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15 Ideas for extraordinary business events

Under time pressure and looking for suitable event content? Here are 15 ideas you can easily integrate into your event concept.

September 5, 2024
3 min
Conference with interactive discussion

With over 20 years of experience in the event industry, both as an organizer and in the development of digital technologies for events, Marc combines his extensive expertise with a Master's in Digital Business Management and a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing.

Expertise
#Event marketing #Event organization #Event technology
Co-Founder
Oniva
Conference with interactive discussion

Event managers often face the challenge of developing creative and engaging content for events under tight time constraints. Event planning requires not only organizational skills but also innovative ideas to captivate the audience. In modern event planning, it is particularly important to design lively and diverse event content that goes far beyond traditional presentations. Two hours of pure lectures are no longer up-to-date, which is why event managers are increasingly opting for dynamic formats. A well-thought-out event concept offers participants the opportunity to actively engage and move between different locations within the event. Event planning requires a mix of creativity and logistics to provide participants with an unforgettable experience.

Here are 15 ideas for extraordinary formats for your business event, ensuring variety and interactivity:

1. Speed Networking Sessions

Short, fast-paced discussions where participants can exchange and make connections in just a few minutes.

2. Whoiswho

Give each participant a task upon entry to increase networking. For example, one task could be: "Find a person from the accounting department with brown hair."

3. Fishbowl Discussions

A small group discusses in the center of the room while others watch and can later actively join the discussion.

4. Unconference

Participants design the agenda themselves by submitting topics and discussing them in open sessions.

5. Hackathons

Teams work on concrete problems during the event and present their solutions at the end.

6. Live Graphic Recording

An artist visualizes the content and discussions of the event live on large boards, highlighting what has been said visually.

7. World Café

Participants discuss various topics in small groups at tables, regularly changing tables to gather different perspectives.

8. Innovation Lab

An open space where participants can try out new technologies or products and provide feedback.

9. Pop-up Workshops

Surprise workshops offered spontaneously during the event, promoting interactive experiences.

10. BarCamp

An open, dynamic conference format where participants suggest topics and lead sessions themselves.

11. Learning-by-Doing-Stations

Hands-on workshops where participants can directly learn or apply practical skills.

12. Mystery Speaker

A surprise guest speaker whose identity is revealed just before or during the event. Surprising content is generally a good way to build anticipation among participants before the event.

13. Interactive Polls

Live polls or quiz questions that participants answer in real-time, allowing them to help shape the content.

14. Flash Mobs

Spontaneous and unexpected actions organized by staff or participants themselves to provide entertainment and surprise.

15. Mindfulness Breaks

Short mindfulness or meditation sessions between program points to clear the mind and recharge.

These formats offer a wide range of interactivity and variety to make a business event more exciting and creative.

Enjoy implementing these ideas, and good luck with your next event planning!

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