If it Doesnt Mean Business, its Just a Party [Video]

We don’t gather at events for the lanyards, the lukewarm coffee, or the networking app no one remembers to download. We gather to do business. 

But a dangerous myth has crept into the B2B events space: If you throw enough people into a ballroom with a few speakers and cocktails, good things will magically happen.

Spoiler alert: They don’t. If a gathering doesn’t create the conditions for real connection, conversation, and outcomes, it’s just an expensive party.

In a world where attention is fragmented, loyalty is earned, and the ROI on gatherings is under a microscope, we can’t afford to confuse one for the other.

Business gatherings are a proven growth driver

Research backs up what experiential strategists know: Business gatherings are powerful drivers of growth—but only when designed with purpose.

The 2023 Freeman Trust Report found that live events are the most powerful marketing channel for B2B growth. Seventy-eight percent of organizersrate in-person gatherings as their top business driver. And …