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Take a look at the websites for a few annual meetings, and one common thread will unite the messaging: Whatever an attendee wants, they’ll be able to find it. How? Because the program includes dozens of workshops, hundreds of sessions, and thousands of attendees. The rationale is simple: More opportunities to learn and connect translates to more reasons to register and attend.
As Kyle Jordan looks ahead to 2027, however, he is focused on tearing up that strategy. The director of meetings at the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) told Skift Meetings that he is aiming to replace more content with “more opportunities for meaningful connection.”
“I think our industry has spent a lot of time chasing the next big thing,” Jordan, who will speak at the Skift Meetings Forum on September 22 in New York, said. “Bigger productions. More sessions. More technology. More noise. More, more, more. While those things all have their place, I also think we’ve drifted away from one of the original reasons people attend conferences: to find their people.”
Sarah Gannon, director of corporate events at MathWorks and a member of the ELX Advisory Committee, echoed that concern and highlighted that if attendees are simply sitting next to each other listening to talking heads, they’re going to struggle to get the ROI they need from the program.
“It’s no longer about ‘There are 500 sessions here,’” Gannon, who will also be on stage at Skift Meetings Forum, said. “It’s about ‘Here are 10 sessions that are really going to be important for you to participate in.’ It’s that level of personalization that moves the needle.”
How to Design for More Meaningful Connections
Research supports the need for a new approach: Approximately half of attendees are ditching breakouts and keynotes, according to a study conducted by Freeman.
Jordan plans to design more intentionally for the INFORMS audience — which includes more than 6,000 participants at the organization’s annual meeting — to create space for conversations. “Some of the best moments at a conference aren’t planned,” he said. “They’re the conversation that continues after a session, the introduction that turns into a collaboration, or the person who finally feels like they belong in a community.”
Continuing those conversations isn’t easy for everyone, though. According to Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, between one-third and one-half of the population falls into the introvert category, which means that a sizable chunk of any event may not be comfortable dealing with typical crowded networking receptions.
Instead of leaving it up to attendees to introduce themselves, Gannon believes that meeting planners can make simple adjustments to avoid awkward conversations and find each other. “It’s about creating those serendipitous moments that people can connect on topics that they’re interested in,” she said. “It’s not about going up to somebody and introducing yourself and making awkward conversation.”
Gannon said that facilitating those moments doesn’t have to rely on a matchmaking app. Instead, they can happen in an analog way. She recommended using a system of interest-based stickers on badges with a decoder system that helps attendees find their tribes. She added that simple touches such as designated lounges or cocktail tables tied to a topic offer a natural way to strike up conversations. And for first-time attendees, those tables can play an essential role in breaking through the feeling of being an outsider. “Pick a topic, show up, and make a friend,” she said. “Then, you have someone you can sit with throughout the rest of the conference.”
Interested in learning more from Jordan, Gannon, and other leaders in the industry? Head here to see the full schedule and apply to be part of the Skift Meetings Forum. Complimentary passes are available for senior-level planners.
