Designing for Awe: The Science of Unforgettable Events

Coffee Chat — When the Venue Becomes Part of the Strategy

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316002/fan_mail/new] Small meetings are not simply large events with fewer chairs. In this Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay explores how intimate venues shape participation, comfort and connection. Inspired by Kate Zaliznock’s “Small by Design,” [https://www.smartmeetings.com/magazine_article/small-by-design] the conversation examines why seating arrangements, residential-style spaces, natural surroundings and emotional safety can influence how attendees interact. Eming also reflects on moments when thoughtful environments helped people feel seen, speak openly and build meaningful connections. The venue may help set the tone, but a beautiful space cannot create intimacy on its own. Planners must begin with the purpose of the gathering and intentionally use the room, setting and agenda to bring that strategy to life.

Coffee Chat — Booking the Big Name Is Only the Beginning

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316002/fan_mail/new] Booking a celebrity speaker can generate excitement, registrations and plenty of social media attention. But securing the big name is only the beginning. In this Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings multimedia editor Eming Piansay explores the contractual and production considerations behind celebrity appearances, from recording and promotional rights to cancellation clauses and backup plans. Based on JT Long’s Smart Meetings story, “Contracting Celebrity Talent for the Win,” [https://www.smartmeetings.com/magazine_article/contracting-celebrity-talent-for-the-win]the episode examines why planners should never build an entire event around one person’s availability and what to do if the golden egg suddenly goes poof.

Coffee Chat — Does Your Event Pass the Monday Morning Test?

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316002/fan_mail/new] In this Coffee Chat, Smart Meetings multimedia editor Eming Piansay explores how meeting planners can help an event’s impact last long after attendees return to their desks. Inspired by the Smart Meetings article “The Monday Morning Test: How Meeting Planners Can Make Inspiration Last” [https://www.smartmeetings.com/tips-tools/181301/the-monday-morning-test-how-meeting-planners-can-make-inspiration-last]by Lisa Ryan, this episode looks at the challenge of turning event inspiration into meaningful action. From future-self letters and accountability partnerships to repeatable rituals, post-event app engagement and 48-hour challenges, Eming breaks down simple ways planners can help attendees reconnect with what they learned and apply those takeaways in real life.

Designing for Awe: The Science of Unforgettable Events

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316002/fan_mail/new] What makes an event stay with attendees long after they return home? Smart Start Radio host Eming Piansay speaks with EJ Corporan, director of growth and marketing at Ansera, about the science behind unforgettable event experiences. Corporan explains why predictable events are easily forgotten and how planners can use cognitive load, engagement and moments of awe to compete with distraction and create stronger connections. They also explore how planners can measure whether an experience truly worked, where AI and technology fit into the planning process and why creating memorable events may require more intention rather than more money. Corporan closes with the “box rule,” a practical framework for improving the beginning, peak, valley and ending of the attendee journey.

Coffee Chat — Your Event Already Has a Soundtrack

Let us know what you think! What do you want to hear about? [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2316002/fan_mail/new] Music is more than background noise. It can shape the way attendees enter a room, connect with one another and remember an experience. Inspired by David T. Stevens’ Smart Meetings story, “Wellness That Works: Sonic Power,” this Coffee Chat explores the role music can play in intentional event design. Smart Meetings Multimedia Editor Eming Piansay shares four ways planners can use music more thoughtfully, including mapping an event’s emotional journey, designing stronger transitions, collaborating with AV and production partners and considering the needs of the people in the room. From volume and lyrics to sensory needs and even silence, the episode examines how sound can influence participation, connection and the lasting impression an event leaves behind.