growth
When people leave your event, they don’t remember the floor plan. They remember the rush before tickets went on sale, the moment the room erupted, the person they finally met, and the one thing they went home thinking about.
That’s emotion. And it’s not a nice-to-have layer you sprinkle on top of logistics. It’s the core product you’re actually selling.
Customer experience research backs this up. Forrester’s 2024 Customer Experience Index found that emotion is one of the strongest drivers of overall CX performance and loyalty, ahead of most operational factors. In other words: if you don’t design how people feel, you’re leaving satisfaction and repeat attendance to chance.
Our own Event Attendee US 2025–2026 report shows just how emotional event decisions are. Ticket buyers say things like lineup, location, and price matter, sure—but 56.4% rely on word of mouth and 65.0% rely on social media to decide what’s worth their time. That’s not pure rational choice. That’s “Do I feel excited? Do my friends care? Will this be worth the hassle?”
The good news: you can engineer those feelings. The strongest events follow a clear emotional arc:
Anticipation – the build-up before the event
Excitement – the thrill during the event
Connection – the sense of belonging with others
Reflection – the meaning and impact after it’s over
In this guide, we’ll break down why these four emotions matter, why the order is non‑negotiable, and how to design each one with practical tactics you can drop straight into your next run-of-show.
The Loopyah Content Team shares expert insights, practical guides, and industry updates to help event organizers create unforgettable experiences and stay ahead in the event planning world.
Anticipation is the first emotion you need to trigger, and it starts long before doors open. Neuroscience research shows that looking forward to an experience can actually increase how much we enjoy it once it happens. Build the right kind of anticipation and you’re already halfway to a great NPS score before anyone walks in.
From a brain point of view, anticipation is a motivational engine. It tells people, “This will be worth the effort.” That matters, because attending an event is effort: money, travel, time off, childcare, logistics.
Our data shows 32.6% of ticket buyers say they purchase a month or more in advance, while another 42.8% say a low-fee or fee-free window would make them buy right now. Translation: people are willing to commit early when anticipation is paired with a clear benefit.
If you do not intentionally build anticipation, here’s what happens instead:
Your event gets discovered late, which kills early cash flow.
People stay on the fence, waiting on friends or better options.
By the time they feel any buzz, your marketing budget is mostly spent.
Let’s fix that.
You don’t need a Super Bowl budget to build a pre-event buzz. You need consistency and a plan.
Here’s where to start.
1. Teaser content that hints, not dumps
Teasers exist to spark curiosity, not to explain every detail. You’re selling a feeling first, information second.
Drop “first wave” reveals instead of the whole lineup at once. Big festivals like Glastonbury announce headliners first, then roll out stages and day splits over weeks to keep the buzz rolling.
Use countdowns on social and your website for big moments: early-bird opening, lineup announcement, schedule drop.
Share behind-the-scenes clips: stage builds, tasting sessions, speaker rehearsals, merch unboxing.
Most attendees find events through social media posts or ads (65.0%) and word of mouth (56.4%). That’s exactly where teaser content works best. Short, visual, sharable.
Want to go deeper on surfacing these tiny hype-building moments? Check out our guide to event micro-moments, which shows how to turn small interactions into big emotional hooks.
2. Early-bird incentives (done the smart way)
Early-bird discounts are still powerful—but only if they feel like a win, not a cheap move. In our attendee data, 67.6% say early-bird discounts would motivate them to buy earlier, and 45.2% say the fear of a sell-out would too.
Some ideas that respect your margins:
Limit by time and quantity: “First 100 tickets at X price” or “Early-bird until [date]” and stick to it.
Offer add-on value instead of big price cuts: early entry, a reserved section, or a piece of exclusive merch.
Create a low-fee window: our study shows 42.8% of attendees would buy now if fees temporarily dropped or disappeared.
Scarcity works, but use it honestly. If spots are limited, say why. If prices really will rise, make the timeline visible with a countdown on your landing page.
3. Engaging email marketing that builds a story
Email is still your best channel for owned anticipation. It’s quiet, targeted, and repeatable. But it has to do more than shout “Tickets on sale!”
