Association leaders and meeting organisers must overhaul how they measure event success, shifting their focus away from raw registration figures and towards meaningful human connections and long-term impact.
That was the key takeaway from speakers at Why People Still Gather: The Future of Human Connection in the Meetings Industry, an interactive session held during the recently-concluded IT&CM Asia and CTW APAC 2026. Live polling during the presentation confirmed that networking remains the driver for tradeshow attendance, easily pacing ahead of content delivery and formal business transactions.
Kate Sarasin, a business events coach and adjunct lecturer at Kasetsart University, stressed that changing delegate expectations have fundamentally altered the traditional conference setting. Pointing to shorter attention spans, ubiquitous online information, and Gen Z’s preference for authentic experiences, she noted that meeting rooms are no longer merely spaces for information transfer.
“The meeting room is now no longer a meeting room where people come for knowledge,” she noted. “It’s much more than that.” Instead, organisers must deliberately design event environments and schedules to encourage organic interaction – whether by introducing informal lobby seating or extending coffee breaks by 15 minutes.
Industry leaders also called for a modernising of event metrics. Jonathan Low, CEO of Global Success Learning, urged associations to track Return on Experience alongside standard financial ROI, suggesting success should be measured by the depth of connections made rather than delegate headcount.
“What if our KPI had to do with the number of meaningful connections that we make?” he asked, pointing out that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence should handle routine administrative tasks, freeing up organisers to focus entirely on facilitating high-value human relationships.
SITE Thailand’s president Paula Wong also emphasised that membership value hinges on tangible returns. By pairing localised networking opportunities with targeted educational masterclasses, associations can ensure live events deliver the practical knowledge, professional growth, and personal connections that digital platforms simply cannot replicate.
