Cool isn’t about spectacle — it’s about the moments worth sharing. Here’s how authenticity and design choices keep audiences coming back. Every show organizer dreams of creating an event that feels “cool” — the kind attendees want to brag about, post about and come back to. But what does “cool” really mean? And how do you measure it?
We asked Ken Holsinger, SVP of Industry Research & Insights at Freeman, and Sara Fellows, senior director of social media at mdg, to share their perspectives. Together, they unpack how authenticity, story and design choices translate into measurable outcomes like higher retention and stronger word of mouth.
When audiences call an event ‘cool,’ what do they actually mean?
Ken: I’d frame it this way: Older generations were “how high” people. If you asked them to jump, they just did it. Younger audiences are “why” people — they want to know the reason behind every element. They grew up in a world of personalized social feeds and algorithms that serve them exactly what they’re looking for, so they expect events to work the same way. If you can explain why something matters to them and leave room for their own choices, they’ll lean in. Our research shows that overprogramming is the No. 1 complaint among younger attendees — what looks like “value” to a boomer often feels overwhelming to Gen Z.
Sara: “Cool” isn’t universal. What’s cool to Gen Z may not be cool to a Gen Xer. The mistake I see is organizers planning for what they think is cool without bringing younger audiences into the process. That’s why you see initiatives flop — they weren’t designed with real attendee input. When you ask Gen Z what resonates, the answers are usually simple: give me choice, make it personal and don’t overwhelm me. If they feel heard, they’re more likely to share and stay engaged.
A lot of organizers say they want to create cool moments, but younger generations keep asking for authenticity. How do the two connect?
Ken: If cool is about creating moments people want to talk about, then authenticity is what makes those moments stick. I look at authenticity as meeting or exceeding expectations. If you set it up right and deliver, trust is the outcome. And we can measure that. Right now, only about 30% of first-time attendees return. But if they make just one meaningful new connection, return intent jumps to 51%. If they report one memorable moment, retention spikes to 81%. That’s why we say authenticity isn’t abstract — it’s tied to outcomes.
Sara: To me, authenticity is about story and fit. A great example of this is SUPERZOO, which staged in August. The show leaned into what makes the pet retail community unique — joyful, passionate and proud to be part of something bigger. That positioning came through in everything from the content to the branding, and it gave attendees a story they wanted to tell.
As a result, they shared why they love their community across Instagram before, during and after the show. In fact, there were 1,519 posts mentioning SUPERZOO the week of the show, driving $3.6M in earned media value and average daily engagement of 53,260. That’s what authenticity looks like in action — your audience choosing to amplify your story because it feels real to them.
If you had to redesign an event to make it ‘cool,’ where would you start?
Ken: I’d start by cutting. Events are often 20–30% overprogrammed. By creating white space, you give people room to discover, connect and actually process. Then layer in intent paths. Some people come to learn, some to network, some to shop. If you can recognize that and guide them differently, you’ll hit the right notes for each. One of the most powerful shifts I’ve seen is shows that stop trying to impress with “more” and instead design for meaningful collisions. That’s where cool — and ROI — lives.
Budgets are tight. What are high-impact, low-cost moves that actually feel cool?
Sara: I’d start with helping attendees “find their people.” That’s what gets them posting, retelling and coming back. And it doesn’t take much — topic tables with prompts, micro-meetups or even creator-friendly zones. At one event, a $15 sign-up tool and table tents turned unused lunch space into 19,000+ self-organized meetups — cool because it felt natural, not flashy.
The Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) is another good example. The CEO kicked things off with a video of him and a veterinarian traveling through the Everglades, then “arrived” back onstage to close the show. Snippets of that journey reappeared throughout the event — even during the keynote with Terri and Robert Irwin. It was playful, almost like a running inside joke for everyone who was there, and that throughline is what made it cool. Not because it was expensive or over the top, but because it gave attendees a story to follow — and the anticipation of wondering where it would show up next kept them engaged all week.
In one sentence, what makes an event cool and worth coming back to?
Sara: If attendees go home itching to tell someone the story of where they just were, you’ve nailed it.
Ken: Cool is creating room for people to connect and have memorable moments — and then delivering on the expectations you set.
Bottom line: You don’t buy cool — you design for it. Leave room, align to intent, meet expectations, and you’ll create the kind of moments people remember (and return for).
Bonus! Make-It-Cool Checklist
KEEP (what works):
- Segment by intent (learn/connect/discover) and map paths accordingly.
- Leverage peer and creator voices to carry your story.
CUT (what blunts cool):
- Overprogramming — aim to remove 20–30% to create oxygen.
- Long queues and single-point bottlenecks (central buffets, one entrance, one lounge).
- Generic initiatives that don’t fit the community’s culture.
CREATE (what triggers return):
- Collision spaces (topic tables, creator zones, hobby corners).
- A recurring narrative thread from open to close.
- Moment metrics: Track “memorable moment” and “meaningful new connection” alongside overall satisfaction.
- Explain the why on every ask (forms, signs, surveys).
