Tech Partnerships ‘Power Personalised Event Experiences’

Deeper tech partnerships are creating more meaningful customer experiences across major US exhibitions, according to an industry leader.

Narisa Wild, Chief Digital Officer at Clarion Events North America, said her team is pursuing a path of close collaboration with vendors to drive better outcomes for attendees, exhibitors and sponsors.

The organizer aims to form closer ties with a smaller number of key partners – focusing on joint problem-solving, data sharing and building features that truly enhance the customer journey.

Narisa said: “We’re highly focused on how we collaborate with our technology partners. Rather than working with a large number across North America, we aim to build deeper relationships with fewer key players.”

As part of this strategy, Clarion has started providing partners with behavioural data that reveals how tools are being used in real time.

The organizer has brought vendors into collaborative workshops to analyse the experience from the customer’s perspective. These sessions are built around practical questions like: “What are the pain points for exhibitors? Where do attendees get stuck?”

One success story has come from second-screen functionality. The in-app experience allows users to engage with session summaries and live content without being physically present in every room – something that has boosted satisfaction on site.

Narisa said: “Our second-screen experiences have added significant value both during and after the show. At the same time, the vendor behind this tech has seen increased adoption and usability improvements. It’s a win-win.”

She added: “By sharing this data, our partners gain a clearer understanding of their products and how they can improve them. 

“It enhances the journey and creates mutual benefits for both sides.”

Narisa set out how Clarion wants its visitors to leave its shows feeling empowered – not just informed.

Today’s events can be inspiring, but also exhausting. She believes organisers have a role to play in shifting that balance.

Narisa said: “How do we make it so it’s not overwhelming? Is it meaningful? Is it efficient? When they go back to the office, do they feel like they’ve actually got what they need to succeed?”

“You leave a show and you might feel happy or inspired, but you can also feel drained. 

“We’re trying to transform that feeling with tech that simplifies and supports.”

The rise of artificial intelligence

These platform integrations have become even more important as AI transforms how people discover and engage with information online.

Clarion is now treating AI-powered discovery as a primary traffic source, alongside SEO, social and syndication.

Narisa said: “We’re definitely thinking about the role of AI and how it’s impacting search. It’s reshaping the way advertisers measure success. 

“Our content has to be even better – trusted, relevant and consistently reliable.”

It was highlighted how relevance is now central to digital strategy – content must signal authority not just to people, but to machines.

She added: “Now for your authority scores to improve, you have to consider AI search in the same way you do traditional organic or social.”

Beyond the click

Clarion’s metrics for success are evolving to match this shift, turning its focus away from high-volume web traffic or downloads.

The organiser tracks how audiences move across digital touchpoints, analysing the interactions that build trust and signal long-term loyalty. This mirrors a broader trend across the global events sector. 

Narisa said: “Traffic isn’t the only measure anymore. We’re looking at how people convert and how they interact with what we give them. 

“Are they subscribing? Personalising? Sharing content? That’s what matters.

“Whether it’s AI search, SEO, social or partnerships – they’re all different streams of traffic. We’re asking: which of these actually drive engagement?”

Building trust through data

That same thinking is now being applied to registration with Clarion moving toward a more transparent exchange, where visitors can see how their data improves the experience they get.

Trust is central to this process. According to Cisco’s 2024 Data Privacy Benchmark Study, 94% of consumers won’t buy from brands they don’t trust with their data.

Although this is a B2C figure, it shouldn’t be too far away from our B2B industry.

Narisa said: “We’re looking critically at registration. Do we really need to ask all these questions? Or would it be better to understand what the customer actually wants us to know to create a strong experience?”

“If you give us three points of information about yourself,” she said: “we can show you how it helps build your schedule. That might actually convince someone to complete the sign-up.”

She added: “Transparency is becoming very important to us. We’re more open about what we do with the data and how it benefits the attendee.”

An app with purpose

Another area of focus is driving app adoption – but not through promotion alone. The goal is to show clear value.

At many of Clarion’s major exhibitions, app usage is exceeding 80–90%.

That success comes from specific enhancements – such as second-screen tools and AI-driven summaries – that allow participants to engage with more content in less time.

Narisa said: “We’ve worked really hard to move attendees away from thinking of the mobile app as just a schedule. It’s now something that makes the entire show experience better, more efficient and less stressful.”

She added: “We’ve introduced AI tools that summarise sessions they can’t attend.

“That’s helping with both the value proposition and the experience overall.”

Looking to the future

Clarion’s transformation strategy is rooted in personalisation, performance signals and trust. It’s designed to meet people where they are and help them get where they’re going faster.

The next step for Clarion is encouraging more collaboration among vendors themselves.

Narisa said: “I actively encourage our partners to work together. The more aligned they are, the more value they can deliver to the audience.

“We’re still a work in progress. But we’re building experiences that actually serve the individual. That’s where the future is.”

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