Event Concept client director Jess MacGillivray shares the growing importance of B2E events with conference news.
In 2025, UK businesses will need to quickly adapt to the power of a wide range of markets, from digital transformation to economic uncertainty. Success calls for agility, and true agility depends on bringing employees along.
In a rapidly changing business world, B2E events are the strategic levers for building culture, aligning teams and accelerating commercial growth.
What is a B2E event (why is it important now?
B2E events are an introvert experience specifically designed for employees, covering everything from kickoffs for any hand meeting or sales, to changing announcements, cultural celebrations and future-focused initiatives. These events are involved and inspire, but their true strength lies in what they unlock the lock: changing ways of thinking, changing behavior, and a deeper sense of connection.
Why are they important now? This is because the workplace has changed, and the expectations of employees have changed. In a hybrid world where teams span generations and time zones, no connections occur by default. It needs to be designed. And thanks to factors such as restructuring, digital shifts, and changing mobility strategies to markets, people need more than just pinging on screen.
That’s where the B2E event shines. They go through the noise, activate their teams, adjust their goals, and build emotional connections with the business. And they work – the research shows that companies with engagement teams are profitable at 21% (Galup) (Galup), companies with strong cultures have a 40% higher retention rate (McKinsey), and 88% of experts say that personal events cultivate lasting relationships (Harvard Business Review Analysis Service).
How successful B2E events are driving business outcomes
How can you really make your internal events work for your business? Here are four important areas to focus on (using an example):
Cultural and Sensual Integration: Logistics isn’t just about bringing together a diverse and global workforce. It is about designing experiences that build trust and unity. NRF’s Partners Meeting defeated traditional conference formats by reconnecting 250 global partners with a clear, local experience over five days in Barcelona, integrating city-inspired programming. Designed for discovery and teamwork, activities fostered authentic connections and filled the divisions of generations and cultures.
Adjusting your vision and strategy: If your people don’t know where you are heading, they can’t help you get there. The Bahamas Future High Speed Summit is aimed at uniting 1,200 employees, second only to the global asset management company’s future vision. It features a theatrical style summit featuring 360° overall space, floor-to-ceiling LED screens and curved staging, plus holograms, data tunnels and daily evolutionary themes.
Help teams embrace rapid change: In an age of change, events become a powerful enabler to not only coordinate businesses, but also help them lead the progress of the sector. This was the case with BUPA, which was necessary to respond to the complex and industry-wide changes in healthcare. We created a hybrid symposium that connects industries that rarely collaborate with clinicians and engineers, uniting and sharing insights, and shaping: In a form built around participation and dialogue, the event helped to promote cross-working integrity, surface new thinking, and establish BUPA as a facilitator of innovation and progress for its people and the broader sector.
Empowering commercial teams: Driving growth starts with adjusting commercial audiences, especially when goals and contexts are different. For the global FMCG organization, we designed a four-day sales kickoff style experience with the exception of partners and senior employees, focusing on Gen Z-Focused Growth Strategy. Offered in two tailored formats (for partners, one for employees), the event featured an Innovation Expo with strategic plenary, breakout sessions and 15 immersive brand activations. All elements were created to reflect the brand’s purpose, build beliefs about the strategy, and stimulate the responsible team to deliver it.
Related challenges (and how to overcome them)
Of course, internal events are not without hurdles. Here’s how to tackle something big:
Changes in fatigue: While constant transformations can erode the team’s mind, events are a great way to reconstruct change as opportunities. Help employees see themselves in the future of your business and give them the tools to thrive.
Distributed Workforce: Hybrid work stays here, but connections don’t have to suffer. Smart event designs include accessibility options, multilingual support, various formats, and a combination of face-to-face and digital products that cater to all ages and learning styles.
Changes in demographics: Baby boomers. Gen Z. Millennials. Each has a different preference for communication, participation and involvement. But at the best events, they don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. You can use your data and insights to meet everyone.
Justification of costs: Yes, the event requires investment. But the return is worth it: stronger engagement, faster alignment, better retention. key? intentionally. Check your goals – and measure them.
Think like a brand and act like an employer
The most successful B2E events are built with the same rigour as the activation of top tier brands. In other words,
Design for the Audience: Don’t be afraid to treat your employees like a VIP. Learn what’s important to them, understand their needs and design accordingly.
Measuring impact: Measures changes in emotion, retention and behavior beyond attendee statistics.
Create a memorable experience: One day’s event will not cut it. A good B2E strategy should help shape a part of the long-term internal brand narrative.
B2E events aren’t just free drinks and PowerPoint. They are about bringing together the employees behind change, building momentum, and making people feel like they see, hear and cherish them. They are no longer just perks – they are commercial orders.
Remember: Your employees are not just the core of your business. They are the most powerful supporters of your brand. And how you engage with them defines whether you are successful or stagnant.
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