How meetings can beat the loneliness epidemic
In my first full year as a member of the meetings and events industry, I’ve had the immense privilege of attending numerous events, conferences and trade shows. Throughout this experience, I’ve discovered great feelings of connection, excitement and inspiration; and, at times, I have also almost never felt lonelier.
I’m 24 years old, which makes me part of a demographic—young adults aged 18 to 25, or to 30 in some studies—that report the highest rates of loneliness, and today’s young adults report higher levels of loneliness than any previous generation. A 2024 study by the American Psychiatric Association found that about 30% of respondents aged 18 to 34 said they feel lonely every day or several times per week.
Young adults aren’t the only demographic affected. The overall population reports higher levels of loneliness than ever before. Demographic groups including lower-income adults, individuals from ethnic and racial minority groups, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals suffering from chronic health issues and parents all report higher rates of loneliness than the general population.
In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory calling loneliness, isolation and lack of connection a public health crisis. The introduction to the advisory states, “While social connection is often considered an individual challenge, this advisory explores and explains the cultural, community and societal dynamics that drive connection and disconnection.” That is, while a person’s level of social connection and feelings of loneliness may feel individual, a wide range of factors contribute to it—including the environment of their meeting.
A central, celebrated source of inspiration for meetings and events professionals is the oft cited “bringing people together.” As the industry increasingly recognizes the importance of accessibility, community engagement and audience participation, the goal is to contribute to stronger feelings of connection and, alongside it, reduced feelings of loneliness among attendees.
What’s at Stake?
Assessing the “Loneliness Epidemic”
The U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory, titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” explains that research typically measures social isolation and loneliness as separate categories. Social isolation is defined as “objectively having few social relationships, social roles, group memberships and infrequent social interaction,” while loneliness, according to the CDC, is “the feeling that you do not have meaningful or close relationships, or a sense of belonging.”
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According to multiple sources cited in the advisory, both loneliness and social isolation are associated with numerous health risks, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke and higher risk for health conditions from anxiety, depression and dementia to potential increased susceptibility to viruses and respiratory illnesses.
A 2022 Cigna study reported that only 39% of U.S. adults stated they felt very connected to others, while approximately half report feeling lonely nearly every day or every day.
Another study, published in 2023, found that time spent alone has increased from 285 minutes per day to 333 minutes per day—an increase of 24 hours per month. The number of close friendships has declined as well: nearly 90% of people who do not report loneliness or social isolation have three or more close friends; in 1990, 27% of Americans reported having three or fewer close friends; by 2021, studies found that this percentage had increased to 49%.
The Role of Covid
The U.S. Surgeon General advisory explains, “While social connection had been declining for decades prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the onset of the pandemic, with its lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, was a critical time during which the issue of connection came to the forefront of public consciousness, raising awareness about this critical and ongoing public health concern.”
Studies show that people are less lonely following the pandemic but that loneliness rates remain higher than in previous decades. A February 2023 poll by Gallup found that 17% of respondents reported being lonely “a lot of the day yesterday” compared with 25% of respondents to the same question in March 2021.
Naomi Clare Crellin, founder and CEO of Storycraft Lab, says, “Loneliness, I think, spiked as a result of the enforced remote experience as a part of the pandemic. That was kind of a grand and horrifying social experiment. In spite of the loneliness that comes with remote work, people are still quite reluctant to leave those remote and sometimes removed working environments, because at the end of the day, people have much more comfort there. It enables lifestyle and balance and permits equity and authenticity, in a way, and sometimes in the office, we have a troubled relationship with that.”
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Bringing people together in an event setting today is profoundly different than it was pre-pandemic, which requires us to think about our audiences differently, Crellin explains. When it comes to events, she says, “We have to think about these individuals potentially as folks that are coming together in a shared space for the first time in a little while, and there’s this extra burden in order to meet those needs because with the sense of loneliness comes a heightened sense of anxiety, nervousness or discomfort…It has become absolutely necessary now to think about what we can do to help people get comfortable with that degree of discomfort.”
Covid completely transformed the way we work. More people work remote or hybrid jobs than ever before, and, explains Lisa Belanger, Ph.D., EMBA, founder and CEO of ConsciousWorks Consulting, going to work is an integral pillar of people’s social connections. “It’s one thing if you’re getting your social networks outside of your work hours. It’s another thing if that’s not necessarily the case,” she says. “I think we’re going to see this trend expand as we normalize the virtual workplace. But we also have this ability to just be more mindful, more conscious, about how we design it outside of that. It’s not bad versus good—it’s just that we have to be more diligent, more than we’ve ever had to be before.”
The Impact on Attendees
When a person feels a persistent state of loneliness, it impacts every area of their life; that includes work as well as attending events.
