“A Poor Understanding of Human Psychology Leads to Ineffective Event Solutions”

Before you even enter the convention lobby, your meeting experience has already begun in the perception, behaviour and mental set-up of the attendees. Fairly new areas among meeting professionals, behavioural science, psychology and neuroscience provide us with extra insights into the success of an event, helping us to decipher delegates' mental disposition. Neurodesign, for example, is a multidisciplinary field that seeks to understand how the human mind reacts to sensory stimuli and built environments through insights from neuroscience and psychology, thus making it possible to create more effective events.

With a background in event management and cognitive linguistics, Victoria Matey turns science into practical strategies for real-world events – whether it is making events more brain-friendly, designing spaces that guide behaviour or helping partners apply psychology in lasting ways. Today, Victoria helps event professionals use psychology to create smarter, more human experiences as an event psychology advisor. She is also the creator of tools such as the Event Psychology Lab course, the book 10 Principles of Strategic Event Planning and the Event Psychology Strategist certification with MPI. She also runs the Event Psychology Hub and serves as Vice President of Events & Outreach at Bescy, a non-profit behavioural science nonprofit.

In this interview, she unpacks complex and interesting concepts ranging from emotional measurement to biophilic design:

HQ: What are the biggest mistakes and false truths that event professionals often make when it comes to human psychology design?

On a strategic level, I see two mistakes: either completely ignoring the psychological angle or assuming that starting from a gut feeling is enough to create a human-centred design. In fact, adopting the event psychology approach means working from a comprehensive system rather than applying one-off solutions as patches – they will not have the desired effect. It also means constantly updating yourself on the latest insights: human behaviour is not set in stone, and the effectiveness of solutions depends on how well you keep up with the latest developments. That is why I advocate for a separate role of the Chief Behavioural Officer on every event team – it is only going to bring outstanding value.

On a tactical level, a poor understanding of human psychology leads to ineffective solutions and, at best, just keeping up with trends rather than truly innovating and facilitating outcomes for both associations’ teams and attendees. For example, one key psychological mechanism is cognitive ease: it means people are more likely to act when the action is simple. Yet, for years, we have seen registration forms that take forever to complete, confusing instructions or signage at venues, complex language, and slides overloaded with text during presentations. All of these are basic mistakes, rooted in a lack of awareness about human psychology. As a result, they affect the experience and make it harder to get the results you want. On the flip side, understanding cognitive ease helps event organisers spot the bottlenecks in the attendee journey and remove them ahead of time, so people can make decisions in favour of your event without unnecessary friction.
 

Can we say that the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a pandemic of behavioural disorders? Will there be a high cost to mental health with this new normal in the context of meetings and events?

I actually believe the pandemic has forced event professionals to change their views on how to design events, for the better. That said, the new societal and work norms add a specific toll to a job that has always been stressful. That is why it is so important to look after physical and mental well-being, and to do it intentionally.

Physical health is not exactly a new topic, but I want to emphasise the powerful link between body and mind. Getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and exercising are not just ‘nice to have.’ Research tells us the connection between body and mind is built right into our brain structure: the areas that help us move are closely linked to the areas that help us think and plan, as well as to our automatic functions like blood pressure and heartbeat. That is why people who work out regularly tend to be more positive, and why meditation or breathing exercises help – they calm the body, and in turn, calm the mind.

Social habits are critical to our emotional and mental wellbeing. Studies show humans are wired for connection, and low social connectedness has a negative impact on daily life, work productivity, and even how long we live. Taking some specific steps to improve your social life habits is absolutely necessary if you want to reduce stress and be happier and more productive.

"I am confident that literally every aspect of event design and marketing can be viewed through a behavioural lens."

How can event and association organisers unlock the untapped potential of neurodesign for their clients? What is the perceived relationship between networking and participant engagement when implementing different types of environments?

The link between behaviour and the built environment is fascinating. A room layout is not just about making specific seating arrangements or fitting people in – it impacts our cognitive processes, our emotions, and how we network. That is why it is critical to learn more about space factors that can positively impact people at events. Some questions to ask:

• How many natural elements are there in the space (or can be added)? Biophilic design makes people feel more relaxed and less anxious.
• Does the room have a high or low ceiling? It can infl uence how comfortable people feel in the room and even aff ect their style of thinking.
• What is the temperature? Warm temperatures (75–77°F, 24–25°C) increase feelings of social closeness, making people more likely to go along with others.
   

How can we move from an isolated variable to a holistic emotional framework? How can event professionals measure the emotions of an audience without falling into abstraction?

We are only now beginning to realise the importance of intangible metrics such as emotions, which are a very complex subject. Current technological advances allow us to understand them better and be more precise; however, leading neuroscientists warn that we cannot achieve 100% reliable measurements due to the great variations between cultures, races and individual differences. I believe that a combination of hard data and soft metrics is the best and, as a starting point for a holistic framework, I suggest a few points:

• Asking yourself questions like ‘What emotional environment are we trying to create?’ and ‘What do we want our attendees to feel?’ as early in the design process as possible.
• Adding emotion-related questions to traditional surveys. Have you ever asked your attendees on a post-event survey, “What made you feel surprised/anxious/delighted?”
• Adding observation to the mix of evaluation methods that is still underestimated in the industry. We are obsessed with data and feedback, but asking delegates questions is enough only if we assume people are rational and make perfectly logical decisions. Watching what people actually do, on the other hand, will bring you one step closer to fixing your event issues and discovering innovative solutions.
• Mixing surveys with observation and tech-based insights to gain true insights.
   

"When you add solutions based on human psychology to the mix, you come up with very interesting and often low-cost ideas."

How can event segmentation, personalisation, and creativity bypass cultural nuances to encourage social interaction?

Cultural differences are one of the big factors that impact experiences. I always emphasise cultural diversity as one of the five main types of diversity I talk about, along with demographic diversity, neurodiversity, cognitive and emotional diversity. Understanding and celebrating different cultures does not just mean fulfilling requirements: it builds bridges and creates connections that are essential to the success of an event.

In practice, this manifests itself in various ways, for example:

• Customising your communications and activities with cultural references and considerations in mind;
• Considering cultural norms, holidays or traditions that an international audience should be aware of;
• Looking for innovative ways to respect and showcase cultural diversity. This could mean creating themed breakout sessions that encourage cross-cultural dialogue or designing interactive experiences that celebrate diverse traditions.

That said, I want to point out that, despite our careful attention to the cultural aspect, we should always start with human values and psychological principles in mind – the need to belong, the value of connection, the subconscious desire to follow the path of least cognitive resistance – because these are universal, regardless of culture.
 

Considering that there is a common thread between environmental sustainability and meetings, how can event psychology contribute to a new reflection on sustainable design?

Biophilic design is a fascinating area of knowledge that can instantly transform your event space and also contribute to sustainability goals. From a brain science perspective, biophilic design elements such as natural light, greenery, colour and fresh air are proven to promote physical, emotional and intellectual wellness, reduce stress and spark creativity.

To address sustainability challenges from an event psychology standpoint, we have to tap into the motivations and perceptions that make people naturally lean toward ecofriendly choices. For example, when we incorporate biophilic elements into our design, we are not only making the space pretty, but also appealing to the core psychological drives of comfort and well-being. By utilising nudges based on social proof or default bias, we can subtly encourage attendees to adopt sustainable actions. It is also important to think about how to maintain attendees’ eco-friendly behaviours even after the event ends. This should be part of any event strategy.
 

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