Conference Matters 143

EVENT DESIGN

Daymakers Group - Royal Cosun anniversary event

Small touches can already create a 'wow' feeling

The staff play the leading role in a documentary. It has had several live premieres; there are events, training courses, online contact moments, newsletters, and more. “The multi mediality of content and campaign ensures a broad approach. The method used to deliver the content is just as important as the content itself. People are active on different platforms, and that’s where they need to get their content. You can’t address everyone in the same way,” says Van Wanrooij. An approach that conveys a personal character does not necessarily have to increase costs, he adds. “It’s mainly about actually listening to people, and listening is free. There are hundreds of thousands of ways to bring special storytelling to life, and that’s what we do.” In particular, combining physical and digital is the way to achieve greater reach and effectiveness. Digital tools let you easily enhance the experi ence and give it a personal touch. A digital journey is essential to involve the younger generation. Warming up Young professionals will join in more quickly if there’s something in it for them. They don’t consider being present at an event for a whole day as a particularly valuable use of their work

everyone feels seen and heard, they grow more connected to the organisation, brand and event. During its conference in 2023, the Ame rican Psychological Association took a unique approach. The motto ‘You belong here’ encoura ged participants to wear clothing that expressed their identity, such as nationality or gender. The organisation handed out large badges on which attendees could write their own messages. Bringing people closer Make sure people belong. There’s no one-size fits-all formula for an event that brings together thousands of people. “People want to feel con nected, which can be done by focusing on a sub ject that close to people’s hearts. We go quite far in this regard,” says Bart van Wanrooij, Managing Director at creative agency OVAL, which organi ses events for major clients like Google. He mentions the campaign with a strong ‘connect for real’ character for a large healthcare institution that is now being rolled out, which includes a number of live events. “The assignment was to involve all 5,000 employees in our transition to a different, futu re-proof healthcare model with an ageing society in mind. We’ve translated this into a multi-year campaign that strongly seeks connections.”

The more personal the experience, the greater the impact and involvement for visitors, allowing the message to stick better. This is essential knowing that the younger generation has different wants and needs.

By Evelien Baks

Like everyone in the room, shake hands with the person sitting next to you. Write down your own wish for the world on a string full of leaves. Attend a special meet & greet. Have a connec ting selfie moment. They are all sparks: sparkles of light-heartedness in the seriousness of an event. Take the concert that the British idol Adele gave in Munich. Fans saw their own message, ‘We love Adele, all the way from Vienna and Boston’, appear on a large screen with their photos and will remember this moment forever. This is how it can be when an event goes beyond a live performance. “Live communication is a very powerful tool that’s unfortunately underused,” explains Pieter Bas Boertje, CEO at Daymakers Group. “For 100 percent reach, it’s important to get everyone on board.” It’s about not leaving anybody behind. When

find anywhere else. They can meet speakers in person who they would not otherwise be able to meet,” says Van Hugten. “We often bring people together to plan a session. Or we ask for research and call for abstracts, with the opportunity of being selected for the programme. And once they’re together, we host a variety of social events, including networking opportunities, lunches, dinners, and coffee breaks. Of course, there is an app availa ble for each event so that people can communi cate, meet up and stay connected. This is how we create a community with personal added value.”

time. “Warming up is done digitally in advance, followed by a live meeting with clear added value,” explains Raya van Hugten, Director Institutional Division of CMI the Netherlands. “Planning an event often starts three, four, or five years in advance. That’s when it’s time to make the connection.” Part of the global MCI Group, CMI Netherlands organises live and digital international confe rences for clients in various industries. “The first point of contact is on the event website and then during registration. Visitors register because they can get content here that they cannot

'When everyone feels seen and heard, they grow more connected to the organisation, brand and event'

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