As organisations look ahead to 2026, I’m hearing the same question again and again: “How do we bring people together in a way that genuinely means something?“ From boardrooms to conference halls, the events that will land in 2026 are deeply human.
1. Story beats structure
Agendas keep things moving. Stories move people.
The most effective events I’ve ever worked on follow a clear narrative arc:
1. A beginning that sets intention
2. A middle that deepens understanding,
3. An ending that leaves something changed.
Sometimes that story is told at scale, For example, The Magic Within, a Harry Potter–inspired awards experience for Vitality, used theatrical storytelling to turn a large employee event into something immersive and emotionally resonant.
Other times, the story is quieter and more personal.
The launch of Dilli House’s new fragrance was an intimate evening shaped entirely around the founder’s own journey, allowing guests to step inside the narrative rather than observe it from the outside.
When people understand the journey they’re on, and why they’re on it together, engagement changes.
In 2026, the most useful question won’t be “What’s on the agenda?”
It will be: “What story are we inviting people into?“
2. Community is designed over time, not delivered in a day
We talk a lot about connection. But real community is something else entirely.
It isn’t created by icebreakers or networking drinks. It’s built through repeated, reliable moments of coming together.
Events are powerful catalysts. They can spark trust, alignment and momentum.
But the organisations seeing the greatest impact are thinking beyond the event itself. They’re designing what happens after.
This is backed up by research too.
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar’s work shows that while it can take as little as seven hours to move from stranger to acquaintance, deeper relationships require sustained time and repeated interaction. Roughly 200 hours, spread over months, to build a close bond.
More from Robin Dunbar here:
https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/05/robin-dunbar-explains-circles-friendship-dunbars-number/618931/
https://www.soldo.com/en-gb/blog/small-businesses/robin-dunbar-five-lessons/
The organisations doing this well are designing what I call the cascade.
Smaller follow-ups and intentional touchpoints that keep people coming back together.
In 2026, this will be the difference between events that feel good in the moment and experiences that genuinely build culture.
3. Intimacy often creates more impact than scale
We’ve been conditioned to equate impact with size: Bigger audience. Bigger room. Bigger production.
But some of the most transformational moments I’ve witnessed happened in smaller rooms, around shared tables, in environments where people felt safe enough to speak honestly and listen properly.
Changing Perspectives, a photography-led leadership event at Tate Modern, used a small, carefully curated group to spark deep reflection and dialogue.
Similarly, Better You, an equinox-themed wellbeing event for women in leadership, created space for conversations that simply wouldn’t have happened in a larger forum.
When influential people in your organisation are deeply engaged, change travels faster and further.
4. Technology should protect the human moments
AI is here, and yes, it’s powerful – but its greatest value is behind the scenes: Removing friction, handling admin, surfacing insight and creating space.
Space for planners to design more thoughtfully and create experiences which feel altogether more meaningful.
This is a theme I explored deeply in my Humans Go First talk at The DO Lectures, where I argue that technology should enable connection, not replace it.
The best events in 2026 won’t feel more automated.
They’ll feel more alive.
5. Presence is becoming the real luxury
We’re drawn to moments of collective effervescence, that sense of energy and belonging that only happens when we’re physically together and fully present.
As technology accelerates, people are actively seeking places to slow down.
Phones away.
Pens out.
Hands-on, shared experiences.
This doesn’t mean abandoning technology altogether. It means being intentional with it and designing for the moments where it disappears.
In 2026, events that give people permission to switch off will stand out more than any app ever could.
A final thought
As you look ahead to your events in 2026, forget whether something feels on trend or impressive.
Ask instead: Where can we design moments for real connection?
The events that matter most this year are the ones that will be remembered for how human they felt.
If you’d like help shaping an event in 2026, big or small, I’d love to talk about what you want people to feel, and what you want to change.