Insight
Mind the creative gap: Why events need to rethink creativity
TAYLOR SMITH, VICE-PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION AND CREATIVE AT BCD MEETINGS & EVENTS, SAYS TRUE CREATIVITY IS COMING TOO LATE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
I n meetings and events, creativity suffers from a narrow reputation. It is often equated with what audiences see first: dramatic sets, slick graphics, immersive entrances, and visual spectacles designed to produce shareable moments. Those elements have their place, but they represent only one dimension of creative work. The bigger issue for the sector is the gap between how creativity is perceived and how it actually creates value.
True creativity is not about adding flair for its own sake. It is about solving problems with intention.
That distinction matters because business events are operating in a far more demanding attention economy than they were even a few years ago. Audiences are overloaded with content, pressed for time, and increasingly selective about what deserves their focus. In that environment, creativity is what helps an event cut through the noise. It shapes how messages are structured, how stories are told, and how attendees connect with an experience in a way that feels truly authentic.
Despite this, creativity still comes too late in the planning process: after the agenda is fixed, the format agreed and the logistics mapped out. When that happens, it becomes a layer added on top rather than a strategic platform built in from the start. The result may look pretty, but it can still fall flat with the people in the room.
Taylor Smith
That is the real creative gap.
Closing it requires a broader definition of where creative thinking comes from. Some of the strongest event ideas do not emerge solely from the creative department. They come from collaboration across strategy, production, technical delivery, and finance. This is where different perspectives can sharpen the brief and challenge assumptions. Creativity is at its best when people beyond the obvious contributors feel empowered to craft the outcome.
The same applies to budget. Bigger spending can widen the possibilities, but it cannot compensate for weak thinking. Some of the most effective event moments come from restraint: simplifying a message, removing distractions or finding a more human way to engage an audience. Good ideas do more work than expensive embellishment ever could.
“ True creativity is not about adding flair for its own sake. It is about solving problems with intention”
Technology brings a similar risk. AI, LED environments, and immersive tools are opening exciting new possibilities for event design, but they are only useful when they serve a clear purpose. Without that rationale, technology turns into a gimmick. Used well, it can strengthen storytelling, support engagement and make an experience more intuitive for attendees.
There is also a widening gap between what organisers assume audiences want and what those audiences already experience in their everyday lives. Corporate attendees are consumers too and their expectations do not disappear at the venue door. Smooth delivery alone is no longer enough. An event can run perfectly and still be forgettable.
If the industry wants meetings and events to matter more, creativity must be treated as a strategic discipline, not a finishing touch. Bridging the creative gap means recognising that creativity is what turns information into experience, business objectives into connection, and well-run events into memorable ones. n
50 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / ISSUE 144