Why innovation needs emotion to be really satisfying.

Adding value to audiences should supersede getting wooed by the newest shiny tech, says Grant Ireland, Head of Digital at Stagestruck.

Each month brings with it a new shiny piece of innovation set to disrupt the global events industry. But sometimes there’s a risk of getting sucked into the hype at the expense of genuine added value for audiences. So, what’s a better approach?

When the iPad first launched in 2010, everyone wanted a piece of the action at their next event. They wanted presentations distributed to each attendee, real-time feedback surveys and interactive Q&As all shared via a 9.7-inch touchscreen. Much the same happened when VR first made its way into the industry, with companies shelling out huge sums on immersive experiences. And then came virtual presenters, speakers broadcast onto stages as hi-tech holograms.

The right technology, used in the right way, can help deliver exceptional outcomes. But it has to make people feel something. The trouble was, in each case, organisations didn’t necessarily know how or why they wanted to use the technology. Everybody else was doing it, so they wanted to as well. The consequence was audiences staring down at screens rather than connecting with one another, lacklustre VR experiences that fell flat, and great speakers who missed the chance to truly engage in the moment.

In other words, there was a tonne of enthusiasm for integrating the latest tech but often without asking the fundamental question: how will this make the experience more meaningful? Not just smoother, flashier or more efficient, but more powerful, more moving, more memorable. Innovation without emotion doesn’t last — and it’s the emotional dimension that turns fleeting novelty into lasting impact.

At Stagestruck, we’re passionate about innovation and we’re always exploring how it can elevate the experiences we deliver. The right technology, when guided by purpose and empathy, can genuinely transform an event. It can help brands transcend distance and bring together a global audience. It can automate the ordinary to free up space for the extraordinary. And it can absolutely add that wow factor — but only when the wow means something to the people in the room.

Yes, let’s push boundaries. But let’s make sure the boundaries we’re pushing take us somewhere deeper. Closer to what makes us human. The storytelling. The spectacle. The spontaneous laughter. The spark of inspiration. The thrill of being seen, understood, or moved to take action. The best experiences don’t just impress — they move people.

Audiences won’t thank you for investing in the latest shiny thing unless it delivers something they actually care about. And increasingly, audiences are tuning out when experiences feel hollow or overloaded with tech for the sake of it. That’s why we’re seeing more interest in unplugged events and digital detox zones. People are craving realness. They want freedom from screens, but more than that, they want to feel something real. People are craving realness — not just interaction, but connection.

That’s why we always start with the question: how will this technology enhance the feeling of the experience? What do we want people to take away, not just intellectually but emotionally? We start by asking: what do we want people to feel? That question unlocks everything else — from format and content to platform and production.