Brand events are tricky. You want people to show up, engage with your stuff & actually remember you exist after they’ve left. But here’s the problem: most brand events feel like they were designed in a boardroom. Stale sandwiches, PowerPoint presentations that could double as sedatives, and maybe a branded pen if you’re lucky. Not exactly the kind of thing people rush home to tell their mates about, is it?
The brands that actually get it right? They’re not just throwing events. They’re creating EXPERIENCES. I’m talking about the kind of things that make someone stop scrolling through their phone and actually pay attention. Perhaps it sounds idealistic, but I’ve seen it work. The difference between a forgettable corporate gathering and something people genuinely want to attend often comes down to how willing you are to take a few risks.
So let’s talk about five ways to make your brand events something people might actually remember.
Bring Something Physical They Can’t Ignore
This is where things get interesting. You can have all the digital wizardry you want, but there’s something about a physical experience that just hits different. And I’m not talking about another boring product demo where someone clicks through a tablet.
Take F1 driving simulator hire, for example. Now THAT’S something that stops people in their tracks. You set up one of those full motion rigs at your event, and suddenly you’ve got a queue forming. People love it because it’s tactile, it’s competitive, and frankly, it makes them feel like they’re actually doing something rather than just wandering around looking at banners. I’ve watched grown professionals turn into giggling teenagers when they realise they can pretend to be Lewis Hamilton for five minutes.
The beauty of something like a racing simulator is that it doesn’t even have to relate directly to your product. It just needs to draw people in. Once they’re there, engaged and having a good time, you’ve got their attention. And isn’t that what you wanted in the first place?
Physical installations work because they give people a reason to stay. They create natural gathering points. They’re Instagram worthy (hate that phrase, but it matters). Most importantly, they break the monotony of standing around making awkward small talk whilst pretending to be fascinated by someone’s business card.
Stop Talking At People
Here’s a radical thought. What if your brand event didn’t include a single presentation? What if people could just… experience things instead of being lectured about them?
The traditional event format is tired. Someone important gets on stage, clicks through 47 slides, uses phrases like “synergy” and “value proposition” unironically, and everyone nods along whilst secretly checking their emails. It’s been done to death. Literally put me to sleep once at a conference in Manchester, which was embarassing because I was in the front row.
Interactive formats work better. Think workshops where people actually do stuff. Think panels where the audience asks most of the questions. Think speed networking that doesn’t feel like a weird corporate version of speed dating. The goal is to make attendees participants rather than spectators.
I think the best brand event I ever attended had zero formal presentations. Instead, they set up different “experience zones” where you could try things, test products, and chat with experts in a casual way. No stages. No podiums. Just people talking to people.
Make Food And Drink Worth Remembering
Can we please, PLEASE stop with the sad sandwiches and lukewarm coffee? If there’s one thing that’ll tank your event faster than anything, it’s rubbish catering. People remember good food. They also remember bad food, just not in the way you want.
I’m not saying you need Michelin starred chefs at every event, but a bit of effort goes a long way. Food trucks are brilliant. They’re fun, they’re different, and the food is usually decent. Or maybe you theme your catering to match your brand identity in some clever way? I attended a tech startup event once where they served everything in little test tubes and beakers. Gimmicky? Absolutely. Memorable? You bet.
And the bar situation matters more than you might think. A proper cocktail station (not just wine and beer) can become an event feature in itself. Especially if you create a signature drink for the occasion. Give it a ridiculous name related to your brand and watch people order it just to see what happens.
Food and drink also solve another problem: they give people something to do with their hands. Nobody likes standing around feeling awkward & exposed. A decent glass of something and some interesting nibbles make mingling feel less forced.
Create Spaces That Don’t Feel Like Conference Rooms
Venue choice matters. A LOT. And yet so many brands default to the nearest hotel conference room or corporate event space. These places have all the personality of a doctor’s waiting room.
Think outside the box (I know, I know, that phrase is awful, but sometimes the clichés exist for a reason). Warehouses, rooftop spaces, galleries, unusual outdoor locations. Anywhere that doesn’t immediately scream “corporate event”. The venue itself becomes part of the experience rather than just a functional container for your stuff.
