Event Planners Put Connection First, But Encore Research Shows Delivering It Requires More Intentional Design

SCHILLER PARK, Ill., Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from Encore finds that meeting and event planners are prioritizing meaningful human connection, while looking for more effective ways to translate that priority into event design.

Encore's 2026 Planner Pulse found 59 percent of planners rank connection as the most important of three attendee experience priorities, ahead of personalization (27 percent) and innovation (15 percent). The findings suggest personalization and innovation are increasingly viewed as ways to help achieve the larger goal of connection.

The research builds on The Experience Design Report: What's Shaping Live Experiences in 2026, developed by Encore and Boldpush, which also identified connection as a leading priority while revealing opportunities to design more intentionally around it.

"Technology and digital tools are reshaping how we work and communicate, but they're also making in-person connection more valuable," said Jill Hunt, Vice President of Customer Experience and Insights at Encore. "Event professionals we surveyed recognize that attendees want opportunities to engage with each other in authentic ways. They're responding with intentional design choices that make those connections easier, more natural and more likely to happen."

Breakouts Offer an Opportunity

Four in five planners agree breakout rooms are effective at building connection, but only about 55 percent of planners currently use smaller breakout groups as a connection tactic. Planners say breakouts encourage meaningful exchanges, networking and collaboration, while facilitation, clarity of purpose, time and budget can influence their effectiveness.

Personalization is also becoming standard practice. Nearly three-quarters of planners personalize every or most events, using surveys, registration data, stakeholder conversations and feedback to better understand attendee needs.

At the same time, planners want innovation that solves real problems. The findings suggest innovation adoption can be accelerated by addressing two key enablers: investment capacity and access to resources that simplify the time required to learn and research new solutions. Budget was cited by 85 percent of respondents as the leading consideration.

Bringing the Research to IMEX America

Encore will explore the Planner Pulse findings during educational programming at its Education Hub at booth B4387 during IMEX America, Oct. 13–15 in Las Vegas. Sessions will examine connection, personalization, emerging technology and practical ways planners can apply the research to their own events.

Attendees can also experience Encore's "Unlock Your Design DNA" experience, exploring how intentional design, technology and human connection can work together to shape more impactful live experiences.

Download the Planner Pulse Reconnection Report: here

About Encore
Encore is a global leader in event production, supporting meeting and event professionals with event technology and production. Committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience, the company is guided by its purpose to connect and inspire, supporting more than 2,200 premier event venues, including hotels, convention centers and corporate campuses worldwide. Encore is one of the 2026 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® for the second year and has been a certified Great Place To Work™ for five years running, reflecting the company's investment in its people as the foundation of customer success. Headquartered in Schiller Park, Illinois, Encore operates in 23 countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and Asia Pacific. Learn more at encoreglobal.com and connect with Encore on LinkedIn.

Contact: [email protected] 

SOURCE Encore