In-the-flesh events and exhibitions feel more important than ever in what appears (to this grizzled creative, at least) to be an increasingly AI-enabled world of polite, grammatical, but disappointingly vanilla communication. A long sentence, I know. (ChatGPT prefers bullet lists…)

No soft focus or filters

There is no faking a genuine smile, a hearty laugh, or an empathetic nod under the harsh reality of 5000K lights. And doesn't it feel great?

Doesn't human connection – positive or negative – also feel right?

My professional life recently came full circle with Pharmapack 2026 in Paris – an event I first attended 15 years earlier (that 10th anniversary iteration was held at the Grande Halle de la Villette, if you're interested).

All credit due to Informa; the exhibition space was buzzing. Relationships being initiated. Bonds being formed. Deals all but being struck. Humans being.

Turns out that seeing the whites of someone's eyes to get a proper “read” helps build rapport and trust quickly – and in a special way. The need is hardwired into the great majority of us; the deep root of Masahiro Mori’s “uncanny valley” perhaps.

To paraphrase my partner's words from the last issue of (Hi)™: I love you, conferences and tradeshows! Long may live events continue – assuming sustainability is acknowledged and accounted for.

The cloud around the golden lining

There are three main hitches with most events:

1. The Ephemeral Nature (only fleetingly fabulous and sometimes too quickly forgotten)

2. The Nebulous Impact (it's tough to quantify true ROI no matter how many QR codes you scan)

3. The Cost. (My god, the cost).

We can't do much about number 3. But can we extract more value, while simultaneously addressing 1 and 2?

I believe so. And though the content program will be different for every company – driven by near-term goals and/or high-level ambitions – the opportunity is there for all.

But that's enough from me.

As event season gets into full swing, I'd love to know how you extract maximum bang for buck. How do you prepare? How do you leave a great and lasting impression? And what does success look like – either on a spreadsheet or in a gut feeling?

Hit reply to share your viewpoint.

Rich Whitworth

Rich Whitworth is Founding Partner & Creative Director at Mondo Create.

Human intelligence (Hi) is a series of thoughts, talks, essays and events for the changing world of life science marketing and communication.

It is shared only when there is something interesting to say.