Authenticity In Events

Designing for authenticity to help audiences get the most out of shared experiences  

The most popular notion in brand experiences right now is authenticity. And unlike other terms that get tossed around to create excitement, this one isn’t a trend. It’s a necessity.  

Hybrid offices and AI-infused workflows have modern audiences gravitating toward experiences that feel tangible and meaningful. This means those who create these experiences must be extra dialed into what makes real, human connection happen. To go deeper on the subject, we sat down with Mark Wilson, a 20+ year veteran of the events world and Cramer’s Chief Creative Officer. 

Question: 

Mark, if you had just one word to define where brand experiences are headed in 2025, what would it be?  

Answer: 

Authenticity. People are just so hungry for it right now. Trust—or lack of it—is a big societal issue. Just turn on the news for a minute, and you can see it. And AI has gotten so good, so fast that questioning whether something is real has become a normal part of how we process information now.  

But, seeing speakers in person and in real time, being together with peers in the moment, building relationships via shared experiences… that’s as real as it gets. And people are really gravitating toward these authentic experiences.  

Question:

How does this renewed desire for authenticity inform the events you create?  

Answer: 

Oh, it impacts everything. From theming to staging to opening experience design, all the way to wayfinding and picking out color palettes. It’s the basis for every decision made, and it always starts by asking questions. ‘Why are we bringing these people together? What do we need them to know? What kind of experiences or environments will make their time together as impactful as possible?’ Authenticity only happens when you truly understand the why behind an event.  

Once you have those insights, the floodgates for how you can design experiences that connect people and make them feel part of something real and exciting open up.  

Question: 

Can you give an example? And to keep it interesting, maybe pick one that people might not immediately think of when you talk about orchestrating these authentic moments.  

Answer: 

Sure. Take stage design, for instance. Staging is about so much more than just looks and functionality. When you design a stage, you’re designing the flow of information. You’re creating an environment that’s conducive to the type of dialogue the client wants to have with the audience and figuring out how to make that exchange as authentic and engaging as possible.  

Again, it comes down to asking the right questions early on: ‘Should the speaker be elevated or at eye level with the audience? Would more direct access to the audience make their message resonate more strongly? How can we create a sense of intimacy in a ballroom the size of an airplane hangar?’ Asking and answering these kinds of questions establishes the guardrails. Then, it’s up to the creative side of the brain to dream up exciting, unexpected ways to make it happen.  

Question:  

And what triggers the creative side of the brain? Where do you and your teams get inspiration from?  

Answer:  

Everywhere! That’s what being a creative director in this business is all about. I’m always pushing my teams to get out there and absorb as much culture as they can. Movies. Music. Concerts. Theater. TV and talk shows… all of it. Creativity is a muscle. It needs to be trained and exercised to stay sharp. I think the best way to do that is to get exposed to lots of different ideas and stimuli.  

We also go to plenty of events within our industry to keep on top of all the new trends and technology in our world. I was at Dreamforce a few years ago and was blown away by the multi-stage setup. There were all these paths that went all the way around so that their CEO, Marc Benioff, could immediately walk down into the audience and interact with them on a whim. They had cameras strategically placed way up in the rafters to get the perfect angles, so no matter where he went or who he talked to, you could see what he was doing. It was incredibly well done from a visual and production sense.  

And that’s the thing about audience interaction at events. From a content perspective, it works best when it’s authentic and organic. But from a production standpoint, you have to do a lot of planning to facilitate and capture that authenticity. There’s a real art to enabling natural, two-way conversations at events while still making sure they look, and sound well produced. That’s what we bring to the table.  

Question:

What about all the action beyond the general session? What’s your approach to weaving that thread of authenticity and connection throughout an entire experience? 

Answer:

It’s the same mentality as the main stage but with an even greater focus on detail. Those in-between moments outside the ballroom are where the true value of being together shines. For example, if we’re designing a user conference, we’re going to push for interactive experiences in the expo hall. I love anything that lets an audience learn by doing. We’re always looking for opportunities to put people in a situation where they’re having fun, interacting with each other, and learning about a new product or feature. Mixing all those elements together creates the ‘better together’ moments I really love to cultivate and where I see some of my clients get the best ROI on their investment.   

On the flip side, you need to remember that not every attendee is comfortable in the spotlight or as part of a group. Lots of people prefer interacting with their phones over other humans, and we find ways to bring them into the fold, too. There are so many great apps and other technologies to help attendees participate in person or from a distance.  

Personally, I love designing experiences with app components that enable authentic conversations instead of detracting from them. Live Q&A with app interaction is a perfect example. Allowing people to submit questions via an app instead of having to stand up, hold a mic, and say things aloud tends to encourage more questions and leads to some really good dialogue. 

Question: 

Networking is a huge part of any event, and it’s always been about personal connection. Given everything you’ve just shared, has your thinking or approach to networking opportunities changed? 

Answer: 

It hasn’t changed per se. Bringing people together to spark conversation has always been a key component of an event’s success. But in a hybrid workforce, there’s less day-to-day networking happening at the office. So, the value of networking has increased at events where people are face-to-face. In response, we’re creating opportunities for it to happen more often and more naturally. We’re designing spaces and opportunities for it to happen continually and in an evolving nature to match the attendees’ vibe as they become more familiar with their surroundings and fellow eventgoers.  

A closing general session is the perfect place to infuse some type of networking. After 2-3 days of programming, people should be more loosened up and ready to talk to each other. We’re paying closer attention to that by getting more deliberate about where, when, and how people connect at shows. We want to ensure they’re making the most of their time together and really feeling as if they’re part of something bigger than themselves.

Question: 

What about other tried-and-true event staples that have been around for a while? Are there any bread-and-butter formats or experiences you think have worn out their welcome in 2025?   

Answer: 

No, but we do need to keep evolving the classics to stay relevant. Good storytelling is always going to be central to a good presentation. That’s never going to change. What has changed are audience expectations around how stories are supported with visuals and video. Or how and when a speaker can bring the audience into their story. Just putting a speaker on a nice stage with perfect lighting and camera angles isn’t enough anymore. You need to understand how modern screen depths work so your IMAG feels as real as possible. You must be up to date on the latest animation techniques, the new ways to provide a sense of motion in still images, and how to use directional sound to fully immerse audiences in an experience.  

Putting on a relevant and modern program isn’t about constantly trying to reinvent the wheel. It’s about making continual updates to the wheel, so things always feel fresh and relevant to your audience.  

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