“You make all this damn effort to get me thru the door, then you literally abandon me for 2 days”

There is an interesting discussion going on in the Whatsapp group vis-a-vis panels and formats (if you are not a member and would like to be DM me).

One delegate once said to me “you make all this damn effort to get me thru the door, then you literally abandon me for 2 days”. I think that as AI levels the playing field on research and agenda creation, how we engage our audiences at the event is going to become more and more relevant and that’s all about format and neuroscience. So I quickly pulled together (using AI) a guide, as a starting point, which tries to align Session Formats with principles of Neuroscience. The key takeaways are (full table to follow):

1. Attention Cycles- Limit keynotes to 20 min max or break them up with video, polling, or reflection pauses.

2. Memory Anchors – Use case studies and stories to make abstract content stick.

3. Emotion & Energy – Debates, fireside chats, and keynotes drive emotion; workshops and breakouts drive retention.

4. Cognitive Load Management – Use lightning talks and polls to reset attention between heavier sessions.

5. Social Engagement – Panels, roundtables, and networking leverage the brain’s natural drive for social learning.