Adam Stanley, managing director of global creative events agency Event Concept addresses the relationship economy and how events can help brands connect in the ways that matter:
Business success isn’t just about what you do. It’s about who you know, and more importantly, who trusts you. Positive relationships drive loyalty, open doors, and turn customers and colleagues into brand champions. They’re the glue that holds organisations together through change, challenge, and growth.
And when economic headwinds hit, brands with the strongest networks are the ones most likely to weather the storm. Today, in a digital-first world overflowing with information (and misinformation), trust is more important than ever. But with so much noise, those connections are also harder than ever to build.
That’s where events come in. In-person events turn introductions into relationships, and relationships into thriving communities. There’s something irreplaceable about face-to-face interaction – the energy in the room, the chance for spontaneous conversation, the way body language and tone build real understanding.
These shared experiences build trust and authenticity in a way digital touchpoints can’t replicate. Our recent survey of US event professionals proves the point: 73% say events deliver valuable personal engagement, while more than half highlight their unique role in building community. The vast majority (79%) believe events outperform every other marketing channel when it comes to building trust.
But meaningful relationships don’t happen by accident. They’re built with intention and shaped by your goals, your context, and most importantly, your audience.
Know your audience and your goal
Who you are trying to reach matters. Employees, customers, and industry peers all have different needs, motivations, and measures of value. What resonates with one group often falls flat with another.
So success is dependent on understanding what motivates your audience, what challenges they face, and what kind of experience will make them leave feeling seen and energised. Employees want to feel valued and inspired. Internal events that focus on belonging, trust in leadership, and opportunities for real connection help build pride and a sense of purpose. Give people space to be heard, not just managed.
Customers, meanwhile, crave relevance and recognition. The best customer events deliver genuine value: practical insights, inspiration, and the sense that you truly understand their world and challenges. You want to move beyond a sales pitch and position yourself as a trusted advisor.
Industry peers and partners are looking for connection, too – but with a collaborative edge. They want to share ideas, find inspiration, and forge new partnerships. The right event opens the door for networking, creative exchange, and fresh thinking.
And it’s not just about who you invite. It’s about the kind of connection you’re hoping to create. Are you looking to build trust? Encourage advocacy? Drive innovation? What memories do you want to embed and what behaviours do you want to inspire?
Design with purpose
Once you are clear on your audience and intent, design the experience to match. If collaboration is your goal, ditch the big stage for small, hands-on workshops. If it’s trust you want to build, put your experts out front for open, honest dialogue.
No matter the format, create plenty of space for real human moments, including informal conversations, networking, and shared experiences that foster lasting relationships. Take QuickBooks Connect as an example. As the US market leader for accounting software, QuickBooks realised their best advocates – accountants – often work alone. The brand wanted to deepen those relationships and bring the community together.
We helped them create a dynamic event for more than 600 professionals: inspirational speakers, expert demos, interactive breakouts, and an unforgettable closing party. Attendees walked away re-energised, with new contacts and a stronger sense of community – which QuickBooks now sits at the heart of.
In contrast, if your audience is internal, the experience design needs to focus on building unity, employee trust, and faith in your company’s vision. We delivered a five-day summit for one tech brand undergoing a period of rapid growth and change, with the goal of immersing all 1,200 employees in a sense of shared culture and ambition.
That connection was created with clever programming to effectively communicate the business’s core strategy pillars, exciting theatrical moments (like life-sized holograms of the CEO) that encouraged conversation, and even a chess championship (featuring five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen) that everybody could rally around.
Building for the long-term
Today’s world favours brands that invest in long-term relationships. And face-to-face events remain the single most powerful way to turn connections into communities, and communities into lasting business growth.
But building strong relationships isn’t a one-off effort. It’s an ongoing commitment: to show up, listen, and invest in the people who matter most to your business. The brands that do this are the ones that build real resilience and loyalty, no matter what comes next.
So as you plan your next event, don’t just think about the agenda or the headcount. Think about the connections you’re creating, the community you’re building, and the trust that will carry your business forward. Invest in relationships, and you’re investing in a stronger, more resilient future for your brand and everyone connected to it.