Think of your pre-event email sequence as a mini-series:
Episode 1: The Big Why – what this event is about and who it’s for.
Episode 2: The People – spotlight speakers, performers, or hosts with a human angle.
Episode 3: The Experience – show the flow, moments, and vibes attendees can expect.
Episode 4: The Nudge – clear offer, deadline, and next step.
If you need help tightening that message, our breakdown on event marketing ideas includes practical examples you can steal.
The key is to avoid dumping all information at once. Space it out. Make people feel like they’re getting closer to something special.
Now we’re in the room. Anticipation got people through the door. Excitement is what convinces them they were right to show up.
Experience research is clear on this: people remember “peaks” and endings far more than the middle. McKinsey calls these “moments of delight”—short, emotional spikes that disproportionately shape how people talk about you later. You do not get those moments by accident.
The quickest way to kill excitement is a flat agenda. Too long without a break. Too many similar sessions. No clear build-up to anything.
Instead, design your run-of-show like a great playlist:
Open with energy, not admin. Start with a strong host or a short, high-impact segment before housekeeping.
Alternate intensity. Follow a deep-dive session with a hands-on activity or a lighter segment.
Build to a clear main peak: the headline performance, the product reveal, the awards moment.
If you’re not sure how to structure this, our event program template article walks through how to design a flow that keeps energy high instead of slowly draining the room.
Humans don’t stay excited by sitting still and listening for hours. Attention drops, phones appear, and suddenly the emotional tone is “tired” instead of “fired up.”
You can fix this with simple interactive elements every 8–10 minutes:
Live polls (“Which topic should we go deeper on?”) using QR codes or apps.
Quick pair discussions or micro-workshops during talks.
Challenge-based activities: scavenger hunts, quiz rounds, team missions tied to your content.
Research on live polling and quizzes shows they don’t just “wake people up”—they increase comprehension and motivation when done in short bursts. The goal is to keep people doing, not just watching.
Surprise is emotional rocket fuel. When something delightful happens that people did not fully expect, the brain snaps to attention and tags that moment as important.
You don’t need fireworks. You need one or two deliberate wow beats:
A dramatic product reveal with lighting, sound, and a short story about the journey to launch.
An unannounced guest performer, speaker, or creator your audience already loves.
A mid-event giveaway or upgrade moment: surprise VIP seat upgrades, backstage tours, or meet-and-greets.
Example: imagine a product launch event where attendees are shown a behind-the-scenes story first—failures, prototypes, struggles—then the lights drop, the screens rise, and the final product appears with the founder walking on stage. That reveal beats a basic “Here’s the product slide” every time.
Excitement gives people stories. Connection gives them belonging. If you want repeat attendees and referrals, this is the emotion that sticks the longest.
Our attendee research shows that friends’ participation is a major attendance driver, and 56.4% of respondents hear about events through word of mouth. That only happens when events feel social, not just instructional or transactional.
Industry trend reports say the same: people are done with awkward, directionless “networking breaks.” They want structured, useful ways to meet people who care about the same things they do.
Stop leaving networking to “grab a drink and mingle.” Most people hate that, and the same confident 10% of the room will talk to each other at every event.
Better options:
Topic tables: label tables by theme (“B2B partnerships,” “First-time founders,” “Event ops nerds”) and invite people to sit where they want deeper conversation.
Facilitated circles: short 20–30 minute small-group discussions with 4–8 people and 3–4 guiding questions.
Speed connections: quick 3–5 minute rounds where attendees rotate and answer one simple prompt (“What are you most excited to learn today?”).
For trade shows, expos, or large conferences, adding structured games and missions can be a cheat code. Our ideas for trade show games show how to use scavenger hunts, passport stamps, and mini-challenges to drive real conversations, not just booth fly-bys.
Connection happens when people go through something together—solve a problem, build something, react to a big moment, or even laugh at the same ridiculous thing on stage.
Consider adding:
Hands-on workshops where attendees implement ideas instead of just hearing them.
Live demos or co-creation sessions with your product, tools, or content.