A poll conducted by The Cigna Group details how loneliness impacts people at work. 47% of employees who report they are lonely say they are able to work efficiently, compared to 64% of employees who say they are not lonely. 42% of employees who report themselves as lonely said they are “mentally somewhere else” while at work in the past three months, compared to 18% of employees who say they are not lonely. If this is the case in a person’s day-to-day workplace, it’s likely that professionals who feel lonely experience that same or even greater impact when in a busy event environment.
Crellin explains the impact loneliness can have on event attendees, saying, “When we look at loneliness as a symptom, it is something that directly limits engagement. Around half of us are experiencing some form of loneliness, which means that about half of us are not as engaged as we could be. I really do believe that if we can get people to feel a sense of belonging, it is going to improve engagement and reduce loneliness. These things are tied; there is a symbiotic relationship between belonging, engagement and learning.”
Victoria Matey, event psychology advisor and co-founder of Matey Events, says that loneliness shows up among attendees in a variety of ways, “from not participating in activities to feeling physically and emotionally sick. When we feel disconnected, like we do not belong, rejected, we cannot thrive. This has a major impact on our mental wellbeing and may even lead to some physical health issues.”
“When we look at loneliness as a symptom, it is something that directly limits engagement. Around half of us are experiencing some form of loneliness, which means that about half of us are not as engaged as we could be…There is a symbiotic relationship between belonging, engagement and learning.”
– Naomi Clare Crellin
Alternatively, she says, “When people are connected and they feel like they are part of the group, they remember more, they learn better, they are more satisfied with the experience and more likely to come back. There is actually research that looked at the connection between people coming back to an event and whether or not they felt like they were part of the community.”
Will Curran’s #EventProfs Community
Will Curran, the creator of #EventProfs Community, a social platform for event professionals to connect virtually, shares insight into the form of social networking that can help to reduce loneliness and create genuine connection among users. “People are craving the ability to connect online and meet each other, but algorithms are harder and harder to reach people through,” Curran says. “And also, people are craving to be brought together. It means that there’s this opportunity for people to create their own community.”
People can use #EventProfs Community post-event to solidify connections that they’ve made in person. Curran explains that there really isn’t any escaping a world in which social networking exists, but we can actually use it to our advantage. “We know that people meet online and solidify in person. That’s the new way, post-COVID, that people meet with each other,” he says. “If you are running an event, your goal should be to create a channel for your event, even if it’s as simple as showing up and dividing to do a LinkedIn group…create a way that, when you’re at the event, you’re using the community app simultaneously, and then immediately following the event, you’re opening up the community app and having all of those conversations with everyone you met.”
Social networking, when utilized as a tool, can be incredibly beneficial to building and maintaining relationships, coupled with strategic event design. “We know that the number one reason events exist is to bring people together,” says Curran. “It’s probably one of the greatest ways you can do that. Online communities are a great start, but, again, you want to solidify and deepen those relationships and those close friends, and that gets built in person.”
How the Event Environment Can Tackle Loneliness
Loneliness is defined as perception—this means it is not necessarily how we are, as much as it is a state of mind. It is the perceived difference between a person’s desire for social connection and the reality of it. “And,” Belanger says, “This means that you can absolutely be around people, and feel loneliness. You can be alone, and not feel loneliness.”
When we enter new networks, such as when we start a new job, we’re entering networks that already pre-exist. Trying to develop connections with people in those networks when they already have those connections is difficult, especially when those networks are virtual, explains Belanger. A company may bring people together informally or in a conference every quarter, but to create real connections, those gatherings have to be designed thoughtfully, says Belanger. Throwing everyone in a room together with a bar is not enough. “Some facilitation needs to happen, before, during and after.”
Pre-Event
Crellin, Belanger and Matey all state that the pre-event phase is a crucial time to address loneliness among attendees and begin creating impacts to reduce it.
A pre-event survey is a prime place to identify attendee goals, Belanger says, explaining they are ideally as specific as, “We’re coming together, discussing X, Y and Z. This is the purpose of this meeting. What do you want to get out of it?”
Matey says that sessions for first-timers can be incredibly beneficial, especially when it comes to that younger demographic or those who are new. “Use this as a chance for people to actually connect and get to know more about the event so they don’t feel uncertain or anxious about what to expect,” she says. “They can see other people who are also first timers, and they don’t feel so alone. People feel so much more comfortable when they see people who are in the same boat.”
Planners can also reach those attendees who may feel more disconnected by including recognition of this struggle in an opening welcome session, Matey explains. “Start with reminders and actually educating the audience about social biases that we all have [around connecting with others], whether we’re introverts, extroverts, how confident we are. Of course, it depends on how people feel in a specific context, but generally, it influences how we behave. You can basically say, ‘You know what? Everybody’s in the same boat. Everyone feels awkward when they walk into a room full of strangers. So, this is what you can do, or what we suggest, or what you can try, because we created this opportunity for you.’”
