Connection is king — but most events still aren’t designed for it. New research reveals the data behind this gap — and some opportunities you may be overlooking — in 2026 event experience design.

Most event professionals know what matters to their attendees. But, according to the new Experience Design Report from Encore and Boldpush, they’re not building for it.

Based on a survey of 447 planners across corporate, agency and association roles, the report highlights a growing disconnect between stated priorities and actual event design. The results also show that this gap, while it represents a risk, also could provide a major competitive opportunity for planners who find ways to close it.

The #1 Driver of Success Isn’t Content — It’s Connection

Nearly half of planners (49%) rank attendee-to-attendee connection as the most important factor in event success. Content comes in second at 43%. Yet only 8% of planners dedicate significant programming time to structured networking, and 16% leave it entirely to chance.

While this mismatch is the single biggest red flag in the report, it also offers the clearest path to differentiating your event from the rest of the pack. Events that intentionally design for connection through facilitated networking, roundtables and curated small-group experiences are far more likely to deliver on attendee expectations.

And the payoff is measurable: planners who allocate at least 26% of programming to connection are about 1.5 times more likely to see microevents drive registration, according to the report.

Interactive Formats Are Outperforming — By a Lot

The report puts another long-standing assumption to rest: While the keynote isn’t dead, it’s no longer the star of the show.

Only a small percentage of planners say keynotes are the most satisfying format. Instead, attendee satisfaction is driven by roundtables, hands-on workshops and panel discussions (especially at large events).

What’s changing isn’t the presence of keynote speakers — it’s the format. Planners are shifting toward shorter sessions, multi-speaker perspectives, and interactive Q&As.

Even more telling: when budgets are cut, planners are more likely to reinvest in production, connection programming, and workshops than in traditional keynote content.

This data suggests that it’s time to stop thinking in terms of “sessions” and start thinking in terms of participation. The more your audience does, the more value they perceive.

Technology Works—But Only When It’s Integrated

Despite the buzz around AI, the most effective event tech for driving connection is still relatively simple: mobile apps with networking features. About one-third of planners say these deliver the highest ROI.

AI-powered matchmaking? Still emerging, with only about 10% citing measurable impact.

At the same time, there’s a confidence gap: while nearly half of planners say technology is essential or very important to connection, 22% can’t point to any measurable ROI.

It’s not that tech doesn’t work. It’s more that it doesn’t work on its own. According to the report, events seeing the strongest results are those that integrate technology into intentional experience design: structured networking sessions, curated agendas and facilitated interactions.

Personalization Is Still at the Starting Line

For all the talk about personalized experiences, the industry is still in the early stages, the data suggests. More than half of planners offer only basic personalization (dietary needs, accessibility), while just 2.5% deliver AI-powered individualized journeys.

This is an opportunity waiting to happen for planners who can jump on it. While the bar is still this low, even relatively simple steps — customizable schedules, session recommendations or curated networking — can set an event apart in a landscape where most competitors are still at baseline.

Trust Is Built Face-to-Face—Not Through Production Value

Perhaps the most important finding for planners under budget pressure, which is likely most planners nowadays: The elements that build the most trust don’t require big spending.

The top three trust drivers are:

• Face-to-face networking

• Shared peer experiences

• Unscripted speaker moments

While production quality ranks much lower, it still matters. The idea is to use it to enable connection, not replace it.

It also reinforces another emerging trend: Authenticity is becoming a key reason people attend in-person events, especially as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent. About 35% of planners report that AI is already influencing why attendees show up — driving demand for real, unscripted, human experiences.

Production Partners: Bring Them in Earlier

Nearly half of planners now view production partners as strategic collaborators—but only 21% involve them at the concept stage. You’ve likely heard it before, but the timing does matter. Early involvement is strongly linked to more innovative formats and better experience design. Late involvement, by contrast, tends to reduce partners to order-takers.

The message behind the report’s findings is that the time is now to design intentionally for connection, shift from passive to participatory formats, and integrate technology into experience strategy. While content and production are still important, they are supporting elements to designing environments where meaningful human connection can actually happen — and you can prove it.

Image by creativeart on Magnific