Group rituals: opening or closing moments everyone does together (a toast, a collective photo, a short reflection exercise).
If you’re running experiential or immersive events, you’re already on this path. Our guide to experiential events has more examples of designing shared, emotional beats people can’t get from a video on demand.
Not everyone walks into a room ready to chat with strangers. You build more loyalty when your event feels safe and welcoming, not cliquey.
Practical moves:
First-timer intros: a short pre-session or meet-up just for newcomers with a host who helps them meet 2–3 people instantly.
Clear signage and zones: label lounges, quiet corners, and networking areas so people can choose their own energy level.
Hosts and staff as connectors: brief your team to introduce people to each other, not just answer questions.
The event ends when the lights go up. The experience ends when attendees stop thinking and talking about it.
Reflection is the bridge between “That was fun” and “That changed something for me.” It’s where people connect dots, decide what to implement, and choose whether to come back next time.
Here’s the kicker: you have a huge amount of influence over this phase. But most organizers stop communicating right after the thank-you post.
Attendee memories are sharpest in the first 24–48 hours. That’s your prime window to catch honest reactions and feelings.
Send a short, focused survey as soon as possible after the event:
Make it mobile-first and quick (5 minutes or less).
Ask about emotional moments: “What was the highlight?” and “Where did we lose you?”
Always include: “Would you attend again?” and “Would you recommend this to a friend?”
If you need inspiration, we put together a full list of post-event survey questions you can plug straight into your form tool.
One mega recap email is better than nothing. But spaced follow-ups are where the impact really multiplies. Spacing content over time helps people remember and actually use what they learned.
A simple post-event arc could look like this:
Within 24–48 hours: Thank-you + highlights – best photos, top quotes, key wins, link to survey.
Day 5–7: Learning pack – slides, notes, replays, templates, or a summary article of core takeaways.
Week 2–3: Action kit – checklist, workbook, or challenge that helps attendees implement one big idea.
Want examples of how to write these? Our piece on post-event email examples walks through real subject lines and structures that drive opens and clicks.
Reflection isn’t just about “what did you think of this event?” It’s also “what will you do next with us?”
Some ways to keep the emotional arc going:
Invite people into a year-round community (Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, or a private email list) where the conversation continues.
Share attendee success stories: how someone used what they learned or who they met and what it led to.
Give past attendees early access or priority pricing to the next edition—reward loyalty explicitly.
This is where the right tools help. A solid event software platform lets you segment past attendees, send targeted follow-ups, and track who is most engaged so you can invite them back as speakers, ambassadors, or VIP guests.
Attendees rarely remember every slide, every song, or every booth. They remember how the event made them feel—and what it nudged them to do next.
Let’s put it all together. The four emotions every great event must trigger work best in this exact order:
Anticipation – before the event, tell a clear, compelling story about why this matters and why now.
Excitement – during the event, design dynamic flow, participation, and wow moments that feel worth the trip.
Connection – throughout the event, give people structured, inclusive ways to meet, talk, and share experiences.
Reflection – after the event, help attendees make sense of what happened and what they will do with it.
This sequence mirrors how memory and loyalty are formed: we set expectations, we experience emotional peaks, we feel part of something, and then we lock in the meaning.
When you storyboard these four emotions into your marketing, your run-of-show, and your follow-up, you stop running “just another event” and start running a repeat-worthy experience.
Events live or die on emotion. Not on how perfectly the coffee break ran, not on whether the lanyards matched the brand guide, but on how people felt before, during, and after being in your world.
If you deliberately design for Anticipation, Excitement, Connection, and Reflection, in that order, you will:
Sell more tickets earlier, with less panic marketing at the end.
Deliver sessions and experiences people actually talk about later.
Turn first-time attendees into loyal advocates who bring their friends.
So before you finalize your next agenda, seating chart, or speaker lineup, pause and ask one simple question: What do we want people to feel, and when?
Design from that place, and the operations will have something powerful to support.
Ready to put this into practice across your whole event journey? Check out how Loopyah's events platform can help you plan and execute winning events.
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