Social Media: Friend or Foe?
One of the most commonly cited factors for the increase in loneliness is technology. However, in many cases, we may be too quick point fingers at technology. “We have this misunderstanding that, with the rise of social media, we’ve become lonelier,” Matey says. “When we look at the actual research, it doesn’t have strong evidence for either tendency: some research studies say that social media influences us in a negative way, and we are more disconnected.
Other studies confirm otherwise, finding that people are becoming more connected due to this global connection and technology that helps us connect. Social media may very well play a role in helping people feel less lonely, but generally, we tend to think that it’s more harmful for us—which is not exactly shown to be true.”
Assessing Your Group’s “Belonging DNA”
Storycraft Lab’s “Wheel of Belonging”—an interactive booth that surveys people on their top three touchpoints [See sidebar: The Belonging Playbook] highlights the importance and nuance of the belonging journey. Crellin says, “Belonging is a journey that begins significantly before people turn up at an event. That pre-event phase is where we can help people get over the awkwardness and anxiety that comes with feeling lonely.”
Different groups respond to different connection activations, what Crellin calls a unique “belonging DNA.” For example, the Wheel of Belonging vertical for tech developers and creators shows that they overwhelmingly report feeling connection through the touchpoints of joyfulness, authenticity and having the space to think differently.
“What’s really lovely then,” she says, “if you have people filling out a Wheel of Belonging activity, you can find out what the unique belonging DNA for your group is. You can find out what they really care about, and that is what then will give you the jump into design.”
How to Event Design for Real Connection
Specific strategies to help attendees genuinely connect vary based on the type of event, particularly the size and structure, so some strategies may be applicable to one type of meeting and not another.
Allow for Accidental Meetings
Considering that different event formats provide different opportunities to create connection, Belanger lays out some general ideas.
The first, and very broadly applicable, is to structure programming accordingly. Many conferences now host activities like yoga classes, for example, to work in that connection piece. Belanger warns, be mindful about these activities. “Who are you including, and who are you excluding? Go back to what people want from [the conference] and understand that people connect in really different ways. Some of the best programming elements are so simple to facilitate.”
One widely inclusive program is simply to create a platform for conversations to take place. The only rule? Don’t talk about work. Instead, she says, get leaders at different tables, each with their own unique conversation topic: cooking, shopping, mountain biking. And if someone finds that they have a topic in mind they don’t see at a table already, invite them to start their own, she says, “If someone is like, ‘I love The Simpsons,’ then they can start a table for conversation about The Simpsons.” People can hop around tables for a one-on-one conversation that helps them genuinely build a connection around something other than work and, as a result, feel more comfortable with one another. “So cheap, so effective,” says Belanger.
Conversations with Purpose
Matey also expresses the importance of intentionally facilitating conversations. When it comes to building lasting bonds, some of the conversations that make the greatest impact reach a deeper personal level. Many people shy away from this out of feeling awkward or uncomfortable. “We do not start such conversations, usually because we have a lot of social biases in our minds that give us the wrong impression about the outcomes. But the research shows, when people actually try it, they like it. They are eager to have those deep conversations.”
One example is replacing a Q and A at the end of a session with inviting people to talk to each other about what they just learned, from their own perspectives and experiences, by sharing personal anecdotes with those seated around them. “That’s how it starts,” says Matey. Establishing rules around such conversations is crucial to protecting boundaries, and even then, some people may still feel uncomfortable, making an experienced moderator a valuable investment.
The Belonging Playbook
One of the activations at IMEX America 2024 in Las Vegas was the limited edition launch of The Belonging Playbook, created through a collaboration between Storycraft Labs and Google Experience Institute (Google Xi), using the Wheel of Belonging and Valuegraphics’ Belonging Index. Essentially, Crellin explains, “It’s this huge qualitative data set of the ways in which people have defined belonging, and we aligned that with our qualitative research using the Wheel of Belonging. As we were looking through that and talking to a lot of people in the industry about how they might interpret or use this data, it became apparent that they really wanted a handbook, a kind of reference guide, to prompt the design thinking process.”
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So, they created one, featuring voices from all throughout the industry and diving into different ways people have defined belonging. Each definition includes inspirational quotes, then practical steps towards application. “It’s almost like a design textbook,” Crellin says. “It’s a way to turbocharge that ideation component of design.” It will be available as a hard copy book for purchase, as well as a free PDF online. The Wheel of Belonging app developed alongside the playbook allows design teams to collect data from the entire group of attendees in order to keep track of the major touchpoints of that group’s “belonging DNA.”
