Mastering event experience design: Injecting attendee joy and boosting event ROI

Do you want an event experience that captivates and delights your participants? Of course you do! So that’s why we recently teamed up with Robert Dunsmore, a freelance events creative director and ideas factory for agencies working with brands like Google and GSK.

Robert joined Grip for our first-ever interactive workshop webinar, "Injecting Joy into Your Event," a session dedicated to revolutionizing experience design. In advance of the webinar, participants submitted their own event experience design challenges for Robert to solve live on air. The goal was to ensure attendees don't just visit an event, but return again and again. This unique workshop allowed our community to present their real-world event challenges directly to Robert, who then crafted innovative event solutions live.

Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways and ingenious solutions Robert shared:

The creative director's blueprint: Issue, idea, delivery for event innovation

Robert illuminated the pivotal role of a creative director as an "ideas factory" – someone who consistently introduces novel elements that leave a lasting impression on attendees, driving event innovation. His structured approach, "Issue, Idea, Delivery," forms the backbone of his creative process:

1. Issue identification: The first step involves aligning all stakeholders on the fundamental challenges, budget constraints, event purpose, and offerings. This focus on event stakeholder alignment is crucial.
2. Idea generation: This is where creativity flourishes. Robert champions ideas that actively negate negative issues and establish a positive foundation for the event. He particularly advocates sketching and doodling as powerful tools for rapid event idea generation, uniting a group around a shared vision.
3. Delivery: Once a consensus is reached on the core idea, the implementation phase begins. Although various teams may work independently, their efforts are all channeled towards a unified direction.

Robert showcased this methodology through impactful case studies:

• Google Xi Days at IMEX in Vegas: The objective was to transcend the traditional exhibition stand and cultivate a "space to thrive". Robert's solution involved integrating elements of the Nevada desert – succulents, rocks, and even the desert's unique scent – into the stand design, with a commitment to returning all natural materials to their original environment post-event.‍
• GSK demerger event: Faced with the challenge of fostering a sense of "belonging" among 72,000 staff after a major demerger, a large-scale live event was conceptualized. This was simultaneously broadcast to satellite events in offices across India, America, Belgium, and the Far East, enabling the CEO to connect directly with staff globally and reinforce their integral role in the company's future.‍
• Personio HR show: To attract new talent, the exhibition stand was transformed into a stylish New York loft apartment, complete with exposed brickwork, cool furniture, and neon signage. This innovative approach allowed candidates to "project their future career upon it", resulting in a significant increase in leads, demonstrating experiential event marketing.‍
• Barbour ABI construction industry event: The goal was to extend attendee dwell time at their stand to effectively showcase their intelligence software (which required 7-8 minutes for a full demonstration). The solution involved installing a premium coffee bar with a top-tier barista and abundant charging points, which successfully increased dwell time to over eight minutes and boosted leads by 42%.‍
• Eventit's experienceit: To adapt a smaller event from a vast exhibition hall to a more intimate bar setting, exhibitors were encouraged to bring a "cabinet of curiosity" for an "unboxing experience". This unconventional setup in a social space fostered immediate event networking and deal-making, demonstrating how a change in environment can transform attendee behavior and offer interactive event concepts.

Your event challenges, solved.

Robert then tackled the specific challenges submitted by our audience, providing actionable, often low-cost, and always high-impact solutions.

Beyond churn: Elevating the first-time attendee experience

The problem: A major Confex event, with over 40,000 visitors and 300 talks, was experiencing a 50% churn rate among first-time attendees. The sheer size of the event left new visitors feeling lost and questioning their return on investment.

Robert's solutions for an "exclusive first-time seduction experience":

• First-timer hangouts: Move beyond traditional lounges to create informal, welcoming "hangouts" equipped with essentials like water and charging points. These spaces could feature "macro stages" for established exhibitors to deliver quick 2-10 minute TED-style talks or promotions, enticing attendees to visit their main stands, contributing to effective event attendance strategies.
• First-timer wonder walks: Organize curated, guided tours led by knowledgeable individuals, focusing on specific topics. These "wonder walks" provide a high-value, high-impact way for first-timers to quickly absorb information and gain exposure to relevant areas of the event.
• First-timer vending machines: Strategically place easily-hireable vending machines exclusive to first-time attendees. Accessible via a unique, single-use code, these machines could dispense drinks, plasters, insoles, or treats from exhibitors, creating a delightful and memorable "special thing", highlighting a unique experience.
• Secret events and word-of-mouth: Introduce unpublicized, exclusive events like breakfast receptions or evening drinks for first-timers. The element of discovery and word-of-mouth sharing among this group fosters a stronger sense of community and belonging, driving deeper event engagement and helping to reduce event churn.
• Exclusive gift boxes: Offer limited-edition, numbered gifts, such as a vegan, unisex cologne. The unique scent creates a lasting memory and a shared, exclusive experience among first-timers, reinforcing their sense of belonging. This taps into the psychological principle of "random rewards," creating an addictive quality that encourages repeat attendance.

Revolutionizing registration Queues

The problem: A conference event faced challenges with busy and often stressful check-in registration queues. While the appearance of popularity was desirable, the aim was to deliver a seamless attendee experience.

Robert's solutions for "re-imagining registration as a first impression":

• Dual-channel entry: This offers event registration solutions that help to streamline event check-in.‍
  
  • "The line": Implement a "burdenless and frictionless" express lane for time-poor attendees. This high-speed tunnel, or even a travelator, would allow for quick, limited-touch badge scanning, delivering attendees directly into the hall, improving event entry.‍
  • "The lobby": Create a welcoming, green-rich lobby experience for those with more time, similar to a museum entrance. This hosted environment could feature screens displaying show highlights and content streams, offer coffee or water, allowing attendees to prepare for the event ahead. This flexible lobby space could also be leveraged for evening receptions, adding a revenue stream.

