Engagement and personalization are two of the most important factors in the success of any event. By creating engaging and personalized experiences for attendees, event organizers can foster a sense of community and connection, and drive loyalty and anticipation for future events. Ovation Global DMC has recently launched a survey to understand the importance and evolution of engagement, content, personalization, and interactivity in the events industry for meetings, conferences, and exhibitions.
We explored the key findings of our most recent survey to provide insights into the use of content personalization and interactivity to increase event engagement. Out of the 463 survey responses, more than half (54.5%) were suppliers compared to the 45.5% event planners.
Challenges Behind Engagement
Our survey identified one of the main challenges behind engagement as the ability to capture the target group. With so many events vying for the attention of attendees, it can be difficult to stand out and attract the right audience. To overcome this challenge, event organizers need to focus on understanding their target audience and creating content that resonates with them.
Other challenges include creating interactive elements and relevant content. Attendees want to be engaged and involved in the event, and this requires the use of interactive elements such as Q&A sessions, social media integrations, and workshops. Additionally, the content must be relevant and tailored to the interests of the attendees.
The Role of Personalization
Personalization is also a key factor in driving engagement and a recent trend that we are seeing more and more of in the event landscape. By creating targeted content, tailored sessions, and custom networking opportunities, event organizers can create personalized experiences that make attendees feel valued and engaged.
At the same time, personalization comes with its challenges. 41.7% percent of survey respondents found that creating personalized experiences was one the largest challenges at events, while another 25% expressed their concern in respecting the privacy of participants throughout these personalized activations.
Opportunities for the Future
Looking to the future, there are many opportunities for the event industry to drive engagement and personalization. Our survey identified personalization, sustainability, and AI as the topics that present the largest opportunities for engagement in our industry.
Advances in technology, such as AI and machine learning, can help event organizers to better understand their target audience and create more personalized experiences. Subsequently. the growing focus on sustainability and events that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility are likely to attract a more engaged and loyal audience.
Engagement and personalization are crucial to the success of any event. By overcoming the challenges and embracing the opportunities, event organizers can create engaging and personalized experiences that drive loyalty and anticipation for future events.