Why great events can leave bad memories?
Great program and networking can prove worthless if the last 10 minutes of your event are chaotic. Discover the peak-end effect.
It was great… until the moment when…
Imagine an attendee at your recent event. Throughout the day, they listened to inspiring presentations, made valuable connections during networking, praised the catering quality. They're leaving satisfied… until they approach the reception desk, which is completely empty. They don't know where to return their translation headset, there's no one to ask about their certificate.
Sounds familiar? It's often these last 10 minutes that determine whether your event will be remembered as a success or disappointment. Even a perfectly organized event can be "ruined" by a chaotic ending.
How does memory psychology and the peak-end effect work?
Scientists have discovered a fascinating mechanism of human memory. We don't remember events as a whole – our memory focuses on two key moments: the emotional peak and the ending. This phenomenon is called the "peak-end effect" or "peak-end rule."
What does this mean in practice? Even one negative experience at the end can completely "overshadow" earlier positives. An attendee who had great impressions for 8 hours, but spent the last 15 minutes in frustrating attempts to receive their certificate, will remember the event as problematic.
It's even worse when an event ends without proper closure. The lack of clear ending leaves attendees with psychological incompleteness – a feeling that something was left unfinished. But this same mechanism can work in your favor if you consciously ensure a positive ending.
Where do problems most commonly appear at the end of events?
After years of observing the event industry, we can identify several "hot spots" where problems most frequently occur, ruining final impressions:
Chaos during document and material collection. Attendees don't know where to collect their participation certificates, attestations, or gifts. Queues, lack of information, disappearing staff – it's a recipe for frustration.
Information void. "Will presentation materials be available?", "When will I receive the recordings?", "What else do I need to do?" – these are questions that organizers often leave unanswered. Attendees leave with a sense of uncertainty.
Disappearing staff. During the event, the team is everywhere, but when an attendee has a question while leaving, suddenly no one is around. This is the moment when the sense of care and professionalism collapses.
Post-event silence. No communication whatsoever after the event ends. No thank you, no follow-up, no signal that the contact was valuable. Attendees feel like they were "used" only for the duration of the event.
How to ensure the last, most important impression?
Good news: conscious management of the event's ending doesn't require huge investments, but can significantly improve its reception.
Communicate clearly and in advance. Already during the event, inform attendees how the ending will look: "In 15 minutes we'll begin the summary. You'll be able to collect certificates at reception, and we'll send materials by email tomorrow by noon."
Ensure a "soft landing." Instead of a sudden "goodbye," guide attendees into the closing phase: "Thank you for being with us. This isn't the end yet – in a moment you'll receive all practical information from us."
Provide support until the very end. Assign team members who will be available for at least 30 minutes after the official ending. A smile and helping hand at the last moment is an investment that pays dividends for months.
Apply quick follow-up. Don't wait a week. Share thanks and basic materials within 24 hours. This shows that contact with attendees is your priority.
How can technology support final impressions?
Modern event registration systems can automatically handle many aspects of "soft event closure." Automatic material distribution eliminates the need to remember this task in post-event chaos.
Personalized thank-you messages that consider specific sessions or workshops each guest attended show that every attendee is treated individually, not en masse.
The system can also prepare a summary of each attendee's journey – information about which parts of the event they participated in, what they selected, where they registered. This data allows for better understanding of each guest's experience and more targeted post-event communication.
The event ends… when the attendee feels it does
Remember: Your event doesn't end when the last projector turns off or the last coffee is cleaned up. It ends only when the attendee feels complete closure of their experience.
Sometimes one sincere "thank you" said with a smile and clear instructions for next steps is enough for the whole experience to be remembered not just as good, but as excellent. Investment in the last 15 minutes of an event can determine whether an attendee returns next year and whether they recommend you to their contacts.
Remember: in the event industry, the last impression is often the first one that comes to mind when someone recalls your event.
About the author
Joanna Chrościechowska
Managing Partner at CONREGO. She specializes in educating event organizers and improving communication with participants. She writes about how to simplify the work of event managers and create processes that enhance attendee satisfaction and the overall effectiveness of event operations.