By Jo Beames
As Buyer Community Director at micebook and founder of the Corporate Collective, I recently had the pleasure of attending the Ovation London Connect Trends Breakfast at the beautiful Rosewood London, hosted by Niamh Martyn, senior sales manager at Rosewood Group.
Rutger Hoorne, VP global dales & strategic partnerships at Ovation, was joined by colleagues from across Europe to present fresh data and spark conversation with senior corporate event leaders from EY, Viasat, McKinsey, RBC, TM Forum, DC Advisory and The Economist. The objective was to connect and exchange ideas by blending Ovation’s global insights with the real-world challenges corporate planners are facing today.
Here’s some of the highlights of the discussion:
Tech, data and ROI
Personalisation emerged as a dominant theme, with examples like SXSW London 2025 illustrating how curated breaks, tailored app recommendations and cross-industry programming can create joyful, bespoke experiences.
Technology was a big part of the conversation and of event costs. The group agreed that investment here is vital, with registration platforms and event apps increasingly layered with AI to personalise journeys, monetise touchpoints and deliver consented, provable value.
One planner highlighted the impact of AI-driven appointment matching combined with pre-event surveys that ask attendees who they most want to meet, a strategy designed to maximise business return. The data presented showed a clear shift from focusing solely on ROI to also measuring ROR, Return on Relationships.
Post-event surveys were also seen as crucial to capturing insights, yet many admitted response rates remain a challenge. One simple but effective solution shared was linking access to event photos at the end of a survey, a tactic that has significantly boosted completion rates.
Ultimately, the data reinforced that the quality and strength of relationships built with attendees is what drives satisfaction, loyalty and long-term ROI, making tech-enabled tools and smart data collection more essential than ever.
Hybrid, virtual and sustainability
While most in the room said they are focusing on in-person formats, hybrid events were described as “marketing heaven” by the data, showing 50% better attendance and 71% higher registration than in-person-only events. Yet, the costs and challenges of delivering a seamless hybrid experience remain a barrier.
Virtual, though less prominent than in recent years, was recognised as an inclusive option that widens access and supports sustainability goals. With increasing regulatory and client pressure, sustainability is becoming non-negotiable in event planning. From supplier RFPs to carbon-tracking initiatives like one law firm’s “Green Zone” policy, the group agreed it’s firmly embedded in planning conversations.
The session closed with networking over lunch, where the conversations continued. Thank you to Rutger and the Ovation team for inviting micebook, it was a pleasure to be part of such a valuable discussion.