There’s a gap between the glitz, glamour and big-name speakers planners think are big draws for attendees, and what attendees say they truly value.
There’s gap between what meeting and event organizers think attendees want, and what they actually value. And it’s growing, according to the eXperience Trends Report 2025 from Freeman released at IMEX America last month. Entertainment, ambiance and emotional engagement are nice-to-haves, but what attendees really want is to accomplish their learning, networking and business goals, including discovering new products and services.
And when they accomplish those goals, they’re much more likely to come back for future meetings. The report, based on a survey of over 2,600 attendees and organizers, found that attendees who had a “peak moment,” meaning an experience that aligns with those educational, networking and commerce goals, are 85% more likely to return. While more than three-quarters of event organizers believe they deliver on that goal, another gap appears — only 40% of attendees said they had in fact experienced one of the peak moments.
“The experience isn’t the main event, it’s the X factor,” said Ken Holsinger, SVP of Strategy at Freeman. “Attendees are looking for meaningful outcomes. The moments they remember most aren’t about spectacle, they’re about substance. Whether it’s discovering a new product, gaining insight from a session, or making a valuable connection, experience amplifies the goals they came to achieve.”
Providing immersive experiences has been a growing trend among meeting and event organizers, but what makes that immersive experience one that resonates? For 61% of the survey’s attendee respondents, an immersive experience is one that provides hands-on product interaction. So while providing multi-sensory environments is cool and experiential, planners should instead focus on providing more practical ways to engage with products.
The survey results also suggest that planners focus on providing substance over spectacle. So instead of pouring vast amounts of time, energy and funds into keynotes, galas and surprise elements, planners should focus more on experiences that will help them achieve their business objectives: vendor relationships (41%), learning (20%) and networking (19%).
Event organizers also may want to realign some of their priorities to smooth over what attendees said were some of their top irritants, such as wayfinding. While planners and attendees both said difficulty navigating the event space was a major cause of friction and/or a negative experience at a professional event, attendees went further, rounding out their top three annoyances with “confusing expo floor layout” and “challenges finding vendors.” While planners hear a lot of gripes around food and beverage, which is likely why it tops their list of perceived attendee irritants, that’s actually not a top bother for attendees.
So yes, provide great F&B and make registration lines quick and easy, but also look for more ways to reduce these major friction points, such as personalized expo floor guides that make it easier to find the exhibitors, colleagues and sessions they most want to see.
Retention is more important now than ever, given today’s climate of economic uncertainty and shifting generational expectations. Given the importance of delivering the attendee’s definition of a peak moment to retention, planners should think about the experience they are providing through the lenses of learning, networking and commerce. “Don’t treat experience as if it’s in a silo. Instead, ask: Does the environment support the learning attendees expect? Are there clear, intentional spaces for connection? Can people easily discover and engage with solutions?
“The X factor isn’t about creating a moment that looks good on Instagram,” said Holsinger. “It’s about helping attendees walk away saying, ‘That was worth it.’”
Download the full report here.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Bring Gen Z Workplace Values to Events
6 Roadblocks to Building More Engaging Events
5 Event Tech Tips for Better Engagement
