Making Memories: How Events Can Be Redefined

By Chris Rhodes, Creative Director, Experience

It can take months or even years to prepare an event, yet in a moment, it’s gone. Once it ends and the breakdown is complete, there’s no sign it was ever there.

All that remains is the memory that lives in the minds of the audience.

What we produce and deliver can be incredibly important and pivotal to an individual. The conference that inspires, the award show that celebrates an individual’s achievements and changes their life… so how do we respect that? How do we stay fresh and keep our audiences engaged?

Regardless of your event’s nature, the problem is the same; how can you create the right environment for your event to become engrained in your audience’s memory bank?

Is there a science to making these memories or is it an art? I’d say a bit of both.

Sh*t in… Sh*t out 

Start strong by dedicating time to develop your event brand, ensuring it’s fit for purpose. Just as you’d consult a professional when rebranding your business, your event deserves the same attention – especially if you’d like it to have an annual legacy.

Take the time to properly brief your agency, you want to inspire them so they can dazzle you in return. It’s even worth including them in a brief writing workshop to clearly define the purpose of your event.

What’s the message? What’s the big take out? What are we celebrating?

ROI will be different depending upon the nature of the event but consider the data you’d like to receive, as it may form an interesting challenge for your agency to solve.

Get all this right and your agency will have a solid foundation to create something exceptional like the ever-evolving event brand for Adobe Max, a visually stunning identity that in turn inspires a visually stunning event.

Mess it up, and you risk seeing a poorly conceived brand blown up on a massive LED screen.

This matters as you want your audience to believe your event brand: so much that they’ll don the branded baseball cap or laptop sticker, because being at your event says something about them and they want the world to know.

Tell your story

Think about your guest journey way before the event begins. You now have an amazing event brand, maybe you have a theme for the occasion. Start telling your story early and stick to it.

Early social media, mailers, desk drops, luggage tags, any touchpoint you can think of, are all opportunities to start telling your story to build intrigue and momentum and create a collective buzz with your audience.

Look at how Secret Cinema does it: the registration and ticket portal are themed to match the film, a pop-up shop offers outfits and props, social media teases coded messages and even the directions from the nearest station are cleverly aligned with the event’s narrative. Everything is carefully curated to make the experience memorable before attendees even arrive.

Certain entertainment brands like Netflix or Amazon Prime have a slight advantage here, possessing a rich content pool from which to draw inspiration from. But that doesn’t mean B2B events can’t create a rich and engaging story.

Encourage your agency to make you a narrative that makes sense and has purpose. You don’t need a huge budget, just a good brief and a creative thinker.

This doesn’t mean you can just do whatever now though. A stunt without context won’t leave a lasting impression unless it ties back to your event’s theme or brand. Give it purpose and it will add to the bigger picture of making something memorable.

The same applies to theming – just because the Wes Anderson aesthetic is cool, doesn’t mean you should pinch it. Start with your core story. For example, if your theme is centred around a journey your business is on, then you have a meaningful reason to draw inspiration from The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Darjeeling Limited.

Let the fun begin and brief your agency to get lost in that territory, but always link it back to your central narrative.

Remember the basics

Your wayfinding and venue graphs should shine, thanks to your stunning event branding. Your brand activations should be thoughtfully designed to reinforce your theme or messaging, creating those photo-worthy moments your audience will love. The merchandise looks great, and everybody wants it because it underpins your message and isn’t just another reusable coffee cup or USB stick.

Now let’s think about the logistics, how can we continue to excite our audience?

Registration should feel like a VIP experience. No one wants to stand in long lines, so invest in efficient processes that are both stylish and seamless. Don’t overlook the basics either – from clean, well-stocked restrooms with products that reflect your brand’s values to canapes that perfectly match your audience’s preferences. Every detail matters when it comes to creating memorable experiences.

It’s important to consider how your guests move through your event. What will they feel at each stage? Think beyond visuals – audio soundscapes, even scent, can play a role in creating those grounding moments that help memories stick.

And don’t worry if your audience have different experiences. Think of a Punchdrunk show: everyone has a unique journey which leads to engaging conversations afterward – “did you see that?”  “No! But I saw this, and it was incredible”.

If your event ends with the audience focussed on a big screen, ditch the generic PowerPoint. Invest in on-brand, purpose-driven content that’s visually striking and make sure your speakers and production is well-prepared.

Finally, enjoy the moment. Watch as your audience smiles, laughs and learns. If you’ve done it right, you’ll have created memories they’ll cherish long after the event finishes.