Creating unforgettable event experiences requires a blend of creativity and strategy, but where do fresh ideas come from? In this week's edition, we're diving into the art and science of ideation. From understanding how iconic creators like Walt Disney adapted existing concepts to brainstorming techniques that can ignite your imagination, we’ll explore proven methods to curate engaging and innovative events. Whether you're looking to reinvent familiar formats or break free from mental blocks, these insights will equip you to stand out in a competitive industry.

Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here as a charter subscriber.

The pressure to come up with ideas can be overwhelming. No sooner have you put an event to bed, you’re asked to create a new series of events. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a series of hosted lunches, or a hackathon, the constant content creation seems to be a requisite of the workplace these days. The demand for ‘something new’ is endless and you recognize that without flagging yourself as someone who stands out different to the rest, you're going to sink among all the other "me too" product creators.

Can you create a mental spark of new ideas as simply as you see a spark when you touch two wires together? The answer is you can.

The first thing you need to do is quit thinking of ideas as things that just happen. You've heard of brainstorming, right? That's a situation where people decide to cognitively generate ideas. They make the decision that they will create ideas within a timeframe not that they will sit around the office for days, weeks or months waiting on some mysterious Muse to appear and give them a sign.

How to Effectively Brainstorm for New Event Ideas

First, make a list of all the known facts and assumptions about your event audience, goals, resources, and constraints. Some examples could be:

•  Our audience is primarily young professionals age 25-40

• We have a budget of $50,000 for the event

• The event needs to be 1-2 hours long

• We have 3 months to plan and promote the event

For each fact or assumption, ask "what if..." questions to challenge them. For example:

• "What if our audience skewed older, like 35-55 year olds?"

• "What if we only had a $20,000 budget?"

• "What if the event needed to be a full-day program?"

• "What if we only had 4 weeks to plan everything?"

Questioning your initial premises can spark new, creative event ideas that you may not have considered.

Look for Opportunities to Streamline

When curating event content, it's tempting to simply add more sessions, activities, and experiences. However, it can be just as valuable to look for ways to simplify or remove elements.

For example, maybe you had planned separate networking receptions for attendees and speakers. But by combining those into one larger mixer, you could free up time and budget to invest in a higher-impact keynote speaker.

Critically examining your event agenda and identifying opportunities to strip away redundant or less essential components can make room for more valuable, memorable experiences.

Experiment with Different Ideation Tools

While mind mapping is a classic brainstorming technique, you may spark new ideas by using alternative tools. Try jotting down event concepts in a spreadsheet, or creating a visual storyboard. The unfamiliar format can stimulate your brain to think in different ways.

You could also conduct "worst-case scenario" planning imagining everything that could go wrong with your event and brainstorming creative solutions. This can uncover hidden challenges and alternate approaches you hadn't considered.

The key is to regularly shake up your ideation process to avoid getting stuck in the same mental patterns. Trying new techniques can lead to more diverse, innovative event ideas.

The Truth About Being Creative

Ever wonder where Walt Disney got all his amazing ideas?

Here's something that might surprise you. Disney became famous for his wonderful stories that packed movie theaters, made millions of people happy, and yes, made him quite rich too.

But here's the twist - they weren't actually his original stories.

Getting Creative with Existing Ideas

Remember Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? Cinderella? Disney took these children's stories compiled by the Grimm Brothers way back in the 1800s and gave them new life for modern audiences. Ever heard someone say "There's nothing new under the Sun?"

When you try too hard to create something completely new from scratch, it feels forced - like trying to pull a rabbit out of an empty hat. Instead, try looking at ideas that already work. Think about how you could make them better for people with less money or time, or reach people who haven't discovered how helpful these ideas could be.

For example, maybe you've seen those fancy wine-tasting events that cost hundreds per ticket. Why not adapt this format for a coffee-tasting event at a third of the price? Same concept - learning about flavors, meeting experts, and networking - but more accessible for young professionals.

Or take the popular TED Talk format: instead of a full-day conference, you could run 90-minute "Lunch & Learn" sessions with three short talks and a grab-and-go meal. Same inspiring content, but packaged for busy people who can't take a whole day off work.

Building on What Works

Think this is copying? Look at TV shows like Sherlock on BBC or Elementary on CBS. They're both based on the old Sherlock Holmes stories. They kept most of the original names and even some of the original plots. But by setting these stories in modern times, they created something fresh that people love to watch. And here's the clever part: because viewers already knew and trusted the Sherlock Holmes concept, they were more willing to give these new versions a chance. People naturally gravitate toward things that feel both fresh and familiar - it's like trying a new restaurant that serves comfort food with a twist.

When we come up with new ideas, it's usually because we've connected two things in a way nobody thought of before.

Making New Connections

Steve Jobs once said something really smart about this: creativity is just connecting things. He noticed that creative people sometimes feel bad because they think they're just spotting connections between existing ideas, while others don't see these links.

He was right. Think about some of the most successful event formats in recent years. Someone looked at speed dating and business networking and thought, "What if we applied the quick-rotation format to business meetings?" Now speed networking is a standard part of many conferences. Another planner combined the escape room trend with team-building exercises, creating corporate problem-solving events that are both fun and practical. Even the hugely popular "silent disco" concept came from connecting two seemingly opposite ideas - dancing at a party and wearing headphones in private.

These event planners weren't inventing completely new concepts. They were just better at spotting interesting connections between existing ideas. That's real creativity - seeing possibilities that others miss by connecting dots in unexpected ways.

Giving Ideas Room to Grow

There's one thing you really need when coming up with ideas: a safe space to explore them. New ideas are fragile things. We often worry about what others might think, so we keep our ideas to ourselves in case people think they're silly or that we're not smart enough. But hiding our ideas actually shows we're not being smart - because ideas need room to grow.

Here's an example: Imagine suggesting a "reverse career fair" where companies set up booths to pitch themselves to talented candidates, instead of the other way around. Someone might laugh and say "That's ridiculous - companies don't need to sell themselves!" But if you give up on that idea too quickly, you'll miss seeing how perfect it could be in today's competitive hiring market, where top talent has plenty of choices. Some of the most successful recruitment events now use exactly this format, but someone had to be brave enough to stick with what seemed like a "silly" idea at first.

Next time you need a new idea, try mixing and matching things that already exist - and don't worry about what your inner critic has to say about it.

Ready to dive into exclusive content? Don't miss out! Click here to become a free subscriber today.