The Human Connection: Why In-Person Events Still Matter in a Digital-First World

The next time you're in a public space, take a look around. Is everyone paying attention, or are they staring at their devices? Public transportation used to be a way to meet people and engage with others. Now, everyone is too busy scrolling on their phones to be bothered to look up. At an airport, people often miss gate changes or late cancellations because they are too consumed with whatever they're engaging with online. At concerts or sporting events, more people are watching the singer or sports team through their phones, insisting they capture the best photo or video for their social media feeds.

Humans are indeed addicted to their devices, and in part, technology companies are to blame. Apps are designed to maximize engagement, stimulating different triggers and controlling the dopamine centers in the brain to entice users to stay for just another minute longer. A few minutes quickly turn into a few hours, and before you know it, the entire day is wasted staring at a 5-inch screen.

With so many brands placing value on digital experiences, you may be wondering why some are investing more in in-person events. But arguably, IRL events are even more important than ever because of humans' addiction to screen time. Here's why.

Events Build Authentic Connections

Our brains are hardwired for face-to-face connection. It's a fundamental part of communication, leaning into both physical awareness, emotional cues, and subconscious thoughts. When you see someone you love, your face shows it. And when you engage with someone new—whether it's the barista at a coffee shop or a fellow customer at the grocery store—your brain is activated to trigger feel-good transmitters, including dopamine and oxytocin. So to distill it even further, events are opportunities for humans to activate these neurotransmitters.

In-person events build real-time, authentic interactions. Whether it's a corporate event for your sales team, a large-scale convention, industry trade show, or interactive exhibit, events today are the catalyst for building trust, vulnerability, and a shared experience. When someone walks away from an event, they often leave feeling like they were a valued contributor. They see themselves as an active, engaged participant that helped facilitate the event and lead to its success.

Events Offer True Engagement and Focus

Everyone has logged onto a corporate virtual meeting and multitasked. You had every intent to listen in and engage, but after just a few minutes, your inbox lured you away. Even though you'd like to assume that your listening skills are up to par, chances are that you're not really obtaining the information you'd receive if you were to listen to the person in real life.

Virtual events and meetings lead to multitasking, while in-person events lead to further engagement and focus. If a keynote speaker is on the stage, it would be considered rude to start scrolling on your phone or typing heavily on your tablet. Instead, everyone is actively listening and participating in the session.

After a session, instead of logging off the virtual meeting and going back to your day, you engage with others. You talk about the session, share learnings from it, and perhaps even start brainstorming some ways to implement their teachings into your own life. These conversations can lead to more valuable connections, whether it's with your colleagues, family, friends, or strangers.

As takeaways, event technology solutions can help provide hands-on demos and live workshops—activations that lead to improved retention and a deeper understanding of the concepts presented. As a result, attendees leave the event with new learnings and a sense that the time was well spent, rather than an hour or two wasted on another virtual call.

Events Offer Relief from Digital Fatigue

It's no surprise that many are strained from the amount of time spent looking at a digital device. On average, people spend over 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phones every day. In that same amount of time, someone could travel by plane from New York City to Cancun, Mexico. You could literally leave the country and fly to the other side of the world with the amount of time you're on your phone.

Events combat digital fatigue by providing a space for people to meet and engage with each other live. People are craving more physical interactions. They want to meet new people, chat with others, and participate in a shared experience. They want to forget about their emails, social media messages, and other digital distractions for an afternoon. Being physically present with others in a shared venue and experiencing something together as a whole provides relief from screen overload.

This doesn't mean your event shouldn't include any technology; rather, it should be used mindfully to further the presentation, facilitate conversations, and provide helpful additional resources to participants. Having "unplugged" zones or scheduled tech-free time chunks throughout the schedule will enhance the event's purpose of bringing people together without the distractions of devices.

Final Thoughts

In-person events are essential to today's world. They are a chance to break free from devices and provide the perfect alternative to online or virtual events. Providing attendees with the opportunity to gather and step away from their notifications can foster true human connection.