2024 Meetings & Events Resource Guide

Meeting Planning

2024 Meetings & Events Resource Guide

Our annual resource guide connects businesspeople to event professionals who deliver a wide range of experiences.

February 12, 2024

Following years of disruption, “refinement” is how Kalsey Beach describes the events industry now. “I feel 2023 was bringing the process back, and now we’re refining our process,” says Beach, the founder of Do Good Events.

The St. Louis Park-based company hosted 85 live, in-person events in 2023, with nearly 30,000 total attendees. And Beach looks to continue that pace in 2024.

In corporate events, it’s easy to fall into conventional methods: networking, a speaker, and some drinks. But Beach has started to notice a shift in what guests want and how companies leverage their events to make an impact.

“Let’s give people an experience they couldn’t have [anywhere else],” she says. “People are so protective of their time; it’s about making it worthwhile.”

Coen + Partners conference room — The conference room of architecture and design practice Coen + Partners, with tech solutions by Lelch

Hors d'oeuvres by Black Woods Group Catering — Hors d’oeuvres by Black Woods Group Catering

Curling at Forgotten Star Brewing Co. in Fridley

Twin Cities Premium Outlets is a draw in Eagan

Do Good Events organized the Minnesota Zoo Foundation's annual Beastly Bash in 2022 — Do Good Events organized the Minnesota Zoo Foundation’s annual Beastly Bash in 2022

Instead of an hour-long keynote, Beach suggests a 20-minute keynote followed by an engagement session. “We’re seeing a lot of our corporate events having the educational content but giving people a lot of time for interacting and to take action.”

Attendees are also looking for that extra spark or surprise—an event that can leave them with something to talk about the next day and a reason to return the next year. For example, Do Good hosted an event where organizers skipped the standard coffee station and instead took the time to gather everyone’s coffee order. The guests were then greeted at their seats with their favorite beverage. It’s thinking about everybody ahead of time, Beach says.

That kind of attention to detail is top of mind for event planners. That includes sustainability, newer technologies, and accessibility for guests. “We continue to crave that sense of community, but are also looking for that novelty to be surprised and delighted—to be able to just take that experience and depth to another level.”

Click here to view the 2024 Meetings and Events Resource Guide listings.