By Claire Hannum | Photo by Vision & Style Photography

No matter how many events you’ve planned, each one is its own. Even repeat events at the same venue for the same organization offer their own special glimmer each time they’re held — and that’s why they are well worth personalizing. Not only is personalization an easy way to get creative planning ideas flowing, but it can also help increase client loyalty and, of course, create an even better experience for attendees.

You can direct your personalization in several different ways depending on your goals. You may opt to personalize the event toward the interests and needs of the host, the organization or the industry your event serves, but most importantly, it’s the attendees that need attention.

You can create curated event schedules, meals, speaker opportunities or even decor that calls out to each group’s unique needs and priorities.

While thoughtful in-person, tangible personalization always impresses, today’s landscape demands personalization for both the in-person side of events and the digital side. While face-to-face meetings are still a firmly rooted component of events, guests rely more on technology than ever before for networking and information.

If you’re looking to step up personalization at your next event, here are four tips to consider.

1. MAKE EACH ATTENDEE FEEL SEEN

Some thoughtful details go beyond just knowing your audience and appeal to our most basic human connections. Consider what matters most to the community at the heart of your event and meet that community where they are.

Lucretia Williams, president and CEO of Distinct Event Planning LLC in Ohio, which specializes in culturally inclusive corporate and nonprofit events, recalls helping with an event for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice.

This destination event was the first time in several years that the organization had gotten together, and the majority of the guests were from a Latina or Hispanic cultural background. So Williams and her team got a bilingual travel agent on board, and ensured that interpreting apps were available and translation devices were accessible at the event.

“We were also hands on with curating a meal that was catered to the Latina culture,” Williams says. Distinct Event Planning brought in a woman-owned restaurant to help with food. “[The owner] came in and we gave her free range to create a fresh menu of Latina foods and beverages. And I can tell you, the guests were just in awe … [The chef] is from Mexico and she brought in recipes where some of the guests felt like, ‘I remember when my grandmother made this when I was growing up …’

“We had them in mind when we were planning the event. We made sure it wasn’t just your normal protein of chicken and a side. We were very intentional about that menu,” according to Williams.

As this example demonstrates, when events are more inclusive and catered to organizations’ individual backgrounds, the attendee experience feels tailormade.

2. USE FEEDBACK TO PERSONALIZE AS YOU GO

If you’re not sure what would make attendees feel valued, don’t be afraid to ask — and the way you ask can be an interesting initiative in itself.

Last year, event juggernaut Freeman hosted its inaugural Inside Live at AIA24 event, designed, in part, to explore this topic. When attendees registered for the event, Freeman asked them about their preferences, pain points and passions.

“Then,” says Mickey Wilson, Freeman’s chief marketing officer, “[we] tailored the experience based on their answers.” Those responses shaped the event and inspired some of the sessions offered.

“We learned that attendees are interested in leveraging the experience of experts in a more conversational way,” Wilson says. “So we developed Mentor Think Tanks — small trending topic discussion groups organized by attendee interests and demographics, and led by subject matter experts.”

This made for more meaningful and relevant conversations that offered more value for attendees’ priorities. Feedback is a powerful tool: Don’t be afraid to use it.

3. ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE WITH TECHNOLOGY

A little technology can go a long way in customizing event experiences and AI is making it that much more impactful. Freeman is working on creative ways to use AI to make events better than ever.

“Last year, we announced two AI-centric partnerships, including with Zenus, to introduce ethical AI-based attendee behavior mapping for trade show and conference organizers,” Wilson explains. This enables Freeman to offer customers anonymized data around attendees’ dwell time, activation and more so that events can be even more customized in the future.

Many planning companies, including Freeman, are also implementing AI chatbots. Freeman’s AI feature enables clients to offer attendees web and text chatbots before, during and after events to answers questions in real time. Williams is also implementing AI in her work. Distinct Event Planning uses an event management app that uses AI to help attendees connect.

“It allows attendees to network and provide content prior to the conference,” she says. “When they upload their profile, the profile in the app actually starts matchmaking immediately. So while you’re using the app, it lets you know, for instance, that John is also from Ohio and you both grew up in the Cleveland area, and you have this type of job in common with Mary Sue, and it’s related to a job that you had in previous years.”

Williams finds these questions well worth the investment of the app, because she finds benefit in beginning the attendee matchmaking before guests arrive at the event. “You’re already having conversations and you’re already doing some pre-networking,” she explains. “So now, when you get to the event, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable to network. It feels like you’ve already met so many people through the AI app and like you’ve already been engaging with them. It’s as if you already know them personally.”

By the time the event begins, guests are excited to finally meet in person because their connections have been growing over time. They already feel a strong connection to the event and to fellow attendees.

4. DON’T BE AFRAID TO EMBRACE NEW DEVELOPMENTS

AI is just one example of an ever- changing technology in a world that is always evolving. And as capabilities grow, the ability to personalize events and offer clients the very best only grows. But planners will only be able to use those new developments if they remain open to new frontiers, even if they seem intimidating at first.

“Always be open to learning a better way of doing what you’ve already been doing,” Williams advises. “I’ve been in this business for 26 years, but I don’t plan the way I did 20 years ago or the way I did 15 years ago. I’m always open to learning how to do business better, how to streamline the process and how to make the customer experience even better.”

Learning can mean attending conferences, joining networks and absorbing whatever knowledge you can to stay on the cutting edge of trends.

“I don’t allow myself to get stuck in knowing what I know today. I want to learn something new tomorrow,” emphasizes Williams. “Build a network of meeting and event professionals where you can all share ideas, but also be in those rooms where you’re having these conversations” in real time.

When you’re on the forefront of what’s new, you can be sure you’re delivering clients and guests the most personalized event you can, with the very best features you can offer.