Corporate events in Idaho shift to interactive formats to boost engagement

With the rise of the digital age, people from all age groups have become accustomed to consuming smaller, bite-sized content that’s relevant and digestible for their busy lives. While this change doesn’t necessarily mean shrinking attention spans, it does point to a shift in content consumption and how it translates to corporate events. Longer-form keynote speeches are sometimes less effective, and audiences benefit now more from interactive, participatory experiences.

Keeping the audience’s attention

Research from neuroscientist John Medina’s “Brain Rules” summarizes that during a lecture, speech or presentation, the audience’s attention starts dropping off after 10 minutes — unless something changes to re-engage the listener’s brain. He recommends breaking up content into 10-minute sections either by introducing a activity, question or engaging story.

Ken Holsinger, senior vice president of industry research and insights at Freeman elaborated on the subject.

“An effective communicator will do something to reset,” he said. “They’ll tell a story, they’ll tell a joke, they’ll be empathetic. They’ll change the tone or change the environment somehow. Attendees’ expectations are that content should be better, it should be more relevant, more interesting … it should match or mirror the way they are wired.”

This information is supported by recent data published by Freeman, showing that event attendees prefer learning in a variety of formats, with 22% seeking hands-on or participatory interaction and 19% looking for facilitated workshops and roundtables with other attendees. Another 18% seek demonstration by a speaker and 17% enjoy panels with a moderator.

Holsinger also spoke of the generational differences between audience members and how that plays a factor.

“For the Boomers in the room, if you ask them to jump, they say ‘how high,’ and if you ask a Gen Z to jump, they look at you strangely and say ‘why,’” he explained. “What does that have to do with shorter sessions? If the content is good, they’ll stay and even if the content is bad, Boomers would sit there. They’re loyal and polite, and that’s not to say Gen Z or Millennials are impolite, but they are more transparent. If they don’t like something, they’ll match it with their feet [by leaving] or match it by zoning out and scrolling on their phones.”

Kristin Muchow, president of meeting and event management consulting firm Trikaz said that while engagement does vary across generations, it’s not just about age.

“While Gen Z and Boomers may engage differently, understanding your audience is far more important than focusing solely on generations,” she said. “A sales conference will naturally have different energy and preferences than a finance conference. Successful event design starts with understanding who your attendees are, why they’re there, and how they learn best.”

Holsinger reiterated that recognizing the objectives of attendees is crucial to a successful event and if a speaker can understand those, provide real-world examples or case studies, and conclude with actionable takeaways — it’s a winning recipe.

“If the attendees are happy, then the exhibitors are going to be happy,” he said. “And that’s where things move.”

Networking and connection over long keynotes

Muchow spoke about the need for human connection at events and how that, matched with relevant content, helps keep attendees active and engaged.

“Attendees are more likely to prioritize networking over sitting through a long keynote,” she said. “If a presentation doesn’t deliver immediate value, they’ll often step into the hallway for conversations. That reinforces the most important point: People attend live events not just for information, but for the relationships and interactions they can’t get from a podcast or recorded presentation.”

Muchow also said that while some speakers are naturally comfortable with the traditional lecture format, it’s important to help them create a more interactive experience that might require some coaching.

“We provide a speaker ‘best-practice’ guide before the conference which encourages live polling, Q&A, small-group discussion and audience participation,” she shared. “We also hold presentation rehearsals with constructive feedback. Most speakers appreciate the support.”

Holsinger said that live polling and gamification can be a useful tool for speakers to connect with audiences and promote participation, but often the infrastructure at the location can be expensive or lacks quality.

“These tools are effective when they’re deployed well, but they’re extremely distracting when they’re not,” he explained.

So, with the right approach, event planners can work with speakers and hosts to not just use the logistics of venue to keep attendees to stay engaged, but also find ways to promote dialogue, and create more lasting learning experiences.

This story was originally published in Idaho Business Review’s 2026 Corporate Events Planners Guide.