More About The Power of Events

People are ready for more chances to talk with each other. Forrester surveyed more than 400 event decision-makers in 2026 and found that most plan to hold more small in-person and networking events. Two-thirds plan more workshops, roundtables, and structured networking. Those plans tell us something about what event hosts are seeing: people want to take part, ask questions, and meet someone they can talk to.

You can do that in almost any business. An insurance agent could invite a dozen people to a retirement workshop. A real estate agent could bring homeowners together to talk about pricing and repairs before they sell. A roofer could show neighbors what to look for around their homes this fall. The topic gets people in the room. What they ask once they are there tells you what they need.

Let's call the planning approach “AI outside, humans inside.” Let technology manage registration, reminders, and a first draft of the follow-up email. Then, when guests arrive, put your attention on them. Listen to the questions that come up. Give people time to talk with you and with each other.

Here are some ideas on what to do at an event. Try this. Ask everyone to put their phones away for ten minutes and talk with the person beside them. Give them one question: “What is something about this topic you wish someone would explain more clearly?” Bring the group back together and ask what came up. You may learn more from those answers than you would from another ten minutes of slides.

Afterward, follow up on what people actually discussed. Send the resource you promised and answer a question you heard more than once. If you had a personal conversation with someone, write them a personal note.

RainFocus reported 69% more meeting participation at small events in its 2026 midyear research. That does not mean every gathering will bring in a new customer. But it is a good reason to make time for conversation when you plan one. This is expected to continue into 2027.