Rethinking Events Through Design Thinking
Event planning is a dynamic process that requires balancing tradition with innovation. Recently, my team and I began rethinking one of our events to explore new ways of engaging our audience. While we haven’t adhered strictly to the formal design thinking process, we’ve embraced its principles to guide our conversations and strategy.
Design thinking centers on understanding the user—in our case, our attendees—and crafting experiences that resonate with their needs and desires. This mindset has helped us reframe how we approach our event.
One of the key questions driving our strategy sessions has been: “Who is our audience, and what do they truly want?” By exploring this question deeply, we’re challenging ourselves to think beyond assumptions and biases.
Here’s how we’ve integrated design thinking principles into our process:
Empathy First: Understanding our audience is foundational. We’ve been revisiting attendee feedback, analyzing industry trends, and having candid discussions about what would make the event valuable and exciting for different attendee groups.
Reimagining the Agenda: One area we’re focused on is the event agenda. Rather than sticking to a traditional format, we’re brainstorming how to mix things up—perhaps by introducing new session styles, creating more interactive opportunities, or shifting how we schedule keynotes and breakouts.
Collaborative Ideation: Our strategy sessions encourage input from across the team, sparking creative ideas we might not have considered otherwise.
Iterate and Improve: This isn’t a one-and-done process. We’re prototyping ideas and testing them against our goals, audience expectations, and logistical realities.
Rethinking an event isn’t about reinventing everything. It’s about listening, adapting, and ensuring that what we create truly serves our attendees. Design thinking helps us approach this challenge with curiosity and purpose, allowing us to explore new possibilities while staying aligned with our mission.
As we continue this journey, I’m reminded that even small changes can create meaningful impacts. I’m excited to see how these efforts transform our event and inspire new ways of connecting with our audience.
Have you used design thinking to enhance your events or projects? I’d love to hear your experiences!
