co-hosting this exclusive event with the sponsor, Philips Horticultural LED Solutions, in a unique venue, Pruitt creates a great experience for VIPs, sponsors and speakers.

“The combination of a lively atmosphere, casual networking and golf-themed entertainment adds a layer of fun to the overall event, making it memorable for attendees,” Pruitt said. “Additionally, the co-location with another trade show — the National Grocers Association Show — in a complementary industry sector, has proven to be a strategic move, providing attendees with expanded networking opportunities and a more comprehensive industry experience.”

The biggest movement for personalization is happening with agenda builders, noted Mambro. Platforms and brands are quickly layering AI to make highly personalized and predictive session recommendations.

“For one flagship technology conference we lead, the registration system connects to their overall brand user account,” Mambro said. “AI then learns the details of each attendee and makes highly personalized session recommendations, from the products and services they use and what they have shown interest in, to the sessions they attended at past events and more. We expect this to become a baseline for flagship conferences in 2024 and beyond.” C&IT