Event Marketers: Upgrade Your In-Person Experiences by Encouraging Hands-On Interaction

In the events industry, capturing and keeping the attention of audiences is the name of the game. Especially in crowded, busy festival or conference environments, how can a single booth or display stick in people's minds when they are surrounded by so many visual and sensory stimuli? As a theatrical design student at Northwestern who is also enrolled in the university's esteemed certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications, I've noticed two articles that have caught my eye recently about how organizations and brands have utilized hands-on interaction to build memorable experiences for audiences.

On bizbash.com, writer Martha C. White detailed an innovative display at TED 2018 in which attendees could stand on a realistic set in front of a live camera with a microphone and record their own 45 to 60-second personal TED talks. The installation, conceived by TED engineer Michael Rhing, became a "crowd-pleaser" by providing a hands-on outlet for attendees who arrived at the conference with their own ideas for TED-type speeches. By giving attendees the opportunity to act out their own ideas in a well-equipped setting, the installation greatly enriched the TED 2018 experience for all.

A colorful stage picture at TED 2018. (Photo: Bret Harman/TED)

In another bizbash.com article, Rose Curiel catalogued the efforts of brands to connect with the young, culturally attuned, well-connected attendees at this year's Coachella music festival. One particular effort, from high-fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent, involved neon-decorated vending machines placed throughout the festival grounds that allowed passers-by to purchase beauty products such as fragrances and accessories immediately-- another example of using the live event medium to give attendees an opportunity to interact hands-on with a brand's offerings.

Based on these two articles, and my knowledge from Northwestern, I'd recommend 3 strategies for the event planner who seeks a more hands-on connection to attendees:

1) Let them star. By giving even a brief moment of "performance" to TED attendees, the designers of the "personal TED talk" booth centered audience experience.

2) Be everywhere. The success of Saint Laurent lay in how they successfully inserted themselves into a wide physical space.

3) Closer is better. When audiences can physically touch and interact with displays, their connection with brands and organizations deepens.

See if you can incorporate these ideas into your next live event, whatever size it may be!

Nathan Selinger is a senior at Northwestern studying Theatre and Economics with a certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications. Check him out on Twitter and LinkedIn!