Connection seems to be the word of the moment in the events industry.
I’m reading more and more about how connection has become a top priority for event planners. And when people talk about creating connection, they’re often referring to engagement, networking opportunities, interactive sessions, and shared experiences.
I couldn’t agree more.
AND . . . I believe there’s something important missing from this conversation.
Before we start designing activities that bring people together, we need to establish the foundation that makes meaningful connection possible in the first place.
And that foundation begins with INTENTION.
You can have wonderful speakers, engaging activities, and plenty of opportunities for networking, but without a clear intention behind them, they simply don’t have the same power.
It’s not something you can add to an agenda or schedule between breakout sessions. It’s something you consciously create before you begin planning the details of your event.
I believe there are three essential principles that provide this foundation.
1. Clarity of Purpose: Why Are You Bringing People Together
Before selecting the venue, inviting speakers, planning activities, or developing the agenda, ask yourself one simple question:
Why are we hosting this event?
What is the purpose of bringing these particular people together at this particular time?
Whether it’s a conference, corporate meeting, nonprofit fundraiser, retreat, or celebration, every event needs a clearly defined purpose.
And that purpose goes beyond the logistics or the expected business outcomes.
Yes, you may want to educate attendees, raise money, share information, celebrate an achievement, or introduce a new product.
But what do you ultimately want to accomplish by bringing people together?
When you’re clear about your purpose, it becomes the guiding principle for every decision that follows. It provides direction, creates alignment, and helps ensure that every element of the event supports what you’re there to accomplish.
Clarity of purpose is where intentional event design begins.
2. Every Event Is an Experience
This is one of the most important principles I teach.
Every event is an experience, whether you’ve consciously designed that experience or not.
So why leave it to chance?
Before thinking about what your guests will do, consider how you want them to feel.
What qualities do you want them to experience?
Perhaps you want them to feel:
- Welcomed and appreciated
- Inspired and energized
- Comfortable and at ease
- Joyful and friendly
- Authenticity and belonging
- Harmony, ease, and flow
- Connection and community
And let’s not forget FUN!
I believe fun is the energy of attraction. When people are having fun, they’re more relaxed, more open, and more willing to engage with one another. Fun creates an atmosphere where connection can happen naturally.
Notice that we’re not talking about things, activities, or entertainment.
We’re talking about qualities.
These are the intangible elements that shape the entire guest experience.
I call the atmosphere you intentionally create through these qualities your Energy Bubble.
Creating Your Energy Bubble
Every event has an atmosphere, an energy that people sense the moment they walk into the room.
Have you ever arrived at an event and immediately felt welcomed, comfortable, and happy to be there?
Or walked into a room and sensed tension, confusion, or discomfort before anyone even said a word?
You were experiencing the energy of that event.
The wonderful thing is that you can intentionally design that energy.
You can decide what you want your guests to experience from the moment they arrive until the moment they leave.
What do you want them to say when they walk in?
What do you want them to feel when they depart?
And what do you want them to remember and talk about long after the event is over?
When you define these qualities in advance, you begin designing more than an event.
You’re creating an atmosphere that influences how people feel, how they interact, and how they connect.
And that changes everything.
3. Creating Connection and Community Is the Point
Yes, connection was already on our list of qualities for the Energy Bubble.
But I believe it deserves its own place as a foundational principle.
Creating connection and community is the point of every event.
Think about it.
Why do we bring people together?
We gather to share ideas, learn from one another, celebrate, collaborate, support a cause, strengthen relationships, and experience something together.
Even when an event has a specific business objective, the opportunity to create meaningful human connection is always present.
A corporate meeting can strengthen relationships among colleagues.
A conference can create a sense of belonging within an industry.
A fundraiser can build a community of people united by a shared purpose.
A celebration can deepen friendships and create lasting memories.
The activities may be different, but the underlying opportunity is the same.
Every gathering is an opportunity to strengthen relationships and build community.
And when we recognize this from the beginning, we make different decisions about how we design the experience.
Connection is no longer simply an item on the agenda.
It becomes part of the intention behind everything we do.
Before the Activities, Create the Foundation
Now we’re ready to start designing.
We can select speakers, create networking opportunities, plan interactive sessions, develop the agenda, and consider all the other details that make an event successful.
But now we’re doing so with clarity and intention.
We know why we’re bringing people together.
We’ve defined the experience we want them to have.
And we’ve established connection and community as central to the event’s purpose.
These three principles become the foundation for every decision that follows.
And here’s what I find so important about this approach:
The foundation is intangible, but the impact is very real.
Your guests may never know the intentions you established during the planning process.
They won’t see your list of qualities or hear you talk about your Energy Bubble.
But they’ll experience it.
They’ll feel it in the welcome they receive, the atmosphere of the room, the ease with which they interact, and the relationships they begin to build.
And here’s what I’ve witnessed time and time again: Guests will actually use the very words you chose to define the experience.
As they depart, or in conversations long after the event is over, they’ll describe feeling welcomed, inspired, connected, appreciated, or simply having had so much fun.
They may never know those qualities were intentionally designed into the event, but they felt them. And now they’re speaking them.
That’s the power of intention.
So, What’s the Secret Behind Connection?
It’s not simply about creating more networking opportunities, adding interactive activities, or encouraging greater engagement.
Those are all valuable tools.
But the real secret is creating the conditions in which connection can flourish.
Connection begins with intention.
A Question to Consider
Before you begin planning your next meeting or event, ask yourself: