Standing the Test of Time October 29, 2026 by Dave Lutz Here are 10 Convene columns I’ve written over the past 20 years whose takeaways remain as applicable today as when they were first published. Recently, I spoke with Convene’s digital media editor, Magdalina Atanassova, about Convene’s 40th anniversary this year. For half of those years, since 2006, I’ve had the privilege to pen 180-plus columns … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
All the Feels October 8, 2026 by Dave Lutz This often-repeated quote by acclaimed author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou should be applied to all events: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This past April, the opening keynote of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
Banana Ball and the Attendee Experience July 28, 2026 by Dave Lutz Banana Ball is on fire! Last week they inked a deal with ESPN, ABC and Disney+ to stream 25 games in 2026 (more than double 2025). Quite a few of the games will be played at sold-out major league ball parks. The Savannah Bananas have taken the country by storm because of their incredible focus … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
Three Tips for Conference Sponsorship Pricing May 26, 2026 by Dave Lutz Sponsorship is the most powerful form of marketing. When done well, it can change participants’ attitudes and behaviors about a brand. Banners, ads, signs and enhanced listings shouldn’t be lumped into the same category — they don’t make that emotional connection. Attributes of Effective Sponsorship Inventory Include: Choice — attendees should be able to opt-in or … [Read more…] Filed Under: Sponsorship & Exhibits
Atomized, Image-Rich Content Marketing May 13, 2026 by Dave Lutz One of the greatest opportunities for leveraging AI in 2026 is not creating more content, but rather chunking session content into digestible, bite-sized snacks. According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing provides relevant and useful content to your prospects and customers to help them solve issues in their work (B2B content) or personal lives … [Read more…] Filed Under: Attendance Marketing
Increased Attendee Expectations vs. Rising Costs February 24, 2026 by Dave Lutz Attendee’s want unforgettable event experiences, less friction and lower costs. As margins slip, event professionals are being pressured to hold or lower event expenses. The three categories attendees value the most are also the ones that are escalating in cost faster than inflation (30%+ over the past four years). The big three expense areas include … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
Modernizing Your Post-Con Survey February 5, 2026 by Dave Lutz The post-con survey is key to measuring the success of your event and planning for the future, but planners continue to find it a challenge to get participants to respond to them. Unless you require them to complete the survey to earn their CE credits, your post-con survey response rate could be 10 percent or … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
Design Conferences That Attract NextGen Attendees January 7, 2026 by Dave Lutz Attracting NextGen attendees continues to be a top priority for conference and trade show organizers. What we’ve learned is that success has less to do with age and more to do with shifting workforce dynamics and rising expectations for practical, immediate value. Conferences that emphasize relevant learning, intentional networking, and flexible engagement are seeing … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
How to Train AI for Session Personalization October 16, 2025 by Dave Lutz Concurrent sessions are the meat and potatoes of professional conferences. Use AI to improve the recipe. Evaluating, scoring, and slotting sessions can be a monumental task for staff and volunteer peer reviewers. Here’s where AI can really help, by streamlining these processes and more importantly, raising the quality bar. To get the maximum benefit from … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Technology
Show-Floor Theater Best Practices October 8, 2025 by Dave Lutz Last month, I was able to experience InfoComm, billed as “The Coolest Pro AV Gathering on the Planet.” Here’s what I took away from that experience. InfoComm, held June 7-13, attracted nearly 31,000 AV professionals to Orlando. One of the events highly engaging features was the handful of large theaters on the show floor. Three … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design