Adding "zing" to a stale crypto event (on a budget!)

The problem: A crypto confex event felt stagnant, relying solely on a keynote speaker and an annual theme for innovation. With budget constraints limiting the hiring of creative directors or elaborate activations, the organizers sought low-cost ways to inject "zing" into the event. .

Robert's "crypto lightning strike campaign" ideas:

• Pre-event "rush promo" videos: Leverage the independent, decentralized nature of crypto by asking speakers to record short, "shouty" 10-20 second previews of their talks while seemingly engaged in extreme activities (e.g. tandem skydiving, high-speed car rides). These "rush clips" with masked or helmeted speakers and dubbed audio create a mysterious and exciting online buzz for crypto event activations.
• Lightning strike army: Deploy an "army" of individuals wearing white t-shirts emblazoned with your show's logo and a theme-related question (e.g., "What's crypto got to do with it?") around event hotels and routes. This creates an inescapable visual presence, reminiscent of scenes from "The Matrix". If approached, they remain mute and hand over an event expo card with a call to action at the show.
• Secret rooms/experiences within the hall: Utilize simple truss and fabric to create hidden, peeking-through experiences, offering creative event activations:‍
  
  • Games room: A secret space for activities like badminton, pickleball, or table tennis, which can be branded and offered as sponsorship opportunities, demonstrating gamification for events.‍
  • "Wall Street" experience: A room with graphics depicting Wall Street (or other financial centers) featuring branded products, enhanced by a powerful fan creating a "gale" for a multi-sensory experience.‍
  • Dark room with soundscape: A completely blacked-out room for an immersive audio experience, allowing attendees to "audio jack" into a unique soundscape.‍
  • Graffiti/plate-throwing room: A room with a wall for "crypto graffiti" or plates that can be thrown, offering a therapeutic and memorable activation.

Proving ROI on creative elements and funding: Robert clarified that every attendee's badge makes them an "identifiable asset". By tracking engagement with these interactive elements, organizers can gather data on attendee preferences and demographics, allowing for tailored future experiences and demonstrating clear event ROI. We also emphasized the power of leveraging sponsors and exhibitors to fund and execute these creative activations, highlighting SXSW as a prime example of this successful strategy.

Encouraging networking and demonstrating ROI at a trade show

The problem: Attendees needed help discovering the right delegates and companies for networking, and the commercial ROI of attending the show needed to be unequivocally clear post-event.

Robert's solutions:

• Unboxing zone/curiosity hub: Create a physical "hub" within the exhibition featuring numerous numbered boxes or drawers. Each contains a thoughtful or playful message from an exhibitor, designed to spark dialogue rather than a direct sales pitch. This subtly guides attendees to form new connections and experiences, illustrating event networking best practices.
• Live data counters: Within the "unboxing" hub, set up tables staffed by "lab-coated" operatives. These individuals would visually represent live show data using physical counters (e.g., engineering nuts and bolts for an engineering show, chocolate tablets for a confectionery show). The volume of the counters would correspond to the data (e.g., 450 counters for 4,500 attendees). This "living data" transforms abstract numbers into tangible, engaging visuals, encouraging questions and demonstrating real-time event impact.

Making virtual book club networking appealing and transitioning to physical

The problem: A virtual book club for event organizers aimed to foster meaningful, non-transactional conversations, distinct from sales pitches. They sought ways to simplify the virtual format, make it accessible to busy planners, and ultimately transition to in-person meetups at trade shows to continue conversations in a dynamic networking environment.

Robert's solutions:

• Magical virtual portal:
  
  • Stylish backgrounds: The virtual member space (website/app) should visually immerse users in stylish, luxurious rooms – the kind of serene spaces where one would quietly enjoy a book, enhancing the virtual event experience.‍
  • Anonymous audio soundscape: Introduce a "blackout room" or page on the portal where only audio is present. Members can upload anonymous audio comments after each reading session, sharing thoughts and feelings. This creates an intimate "time machine" of shared, evolving experiences, fostering a deep connection among participants through their voices, without revealing their identities.‍
• Real-life book club experience:
  
  • Recreate portal visuals: For in-person meetups, the physical venue or furniture should echo the stylish rooms from the virtual portal. This creates a recognizable and immersive environment for club members within an exhibition hall.‍
  • Physical soundscape space: Incorporate a blacked-out, sound-deadened space within the physical event where attendees can experience the anonymous audio soundscape from the virtual portal. This unique auditory experience provides a compelling way to connect with the ongoing journey of the book and serves as a natural recruitment tool for new book club members.

Generating pre-show buzz and FOMO

The problem: How can event organizers encourage general attendees to express their excitement about an upcoming B2B event, thereby generating pre-show buzz, increasing ticket sales, and creating event FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)?

Robert's one-minute challenge solution:

• Identify and empower ambassadors: Utilize digital tools to pinpoint your most active social media users and brand ambassadors. Engage with these individuals by providing them with exclusive, "secret" information or incentives about the show before it happens. This strategic empowerment encourages peer-to-peer sharing within their networks, effectively generating event buzz and driving further interest and ticket sales.

"You always add one new thing because that's the thing they're going to remember." This principle is at the heart of what we believe at Grip: continuous innovation and memorable experiences are not just desirable, they are essential for creating truly successful events.

If you're eager to delve deeper into these brilliant ideas and watch Robert solve more challenges, be sure to catch the full webinar replay.

Watch the full webinar on-demand

‍