Did you know there is actually a science to holding a memorable event? The key is to tap into certain biological responses in the brain to reduce stress, create positive emotions, and free the mind to form memories.

Here are five tips – and the science behind them – to help ensure your next corporate event is a success by leveraging these processes.

Set Goals for Attendees

Your first question should be, “What do I want attendees of this event to accomplish?” Do you want them to try your product? Feel appreciated? Connect with other attendees? Whatever it may be, design the event with that very specific task in mind and share it with your attendees on event day. Having something to accomplish at the event unlocks pleasure centers of the brain, creating happier and more engaged attendees.

What setting goals does to the brain: Brain functions are carried out by chemicals called neurotransmitters. Chief among these is dopamine, which plays a large role in keeping us focused and motivating us to attain goals. It acts as a motivator, creating a sensation of pleasure when the brain is stimulated by achievement. By setting a goal, a part of the brain believes the desired outcome is an essential part of who we are – setting up the conditions that propel us to work toward the goal to fulfill the brain’s self-image.

Reduce Stress for Attendees

One the chief obstacles to memory creation is stress. This makes sense, the more an attendee is multitasking by thinking about things outside or work, what’s for lunch, or where they left their jacket, the less they are thinking about your event. The solution is to create a carefree environment that draws in your attendees to relax and refocus on the tasks at hand.

The team at 583 Park Avenue treats each of its guests to the highest service standards. Our maitre d’hotel assembles a team of highly trained captains, waiters (2 per table or approximately 1 for every 5 guests—the highest staff-to-guest ratios found in New York City), bartenders, coat check assistants, lounge attendants, and doormen. This skilled team helps to ensure that every need your guests may have is promptly taken care of, creating the type of atmosphere that encourages memory creation and focus.

What eliminating stress does to the brain: The brain’s response to stress consists of a rapid release of stress chemicals into the bloodstream, including cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline. By alleviating stress, you can help shut down the release of these stress chemicals bringing a better ability to focus on a single task with greater comprehension, ensuring your guests will remember the material presented at the event.

Create a Spectacle

Whether it is a known musical act or a well executed theme, you want your event to be a spectacle. Having attendees witness things out of their everyday routine has dual benefits. First it heightens their ability to comprehend as well as positions them to bond with other people that have had a similar experience.

When you are planning your event, ask yourself, “What is our ‘wow’ factor?” You need at least one moment, if not the whole event, that will make attendees remark and talk amongst themselves. It could be as simple as performers roaming the venue, or as complex as complete business transparency. Whatever it is make sure it’s unexpected and completely remarkable.

What sensory stimulation does to the brain: Sensory stimulation activates the right side of the brain, which helps us comprehend visual imagery and language, particularly in interpreting context. In the case of events, it increases the likelihood attendees will remember the crucial details of the event and creates an enhanced ability to connect with other attendees over their shared experience.

Foster New Connections

If you want attendees to walk away happy from your event, the easiest way to do that is to create a format that makes it easy for them to create new connections with other attendees. The reality is we all suffer from social anxiety when it comes to meeting new people, but overcoming that makes us feel happy, positive and socially desirable.

One way to do this is to focus on changing the physical space for different aspects of the event. At 583 Park Avenue, we often use the Arcade to encourage physical proximity among event attendees during networking periods. This elegant space encourages a multitude of seamless interactions from one moment to the next. Additionally, we have a number of floorplans that emphasize guest engagement and interaction.

What talking to new people does to the brain: When we start talking and get to know a stranger, it gives us something to focus on. It’s a shot of adrenaline at the beginning but sentence by sentence, we begin to relax and feel engaged—because your brain is releasing dopamine-sensitive transmitters from the frontal lobe. Afterwards, this dopamine leaves the conversation participant in a happy state—pleased that they’ve been socially accepted.

Deliver Incentives

Whether it’s partnering with a charity or giveaways to small groups who compete in team-building exercises, incentives have significant impact in exciting people about your business. The level of engagement around your event will grow with simple yet effective prizes or goodwill initiatives. You don’t have to giveaway a huge prize, it’s just the act of winning that unlocks the benefits of reward-motivated behavior.

What incentives do to the brain: “Incentive salience” is a motivational ‘wanting’ attribute given by the brain to reward-predicting stimuli. By making something more desirable, dopamine, which also plays a key role in reward-motivated behavior, is released, rousing a sense of accomplishment. Feeling accomplished enhances your attendees connection to the event and its subject matter.

Leave People Feeling Appreciated

The biggest takeaway from your event for your attendees should be a sense of enrichment and happiness. One of the best ways to make guests feel that way is to demonstrate that they are appreciated. The single highest driver of engagement, according to a global study by Towers Watson, is whether or not employees feel their supervisors are genuinely interested in their well being. In practical terms this means you should consider utilizing your event as a forum to recognize high performing individuals or customers. This recognition leaves them feeling validated and committed.

What feeling appreciated does for the brain: On a basic human development level, feeling appreciated makes us feel safe, which energizes us to do our best work. On a social psychology level, we operate by the “reciprocity principle.” This principle says that in many social situations we pay back what we receive from others.

Want to run your engagement ideas by one of our Event Coordinators? Contact us to begin planning your event today.