Beyond the ‘Wow’: Engineering Events for Lasting Change
Join us for MESA's next Meeting Planner Forum
Thursday 17th September 2026
1400 - 1500 BST / 1500 -1600 CEST
FREE OF CHARGE TO ATTEND - But you must pre-register
Eligible for Industry Meeting Planners, Event Organisers and MESA Supplier Members
Join MESA (Meetings & Events Support Association) member suppliers and our community of meeting planners and conference organisers for an engaging session where we look at the conference attendee experience.
We’ve all seen the flashy light shows and the high-tech stages, but what happens when the lights go down? Too often, event ROI is measured by immediate excitement rather than long-term impact. Join our panel of industry leaders as we dismantle the traditional "attendee journey" and rebuild it with a focus on transformation.
We’ll explore how to design event outcomes that follow the attendee home, shifting the focus from what they see to who they become. This session is a deep dive into intentional event design - starting with the end in mind to ensure your delegates leave with more than just a good memory.
It’s your opportunity to build new connections, access actionable insights, and discover what’s next for your meeting or conference in our sector. Register now to secure your place!
3 Key Discussion Points
Outcome-First Design: The Monday Morning Test
Instead of starting with "What does the stage look like?", we start with "What should the attendee do differently on Monday morning after the event?" This Forum explores how to align every element – from the pre-conference marketing and communication with the attendee (how do they hear about the event, at what point do they decide it is valuable enough for them to attend and register) to the post-event follow-up and evaluation - around a defined behavioural goal.
The 'Aha!' Moment: Creating Cognitive Shifts
A "Wow" is a passive reaction to a spectacle; an "Aha!" is an active internal realisation. We’ll discuss how to curate moments of connection and friction that trigger genuine learning, rather than just filling a schedule with "content".
Scaling Impact: The Technology of Transformation
The event doesn't end at the closing keynote. How do we use the tools at our disposal (digital, physical, and human) to support the attendee’s journey after the event ends? We’ll discuss how to bridge the gap between the event environment and the real world to ensure the "spark" doesn't fizzle out.
REGISTER NOW if you are a planner in the meetings & events industry or a MESA Member!