Are your events memorable and driving change? If not, its time for professional services firms to put clients and delegates first, argues Evie Manuel, Commercial Director at EC.
Events have long been a vital pillar of the professional services industry, serving as key platforms for networking, knowledge exchange, and thought leadership. In a sector reliant on personal relationships and strong reputations, they offer an unmatched opportunity to build trust and affinity, providing the foundation for deep relationships that will deliver long term value and advocacy.
Today, this power is more important than ever. Professional services are operating in a time of significant disruption, with clients seeking guidance on everything from artificial intelligence to new workforce paradigms and economic volatility. There are high stakes decisions to be made, and clients need trusted partners to navigate the daily information overload.
But all too often, professional services events miss the mark. They focus on the ‘what’, not the ‘who’, and fail to resonate with the human concerns that unite all clients.
Beyond the need for smart products and technical efficacy, clients are seeking a genuine connection to expertise that aligns with their fundamental need: the ability to make confident and informed decisions, to manage risks with foresight, and to protect or build reputations that are often years – if not decades – in the making.
To create such connections, events must resonate with attendees at a more personal level, to instil belief that a partnership will bring with it confidence, control, and opportunity.
Designing for the person in the room
The question, then, is how to design an impactful, people-first event in practice.
In our opinion, all good events should be designed to achieve two key outcomes. Attendees must retain key information (memory) and feel inspired to take tangible actions (behaviour change).
In professional services, those memories should reflect the reputation the firm wants to build. In this industry, clients only entrust their businesses to firms they have confidence in, so every aspect of an event should reinforce that trust and authority. To maximise value, every attendee needs to walk away with the same impression.
Strategic event design must therefore instil confidence at every touchpoint – before, during and after the event itself. Behavioural science tells us that a positive impression created in one place often influences our impression of other, related areas, creating what’s called a “halo effect”. This means every interaction is an opportunity to enhance your brand perceptions.
Establishing a reputation for specialised knowledge is also critical, and that expertise needs to be communicated in a way that feels relevant and relatable to every attendee. Well-designed events allow firms to demonstrate thought leadership dynamically, turning passive presentations into interactive, problem-solving experiences. Whether through tailored workshops, personalised breakout sessions, or one-to-one “expert clinics”, a strategically crafted event positions your firm as a responsive, insightful partner – one that not only deeply understands clients’ challenges but can guide them with confidence.
And when it comes to driving behaviour change, this sector is all about strengthening relationships. Success looks like attendees reaching out after an event, starting a conversation, or scheduling meetings. To achieve this, you need to create a sense of connection.
By using intentional design tactics – like curated conversations, interactive sessions, or purpose-driven networking – events can foster connections that feel authentic and lasting. These kinds of deep engagement are the foundation for long-term partnerships and client loyalty. An event that resonates personally creates an environment where relationships move from transactional to truly relational.
Maximising ROI
Building a stronger reputation and better relationships will result in improved ROI. It’s important to remember that ROI isn’t always immediate – successful partnerships and collaborations take time. But when clients feel understood and valued, they’re more likely to invest in relationships, enhancing both immediate outcomes and sustained business value.
As an events agency and production company, we’ve solved diverse challenges for professional services clients, delivering against a wide range of KPIs. What unites all successful projects is a commitment to memorability and behaviour change.
By designing with people-first principles, we ensure clients achieve the three Rs: reputation, relationships, and ROI. Because when you design for people, you design for impact – and that’s what will drive the future of professional services forward.
EC is a creative event agency and event production company. We blend creative agency thinking with production company doing to deliver extraordinary events and everlasting experiences, enabling you to create an experience that matters for the people that matter to you.