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When we hosted the All Suites and Focus Service Conference for our employees back in 2023, we brought together seven brands and nearly 9,000 attendees under one roof. It was an impressive gathering, but the feedback we got from post-event surveys told a different story.
Our guests told us they felt … and I quote … “lost in a sea of people.” Yeah, not what we were going for. Many survey responses echoed the same sentiment. While overall a huge success, the event was overwhelming for some attendees and some struggled. Many wished for smaller, brand-specific conferences instead. They wanted to have real conversations on topics relevant to their life and work.
But hosting eight or nine separate events to create that intimate experience? Not going to happen.
You know, conferences are expensive, and sponsors, venues, vendors and internal teams all rely on the efficiency of a centralized event. Instead of breaking it apart, we started asking a different question.
How do we make a large event feel smaller?
The right answer to that question would become our new north star.
To create a more intimate experience, we are restructuring the event in a couple of key ways.
Instead of a single, massive gathering, we are giving each brand its own dedicated space and doubling the time attendees spend in these brand rooms. You can recreate this, too—with dedicated spaces for departments, teams or initiatives. We think this method will allow for deeper engagement with brand leadership, peers and relevant content.
Seems crazy, right? How can you have a conference for almost 10,000 people without a single general session? It can be done, as long as you’re strategic about it. Rather than gathering thousands of people into one room for a series of keynotes, we will livestream the CEO’s address into each brand room. We will also have several pre-recorded videos from our executives who need to deliver key enterprise messages. This will eliminate unnecessary movement and keep attendees in spaces that feel more personal.
Historically, sales leaders and general managers attended a one-size-fits-all sales session. Instead, we’re going to create three, different sales tracks tailored to business goals, regions and hotel size. The result? More actionable discussions and strategies.
Vendor and partner networking is a major part of any industry conference, but in a large setting, it often feels chaotic, disorganized and disconnected. We can structure the trade show differently.
A conference doesn’t have to be physically smaller to feel more intimate. Thoughtful design choices can help attendees feel more connected, engaged and valued.
At the end of the day, people attend conferences to meet people and build relationships. A more intimate format makes that possible.
If you’re planning a large conference, challenge yourself to think differently. How can you create smaller, more focused experiences within a larger event?
And most importantly, are you asking your attendees what they really need? Surveying and listening to feedback is the first step toward designing a conference that works for the people who matter most.
