Event industry focuses on experience design and attendee retention

The event industry is focusing on experience design and attendee retention strategies to drive growth. The Expo! Expo! 2026 annual meeting, scheduled for November 16-18 at the Baird Convention Center in Milwaukee, will feature a learning track titled ‘Experience Design: Creating Memorable Journeys’. This track, supported by GES|OnPeak, aims to help professionals integrate registration, show floor activities, and post-event follow-up into a single, seamless attendee journey.

In terms of marketing, industry experts are emphasizing the importance of targeting undecided attendees rather than just focusing on loyalists. Research suggests that 85% of attendees who experience a ‘peak moment’ return the following year. Effective retention strategies involve addressing barriers such as rising costs and inflation by focusing messaging on education, networking, and trend discovery. Data-driven approaches, such as analyzing website behavior and using geo-targeted campaigns, have proven successful in converting specific segments, including audiences in Canada.