June 2022 2

Why innovation in events isn’t possible without behavioral science

Two weeks ago I went to Nudgestock 2022, one of my favorite events, which happens to be the behavioral science festival. Obviously, I enjoy the content, but it is also a source of inspiration for me when I apply that to the events business. I’m not sure to what extent the Nudgestock team is intentionally applying BS when planning the event, but they’re not afraid to experiment – and I’d say that’s the biggest insight – and the biggest challenge – for the event community.

Despite all the tech progress, events are in desperate need of innovation. But innovation can’t be achieved without trying new and unconventional methods, without testing something no one else has tested; without going against the common logic. Here’s the point: common logic will lead you to the same ideas and results that everyone else has, so you won’t progress much. Behavioral science shows us that people think mostly irrationally and exploring this path will help us find unexpected ways to achieve our goals. It takes two things: a willingness to learn more about human behavior and a willingness to experiment.

There are notably a lot more in-person events this season, and I’ve been seeing and getting involved in a lot of discussions about how to make event networking more effective. Not that it’s a new question for the event community, but as you can imagine we are in a completely different world right now with pandemic and other issues taking their toll.

So I figured this is a good moment to share a few science-based tips for my fellow #eventprofs attending events like IMEX Frankfurt for the first time in three years, or really for anyone who feels they are stuck with ideas on how this can work.