We’ve all been there – that one event that hooked us from the start, filled us with excitement, and left us talking about it long after the doors shut. But what’s the secret behind these unforgettable experiences?
Most of it comes down to engaging multiple neural pathways, by stimulating emotional, cognitive, and sensory responses, leading to a heightened sense of connection and memory retention.mpact isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s a single idea shared at the right time. A moment of clarity in a room full of thinkers. A brave conversation that shifts the way we see the world or our community around us.
Here are a few ways we use the ‘science of eventing’ to create unforgettable events that captivate hearts and inspire minds:
One of the best ways to accomplish this is to first prime your audience.
Using exciting graphics, animations, and videos sets the scene for an event with a difference. It’s more than just an interactive PDF at the start of the invite engagement, it is a bold statement of intent.
You can also look at sharing sneak peeks, running polls, or sending out pre-reads to prime your guests’ minds for the main event. Simple, engaging content can ease their nerves and get them thinking, “What’s coming next?”
Up next, you should engage their minds and let the dopamine flow! Here’s a fun fact: when people are focused and having a blast, their brains sprinkle a little ‘feel-good’ magic called dopamine. The result? Boosted creativity, sharper memories, and problem-solving powers on overdrive!
So, toss in some laughter, catchy tunes, or even a surprise dance-off, and let the good vibes (and ideas) soar!
Collaboration and creativity thrive when everyone feels safe, heard, and comfortable. So, create a safe space, with a skilled facilitator or subject matter expert who can guide the conversation in such a way that every voice is heard. Speaking of your facilitator – they need to be properly briefed on the event and understand the flow. Just mailing a script to a celeb won’t cut mustard. They must understand how to unlock the best guest experience possible.
Some events are easier to manage than others, and the more sensitive a topic, the better your planning has to be.
For example, if you are going to discuss a super-sensitive topic such as gender-based violence, you need to plan for support (whether it is an onsite counsellor, or employer-based mental health channel).
Such safety isn’t always obvious but creating a holistic safety net, encompassing physical, emotional, and psychological safety, will keep guests comfortable, allowing expression and engagement.
Want your event to leave a lasting impression? Don’t underestimate the power of multi-sensory magic. Tap into your attendees’ senses. Whether it’s the smell of fresh coffee or the nostalgic sound of a childhood song, sensory cues help people remember, engage, and connect.
Create your programme in such a way that sensory experiences come into play at key moments in the day. For instance, the post-lunch session is always a challenging one. Think about creative ways to jolt them out of their malaise. Something as easy as encouraging people to change their seats can do wonders.
Tailoring to your audience: Different brains work at different speeds. Mornings are great for decision-making, while afternoons are perfect for creativity.
By understanding your audience’s demographics and rhythms, you can design an event that ticks all the boxes of your stakeholders.
So, sit back, relax, and let us do the thinking for you…
Introducing Colour of the Year 2026: Transformative Teal
WGSN and Coloro have announced Transformative Teal as the Colour of the Year for 2026, following the moody purple/ blue hue of Future Dusk next year.
As this trendsetting colour begins to emerge in products and various industries, Transformative Teal signifies more than just a shade to us. It is the main colour in our brand palette and represents our brand’s vision for the future: fresh, innovative, and connected to the world around us.
Teal combines the calming properties of blue, with the renewal qualities of green. It is a revitalising and rejuvenating colour that also represents open communication and clarity of thought. In addition, teal represents change and redirection and can help encourage resilience in the face of complex climate challenges.
PS: WGSN also hosts a wonderful consumer trends-based podcast, which is endlessly fascinating and a great source of inspiration. Give it a listen here.
Raising a🍸to women in the industry
Every month we sit down and chat with some of the incredible women who work in this crazy industry.
The Thinkers, Creators, Doers, and Deciders.
The women who inspire us.
This month we sat down with Amelia Bester, Director and Head Designer of BaahStudio. A self-proclaimed “positive black sheep that lives for being loud, standing out and pushing the boundaries”. Her motto is ‘Why follow the flock when you can stand out from the herd?’ and we love her for it!
Her designs are fun, impactful and always surprising – bringing incredible energy to our event campaigns and projects.
1. What gets you out of bed in the morning?
My two-year-old lol! But after that, it’s my desire to create beautiful things!
2. Where do you go to find inspiration?
I am always browsing social media and various websites to keep up with event and design trends, but then there’s also simply the world around us. I am always looking at the details around me and if you’re looking for me in a crowded room, I am probably the one touching a wall or some piece of furniture or taking a picture of the shadow cast by something. I try to look closer, always exploring the world for new sources of inspiration.
3. Best onsite event hack?
Power poses work. If it gets stressful, find a quiet, private space and go do a power pose, and breathe in deeply through your nose.
If that doesn’t work, wiggle it out! Do a little jive, jump up and down, just get rid of the stress. Then, “Chin up and GO ROCK THAT EVENT, GIRL!”
4. Cocktail or Coffee?
Can I have both?
5. What’s in your handbag?
Small notebook, pen, glasses and glasses cloth, wallet, business cards, keys, phone, Lip-ice, lipstick, hair tie, a toy car, and some seashells (my son’s, not mine 😊)
BONUS: What song is on repeat on your playlist?
Jeremy Loops – Til I found you.
For years we were told the great secret that all women hold can be found in their handbag. Ask anyone who’s been asked to dig something out of another person’s handbag, and all sorts of social norms get thrown up.
I love the idea of what’s in someone’s handbag as a gauge of what their every day looks like – continue to follow what goes on inside the handbags of the team, partners, and clients in upcoming newsletters.
Case Study | The science of simplicity
B2B Research report launch for Naspers
We recently partnered with Naspers to design and implement a niche B2B media event for 200 guests. Our brief was simple: Let ‘content be king’.
Through impactful staging, design, and animation, our creative and production team produced a world-class experience that highlighted the words being spoken. Using the science of eventing and the process of ‘simplicity’ we pulled off a TED-Talk style event that made big impact.
A few things we did:
- Listened and delivered on the client brief: Content was front and centre.
- We spent the time up front understanding and getting the core message, look, and feel right. Creating a golden thread at every touchpoint. If it doesn’t speak to the golden thread, lose it – it doesn’t have a place.
- We prepared in a big way. The old adage stands true: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” So we built in the extra dry runs and rehearsals. The more time you get to spend in a space, the easier it is to deal with unexpected issues (even with all the planning, they happen!)
- Don’t overcomplicate the non-essentials. Since the client had a brilliant piece of content that needed to shine, we created the framework for that to happen. A simple LED screen, great message-applicable design, and key touch engagement touchpoints were used as amplification, not distraction.
Be Kind,
