Why people don’t remember channels. They remember experiences
Author: Rozi Pearson, Head of Digital
There was a time when internal events sat comfortably in the "nice-to-have" category.
A company conference. Recognition awards. A leadership roadshow. An annual town hall. Valuable, but often viewed as standalone moments rather than as strategic business tools.
That thinking is increasingly outdated.
“When employees are scattered across offices, homes, client sites and frontline locations, organisations are facing a big connection challenge,” says Sequel’s Head of Digital Rozi Pearson. “We’re more digitally connected than ever, yet many employees are feeling less personally connected to the organisation and its strategy, especially in uncertain times.”
That’s why we’re seeing a growing resurgence in the importance of face-to-face internal events. According to Cvent’s Internal Meetings Impact Report, 78% of business leaders say face-to-face meetings are either “absolutely necessary” or “very important” to their organisation, while 95% believe impactful internal meetings drive culture, engagement and productivity.
“That’s a remarkable statistic when you consider how much effort and investment has gone into digital workplace technology over the last five years. So even though ‘digital’ is woven into Sequel’s DNA, it’s clear that technology isn’treplacing the need for real human connection. If anything, it’s made it more important,” adds Rozi.
“Sequel built its JuICe events app as a platform designed around a simple belief: employees should feel informed, involved and valued – not just invited.”
Rozi Pearson, Head of Digital
Internal communicators have always understood that engagement isn’t created by pushing information at people.
It happens when employees feel seen. Heard. Included.
The challenge is that many internal events still resemble traditional broadcasts. Leaders talk. Employees listen. A handful of questions are squeezed in at the end. Information is shared, but connection is often left to chance.
“The most successful organisations are approaching internal events differently. They’re designing experiences rather than presentations; creating opportunities for conversation, participation and feedback. They’re recognising that employees don’t want to simply consume information; they want to contribute to it.
“Because the real value of an internal event isn’t attendance. It’s involvement.”
And this matters because employee engagement continues to be a challenge globally.
Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace research found that only 20% of employees worldwide are engaged at work and for internal communicators, that means that every touchpoint matters. Every leadership interaction matters. Every opportunity to reinforce culture matters.
“It helps every employee feel informed, involved and valued – not just invited to an event,”
Rozi Pearson, Head of Digital
Internal events are becoming one of the few moments when organisations have employees’ undivided attention.
“That’s why the conversation shouldn’t be about how many people attended an event. It should be about what they experienced. Did they participate? Did they connect? Did they learn something useful? And what does the measurement say – did the organisation learn something in return?
“Leaders and HR want evidence that events are strengthening culture. Communication teams want to know which messages resonate, which formats work and where improvements can be made,” said Rozi.
From talking to clients about their challenges, Sequel built its JuICe events app as a platform designed around a simple belief: employees should feel informed, involved and valued – not just invited.
The secure app can be used for multiple events. It combines personalised communications, real-time interaction and seamless event management in a single place and experience.
Most importantly, it helps organisations understand not just who attended, but how people engaged.
Because that’s where the real value lies.
Want to know how our events app helped clients like Nationwide boost event engagement? Contact us for a quick chat or demo. hello@sequelgroup.co.uk
Anastasia Sichkarenko