Her vision? “I would love to see this on the conference table of every design studio. For that team to say, ‘Okay, we’ve got a new project. Let’s sit down, learn about our audience and get thoughts about how we might jump into meeting their needs.’”
The Journey from Here
As we continue to address the impact of loneliness in today’s world, and how the events industry can help to reduce it, there are a few ways we can go even further.
Matey says, that currently, “We tend to address positive emotions only, and tend to forget that positive emotions are not the only thing we’re made of. We might be inspired, we might be excited, but at the same time, we might feel a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty. And that’s also part of the experience.”
Planners can source speakers, design sessions and curate pre-, during- and post-event communications to address these not-so-fun emotions as well as the good ones. She says, “Integrate things that would show the audience that they’re seen, they’re heard and their negative emotions are addressed—it’s not that you need to remove those negative emotions, it’s just recognizing and acknowledging that. ‘Yes, a lot of people are anxious, so we suggest you do this and that. We’ve got you covered with these solutions.’ I think this is something we should work more on…Recognizing it will help us collectively overcome and be better at the end.”
Give Yourself a Pat on the Back
The fact that you are participating in conversations around topics like this one—the fact that you’re reading this, right now—is an example of just how far we have come. “We’re finally talking more about emotions in events and intangible things, qualitative measurements,” says Matey.
Meetings and events are such powerful conduits for connection. “It’s literally the adult version of summer camp,” Belanger says. “If you’ve gone to a sleepaway camp, you remember those connections you had there. [Meetings and events] can be a version that, if done thoughtfully.”
Teambuilding with Intention
Teambuilding is one of the best ways to break down some walls and get a group feeling more connected to one another than they were before; the question is, what does this teambuilding look like?
The Reach Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton, recently debuted a range of unique onsite bonding experiences geared towards teambuilding. Immersive aspects infuse the energy of Key West into the activity, leaving attendees with a distinct, memorable experiences that they shared with their colleagues. Allison Diange, senior sales manager at the property, shared some examples of these activities, and how they help groups achieve that genuine connection that is so essential for meetings to create positive impact in attendees’ lives.
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“I think teambuilding now is more important than ever, post-COVID, because so many of our attendees are either remote or hybrid-based,” says Diange. “That opportunity to speak to each other around the water cooler doesn’t exist anymore. So, we are creating ‘water cooler’ experiences where your team is finally getting to hang out with each other again.”
Some of these experiences are about solving a challenge together—getting attendees to work as part of a team to accomplish a common goal, so they gain very valuable skills hidden behind a layer of fun—such as the sand sculpture workshop, offered through a local partner, Just Sand and Water, led by professional sand sculptor Marianne van den Broek. In this activity, participants break into teams and, with guidance, create their own sand sculpture with provided tools. Diange remembers, “I’ve had the privilege of doing one, and let me tell you, I have zero artistic ability in my bones. And what came out of me, I don’t know how it happened, but it was a work of art.”
Other activities incorporate service and opportunities to give back to the local community, which, according to the surgeon general’s loneliness advisory, has a major impact on reducing loneliness.
In an era where only 16% of Americans report feeling “very attached” to their community, research also shows that those who engage in service report that they feel more connected to their community. By incorporating a service activity into a meeting, planners can both encourage greater feelings of connection between their attendees and increase the connection that attendees feel to the community of their workplace, industry or the community of the destination they visit.
One such activity is offered through another local partner, Southernmost Scavenger Hunt. Beyond an opportunity to explore the island off the beaten path, participants once again take part in an activity that encourages teamwork. Recently, Diange says, Southernmost Scavenger Hunt incorporated a community give-back aspect they termed “Build a Backpack.” Teams started out the scavenger hunt with an empty backpack, and were then given clues to find items to fill it. After collecting all the items, groups would rush back to the property—that competition element can be incredibly engaging for certain groups as well—and all teams would then donate the backpack to a local charity that specializes in family services.
Some challenges planners might face to incorporating meaningful team-building that creates connection into their events is simple lack of time, or funds. They can look to partners, such as the hotel or venue, to see what their options are for their budget and schedule, because more often than not, there are a range of activities at different price points and activities that are more or less time consuming. At The Reach, if a meeting schedule doesn’t allow time to hop aboard a bus and go for an offsite, the hotel can coordinate with its local partners to bring an activity to the hotel for attendees to experience.
Through all of these activities, says Diange, “We’re building team cohesion. It’s networking. And with each of these, you, as a team, have to come up with ways to meet challenges. So, it’s problem solving, and thinking together, and getting together as one unit, instead of being separate entities.”
A shortened version of this article appears in the November 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
