How to Wow Your Event Attendees at Every Step: Event Planning Tips from the Pros
The event attendee experience begins long before your guests arrive at your event—and long after they leave. From registration to authentic personal connections to the final goodbye, meaningful touchpoints ensure attendees feel valued and engaged from start to finish.
The event managers at UC San Diego Park & Market have worked with hundreds of clients to create “wow” moments that leave a lasting impression. Here, they provide their Top 3 event planning tips for crafting an unforgettable event journey.
Start Strong with Registration.
Before your guests set foot at your event, you want them to feel at ease and eager to participate. That starts with your registration process, which includes pre-event communications. It’s critical that your attendees know what to expect upon arrival and that checking in at the event is both seamless and exciting.
“We advise our clients to consider how and where event registration occurs, since it’s the best opportunity to make a good first impression,” said Jenny Nakamura, Event Manager at UC San Diego Park & Market.
Some ideas to include in the event plan:
- Use an intuitive registration platform that allows for personalized agendas beforehand and a synchronized onsite check-in process.
- Send confirmation emails with teaser content to build anticipation.
- Share pre-event resources like speaker bios or networking opportunities.
- Consider setting up your on-site registration so that it is branded to the event, provides special amenities and surprises, and flows with the event layout.
“Having worked with hundreds of companies and organizations to plan and implement unique events, the event management team at Park & Market has seen firsthand how pre-event and onsite registration can pave the way to a truly memorable experience,” added Nakamura.
Encourage Attendee Interaction
An old adage that organizations often use internally is that they don’t host events; they host people. Putting the guest experience front and center ensures that the human element is built in as a driving factor. The result is that attendees feel included and connected throughout the whole event, an important event planning tip for creating “wow.”
“Event hosts can encourage attendee interaction by taking a thoughtful approach to the event layout, adding in special amenities for guests to meet and mingle and utilizing technology to enable connections,” said Park & Market Event Manager Jennifer Payne.
Some good ways to foster human connections at an event include:
- Hosting icebreaker activities early in the day, so attendees have a chance to make connections at the start of the event and reinforce them through the entirety of the gathering.
- Providing casual networking lounges during breaks and offering creative amenities during program and space transitions.
- Using AI-powered tools to match attendees with similar interests.
“At Park & Market, we’ve seen creative use of the entrances and exits to event spaces, the foyers and passageways between breakout rooms, the spiral staircase from the first to the second floor and the high-tech digital screens throughout the facility,” said Payne. “When you take a holistic look at how your guests will interact with the space, you can devise creative ways to allow them to engage with each other along the way.”
End on a High Note
As good as the start of the event is, the ending should really leave attendees wanting more. Memorable events create a lasting impression by ending on a high note that reinforces the occasion in tangible ways.
“There are as many ways to end an event as there are events,” said Nakamura. “The events that really wow attendees are those that capture and reinforce the essential purpose of the gathering in a meaningful way—and that includes making the best use of the event space.”
Some ideal opportunities for closing the event are by featuring:
- A motivational keynote or panel discussion.
- An engaging reflection activity, such as sharing key takeaways.
- A special performance or unique farewell gift.
“Ending on a high note is really about pulling all the separate event components together,” Payne noted. “It’s a joy to help clients elevate their message into a final, tangible moment or experience for their attendees. It’s like adding the cherry or sprinkles on top of the beautiful dessert.”
Want to elevate your attendee experience? Park & Market’s modern venue and personalized service will help you shine.
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