Meeting attendees on their own terms and making it personal
If you want your corporate event to stand out, it needs to be personal and accessible. That means shaping every touchpoint—from sign-up to sign-off—around what will resonate with your attendees and ensuring everyone can participate with ease. When delegates feel the event was designed for them (and not just the crowd), engagement follows.
As the FCM Meetings & Events 2026 Trends Report highlights, attendees are no longer satisfied with standard. And almost every region is talking about personalisation being the secret ingredient. So, what does that mean and what does it look like?
Key takeaways
- Personal events anticipate attendee needs and gather input upfront to shape the experience.
- Smaller group formats and interactive sessions drive stronger engagement than content-heavy presentations.
- Accessibility must be built into planning from the start, not treated as an afterthought.
- Personalisation works at scale when you design for choice and flexibility.
What makes an event feel personal
A personalised event is one where planners have anticipated each person’s or cohort’s needs, preferences, and goals before they even step through the door. It also means asking, not assuming. Survey responses from the FCM Meetings & Events 2026 Trends Report point to the value of inclusive events, with many planners now gathering attendee input upfront to tailor the event.
For planners, it’s important to take your attendees along for the journey and to give them control to shape how they will experience the event.
— Simon Sieler, Global General Manager, FCM Meetings & Events
This personalisation also extends to how events are communicated. Registration journeys, pre-event information, and agenda signposting shape how manageable an event feels. Helping to drive the “this event fits how I work, learn, and connect” feeling.
Using the event design to make it personal
An event’s value often sits in the personal interactions that occur, rather than the formal presentation. When diving into the details of the FCM Meetings & Events 2026 Trends Report, feedback repeatedly highlighted the importance of discussion, collaboration, and connection, rather than content density.
To create an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, consider including Q&A sessions, roundtables, and workshops. Experience demonstrates that smaller group formats help facilitate discussion and informal conversation, two factors that are consistently linked to stronger engagement.
One respondent surveyed by FCM Meetings & Events, commented,
In the future, my team and I will be focusing on customisable agendas based on attendee interests, hands-on workshops, shorter sessions to reduce fatigue, and reducing paper and single-use materials.
Agendas can be overwhelming if you pack in too much. People need headspace to reflect, digest and connect, especially when they’ve travelled a long way.
Scaling personalisation without losing it
The challenge for planners is curating work events that feel personal and considered, while managing cost, risk, and internal scrutiny. And what about size? Is it possible to make an event feel personal with over 2900 attendees? When FCM Meetings & Events set out to create, Flichella, the team needed to factor in thousands of people.
With attendees travelling from all over, the solution was to design a space with two distinct zones. One brought high energy, a dance floor, live entertainment, and a festival atmosphere. The other offered a slower pace, with quiet spaces, arcade games, and areas to recharge. Attendees could move between both depending on how they felt in the moment. Wellbeing was built in with chill-out zones, sensory spaces, dietary-inclusive catering, and on-the-ground support teams. Even the travel component of the event was personal, with dedicated staff on hand to welcome delegates when they touched down at Brisbane Airport. It worked because it didn’t try to force a single experience. It gave people options and trusted them to choose.
Accessibility is driving participation
An event can’t be truly personal if it isn’t accessible to everyone. Delegates notice whether an event feels easy to take part in, regardless of role, location, or personal needs. The takeaway for meeting and event professionals, is that when people feel recognised, they are more likely to engage and contribute.
Gabriella Antoniotti, Business Leader USA & Canada, FCM Meetings & Events, said,
The best events are designed for every attendee, not the average attendee.
The FCM Meetings & Events 2026 Trends Report data shows that some aspects of accessibility are standard practice. Venue accessibility, dietary requirements, and access to content are widely expected. However, there are gaps. Language needs, caregiving responsibilities, and cost-related barriers are acknowledged, but not always built into the planning. Religious considerations are factored in even less often.
Tips on how to make events feel personal
Whatever size, shape, or form your event takes, making it feel individual and meaningful for each person requires planning from the start.
Set the tone from the outset
Representation matters, so make it clear everyone’s welcome. Ensure your speakers, entertainers, and panellists reflect the diversity in your audience and represent a range of backgrounds and voices.
Help attendees be true to their personal values
Think about the audience demographics and what resonates with them. That might mean weaving a specific corporate social responsibility (CSR) element into the meeting or event. This could look like sustainable solutions, or volunteer opportunities. For example, FCM Meetings & Events arranged for Pringles event attendees to visit a local school in Vietnam to help with renovations.
Choose suppliers wisely
Partner with suppliers that share the values of your attendees. From choosing Indigenous, Local businesses, social enterprises, and diverse suppliers add depth to an event and create a stronger sense of place.
Personalise travel with an event app
Even when moving and managing large amounts of people, individual participation can be tailored via a dedicated event app. Providing each attendee with all their individual travel bookings, hotel room allocation, check-in procedures, agenda sessions, personal event session reminders, and real-time updates via push notifications.
My survey respondent has this clear in their sights, telling us, “All planners need to introduce smart technology, leverage contactless, and use data-driven insights for the full attendee journey.”
Some more ideas:
- Empower attendees to build their own schedule based on what interests them.
- Deliver information in a way that feels more like a conversation, not an on-stage lecture.
- Ask presenters to share real stories that are relatable and authentic, and less rehearsed.
- Breakouts, optional sessions, and clear agenda tracks allow people to spend time where it matters most to them, especially at larger events.
- Dial up the small but mighty touches. Coffee orders, drinks menus, and in-room information all go a long way.
Frequently asked questions
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What does personalisation mean for corporate events?
Personalisation means anticipating attendee needs, gathering input upfront, and designing experiences around how people work, learn, and connect. It extends from content to communication, registration, and every touchpoint throughout the event.
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How can large events feel personal?
Large events feel personal when they offer choice and flexibility. Design multiple zones or tracks that cater to different preferences, provide options for how attendees engage, and trust participants to shape their own experience.
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How can event apps support personalisation?
Event apps provide individual travel details, personalised agendas, session reminders, and real-time updates. They help attendees navigate large events while receiving information tailored to their specific needs and preferences.
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What role do suppliers play in creating personal events?
Suppliers who share attendee values—such as Indigenous led businesses, local enterprises, and social enterprises—add depth and authenticity. They help create a stronger sense of place and demonstrate alignment with participants personal priorities and values.