New survey of event professionals shows what’s driving attendance, engagement, and trust

• Nearly half of planners rank attendee-to-attendee connection as the top driver of event success, yet few program enough time for it
• Roundtables and hands-on workshops lead satisfaction, as keynotes evolve toward shorter, multi-voice formats
• Face-to-face networking tops the trust hierarchy, reinforcing why experience design choices matter more than ever

SCHILLER PARK, Ill., May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Encore, a global leader in event production and technology, in partnership with industry research and media firm Boldpush, today released The Experience Design Report: What’s Shaping Live Experiences in 2026 offering new insights into how event professionals are designing experiences and where critical gaps remain.

“Live experiences are at the core of how humans do business and learn about the changing world. This research brings clarity to how top event professionals are creating impactful experiences. A must have tool for companies shaping the future of events,” said Julius Solaris, Founder of Boldpush.

Based on insights from 447 event professionals across corporate, agency, association and independent planning roles, the results reveal a clear disconnect between what planners say matters most and how events are actually structured.

Key findings include:

• Connection builds the most trust but programming hasn’t caught up. Nearly half of respondents (49%) rank peer networking as the most important factor in event success, yet only 8 percent dedicate more programming to structured connection. This gap presents a major opportunity for planners to better align programming with attendee expectations.
  • Human connection builds trust, but design makes it possible.
  • Face-to-face networking and shared experiences are the strongest drivers of trust at events. While human interaction is key, delivering those moments at scale requires intentional design supported by production, technology and environment.
• The keynote isn’t becoming less important, it’s evolving. Keynote speakers remain important – the majority of the respondents (65%) say they contribute to registration, but formats are shifting toward shorter, interactive and multi-speaker experiences. When keynote budgets are reduced, production becomes the top area for reinvestment (26%), ahead of connection (24%) and workshops (23%), pointing to changing priorities in experience design.
• Technology and AI are critical but require integration. Mobile apps currently deliver the highest connection ROI (33%), while AI-driven tools are still emerging. The findings highlight that technology alone is not enough. Its impact increases when integrated into overall experience design and production strategy.
• Production is emerging as a strategic investment. Nearly half of planners (49%) already view production partners as strategic or creative collaborators, not just vendors; however, less than one-third (21%) involve production partners at the concept stage, limiting their ability to influence experience design. Early involvement is also linked to greater innovation in event formats, reinforcing the value of bringing partners in sooner.

“The data makes one thing very clear: connection isn’t a ‘nice to have’ anymore, it’s the core outcome of live events but the industry hasn’t fully operationalized that priority,” said Jill Hunt, Vice President of Customer Experience and Insights for Encore. “There’s a real opportunity for planners to rethink how they design formats, content and experiences to better align with what attendees value most.”

The report encourages event organizers to rethink how time, space and programming are allocated, especially as AI continues to reshape how people consume information outside of live events. As automation grows, the report suggests the value of live experiences increasingly lies in what technology can’t replace or replicate: human connection.

Download The Experience Design Report: What’s Shaping Live Experiences in 2026 here.

About Encore
Encore is a global leader in B2B live event production, delivering technology-enabled experiences to approximately 100,000 customers, primarily through its network of approximately 2,200 established venue partners. Headquartered in Schiller Park, Illinois, Encore is in 23 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia Pacific. Learn more at encoreglobal.com and connect with Encore on LinkedIn.

About Boldpush
Boldpush is a media, research, and consulting firm for the event industry. Founded by Julius Solaris in 2022, Boldpush brings industry focused insights to event professionals across the globe. Boldpush is also a newsletter with 38,000 subscribers and an advanced intelligence platform for industry insights, Boldpush+.

Contact: candace.mueller@encoreglobal.com

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SOURCE Encore