Meetings and Connection Key for Events in 2026, RainFocus Report Finds

New data reveals significant expansion in meetings as event professionals redesign programs around human connection

LINDON, Utah, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- RainFocus™, provider of the next-generation event marketing platform, today released the 2026 Mid-Year State of Events Report, a data-driven analysis for event professionals, marketing leaders, and revenue teams seeking to understand and adapt to fundamental shifts in attendee expectations and event industry trends. The report offers a comprehensive look at how organizations are redesigning event programs to drive real business impact and enhance attendee engagement in the evolving 2026 event landscape.

What It Means for Event Professionals
The report's findings reflect a fundamental shift in what attendees expect and what organizations need from their events. Event teams are hosting up to three times more meetings at their events compared to last year. In addition, at the end of 2025, 36% of companies surveyed said they planned to host smaller ancillary events, roadshows, and webinars in 2026, with small-event attendance up 6.4% year-over-year. The report also highlighted 69% more meeting participation at small events, a trend continuing in 2026.

As AI becomes more embedded in everyday work, event attendees are finding greater value in experiences that feel human and trustworthy. The most impactful events create opportunities to build genuine relationships and catalyze career development. Alongside the data findings, the report offers concrete steps that event teams can take to improve the attendee experience and their company's ROI from events.

Key Findings

The report covers five key areas: connection-first event design, the rise of smaller event formats, sponsor activation strategies, AI and data adoption, and the evolving role of event professionals. Key takeaways for optimizing event programs and achieving business objectives include:

• Designing for Connection: Average session attendance per person dropped from 5.3 sessions in spring 2025 to 4.2 sessions in spring 2026, while meeting participation rose sharply, signaling that attendees are gravitating to networking opportunities over passively viewing presentations.
• Small Events Bring Big ROI: As attendance, session, and meeting participation across smaller in-person events rise year-over-year, their value increases. Small events are a strong source of rich attendee behavioral data, contributing to more complete customer profiles over time.
• Traditional Event Roles Are Evolving: When event professionals connect event data to pipeline and revenue metrics to prove business impact, they can earn a seat as strategic advisors to leadership.

Executive Quotes
"Attendees want conversations, not just presentations. This data supports the shift that we had already been observing," said JR Sherman, CEO of RainFocus. "Leaning into that shift with smaller event formats, more meetings, and more intentional follow-ups benefits bottom lines. It's also why we built tools like the RainFocus Sales Module — to connect the dots between organizations' event signals and the sales pipeline, providing clear ROI."

"There's a lot of interaction that happens in small events that is disconnected from marketing and sales," said Travis Cushing, chief product officer at RainFocus, during a RainFocus INSIGHT 2026 keynote. "That's a problem because these teams need to understand the value the events drive."

Learn More

• Download the full 2026 Mid-Year State of Events Report.
• Take the 2026 Events and Marketing Strategy Survey to inform the next report and receive early access to the findings.
• Learn about the RainFocus Sales Module.

RainFocus Awards and Recognition

• Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Virtual Event Management Platforms, Q2 2026
• Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Event Marketing and Management Platforms
• Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Virtual Events Applications 2026 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US54140026, July 2026)

Report Methodology
This report uses qualitative and quantitative data from various sources, including RainFocus 2026 benchmarks, INSIGHT 2026 sessions, Event Perspectives interviews, and 2026 event plans as indicated in 2025 Events and Marketing Strategy Survey responses. The survey was completed by approximately 100 events and marketing professionals.

Our benchmarks encompass five categories and three event tiers. The events are run by organizations in the technology, retail, life sciences, financial services, and association segments, with technology as the most dominant industry.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

What are the key strategies for integrating small events into a broader event marketing program for optimal ROI?
The report highlights that small events drive higher engagement and richer attendee data. To integrate them effectively, focus on connection-first design, personalize content based on attendee profiles, and use event technology to track behavioral data that contributes to a more complete customer journey, ultimately enhancing overall event ROI.

How does RainFocus' data help event professionals increase attendee engagement and personalize event experiences?
RainFocus' benchmark data and insights reveal that attendees prioritize networking over passive presentations. The report emphasizes the importance of designing events for genuine connection and personalization, especially for tech-native generations. RainFocus' platform helps event professionals capture detailed attendee insights, enabling them to tailor interactions, content, and follow-ups to foster deeper engagement.

What are the main challenges event professionals face in 2026 and how does this report address them?
Event professionals in 2026 face challenges such as declining passive session attendance, the need for more personalized experiences, and proving event ROI. This report directly addresses these by providing data on the rise of small, connection-focused events, the importance of personalization for younger demographics, and how to connect event data to pipeline and revenue metrics to demonstrate strategic value.

How does AI impact event personalization, and what role does it play in the future of event technology, according to the report?
The report notes that as AI becomes more pervasive, the demand for trustworthy human experiences in events increases. At the same time, AI-powered event platforms, like RainFocus, will be crucial in analyzing attendee data to enable the personalization that attendees (especially Millennials and Gen Z) expect, making event experiences smarter and more targeted.

Who is the 2026 Mid-Year State of Events Report designed for?
The report is designed for event professionals, marketing leaders, and revenue teams that want to understand current event industry trends, evolving attendee expectations, and best practices for growing event program impact, attendee engagement, and overall event ROI using data-driven insights.

About RainFocus
RainFocus is the leading enterprise platform for event marketing and management. We help organizations run in-person, virtual, and hybrid event programs of all sizes from one system, with the data and personalization needed to drive measurable business results. With the industry's most advanced agentic AI at its core, we orchestrate engagement at every stage of the customer lifecycle — unifying touchpoints, driving event impact, and making each engagement smarter. Learn more at rainfocus.com.

Media Contact:
[email protected] 

SOURCE RainFocus