I’ve seen brands transform completely ordinary spaces into something special through good design and lighting. That’s another option if budget constraints mean you’re stuck with a standard venue. But whatever you do, please don’t just accept the venue’s default setup. Those rows of chairs facing a screen? Bin them. Create conversation areas, standing zones, quiet corners & energetic central spaces.
The physical environment shapes how people interact. Make it comfortable but not too comfortable (you don’t want everyone falling asleep on sofas). Make it interesting to look at. Make it feel deliberate rather than just… there.
Build In Genuine Surprise Moments
Predictability is the enemy of excitement. If your event follows the exact schedule you emailed out beforehand, with no deviations or surprises, you’ve missed an opportunity.
Surprise doesn’t mean chaos. It means planning unexpected moments that delight people. Maybe it’s a guest speaker nobody knew was coming. Maybe it’s a flash performance of some kind. Maybe it’s an impromptu competition with a genuinely good prize. The specifics matter less than the principle: give people something they weren’t expecting.
I attended a product launch once where they’d promised a “special announcement” at the end. Everyone assumed it would be another product feature or something. Instead, they announced they were giving everyone in attendance a weekend trip to their manufacturing facility in Italy, all expenses paid. The room went mental. Now THAT’S a surprise people talked about for months.
Obviously not every brand has that kind of budget. But the concept scales. Even small surprises create moments of genuine emotion and connection. And emotions are what create memories. That’s just basic psychology, isn’t it?
Let People Share What They’re Experiencing
Whether we like it or not (and honestly, I’m conflicted about it), social media matters for events. People want to share cool experiences. So make it easy for them. Better yet, make it APPEALING for them.
This doesn’t mean just slapping up a branded backdrop and calling it an Instagram wall. Those are everywhere now and they’re boring. Get creative. Make shareable moments that actually look good. That F1 simulator I mentioned earlier? Perfect for social content. Action shots, reaction videos, lap time competitions. It generates content naturally because it’s genuinely interesting.
But here’s where some brands get it wrong: they try to control the narrative too much. They want everyone using specific hashtags and taking specific photos. That feels forced. Instead, create stuff worth sharing and then get out of the way. Trust that if your event is good, people will want to talk about it.
Also, consider live streaming parts of your event. It extends your reach beyond the people physically present. Just don’t make the mistake of prioritising the online audience over the people who actually showed up. That’s a quick way to make your in person attendees feel like props.
Follow Up Like You Actually Care
The event doesn’t end when people walk out the door. In fact, that’s when the real work starts. And yet this is where most brands completely drop the ball.
A generic “thanks for attending” email sent three days later isn’t good enough. You need to capitalise on the momentum and positive feelings (hopefully) that your event created. Send personalised follow ups. Share photos and videos from the event quickly, whilst people still remember being there. Maybe even send a small gift or token to attendees that references an inside joke or moment from the event.
I think the best follow up I ever received was from a brand event where they’d taken candid photos throughout the day. They sent each attendee a personalised selection of photos featuring them, along with a handwritten (yes, actually handwritten) note thanking them for specific contributions they’d made during discussions. The effort was obvious and it mattered.
The follow up phase is where you convert interest into relationships. Don’t waste it with lazy generic communication.
Final Thoughts
Making brand events exciting isn’t rocket science, but it does require effort and a willingness to break from the standard corporate playbook. It means thinking about what would make YOU want to attend an event, not just what’s easy to organise.
The brands winning at events right now are the ones treating them as genuine experiences rather than just marketing obligations. They’re accomodating what people actually want (fun, connection, something worth their time) rather than what some outdated event planning template suggests.
Will every idea work for every brand? Of course not. But the underlying principle holds true: give people something real to engage with, respect their time & intelligence, and create moments they’ll actually remember. Everything else is just details. And honestly? Those details are the fun part to figure out anyway.
Related: How to Keep Your Outdoor Spaces Looking New Year-Round
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