I first heard this phrase on stage at ECEF, a US-based exhibition industry event held every May in Washington, DC produced by Lippman Connects. The person sharing the phrase: a college student and intern. The second time was an article shortly thereafter in a New York Times article about World Cup. The third was in a blog by an angel investor and entrepreneur I follow.

So, what is it?

As Club Ichi (#4 if you’re keeping count!) said in a recent newsletter, it’s “The sound that engulfs you when 80,000 people gasp at once. The stranger who grabs your arm when a shot goes wide. The moment when the goal goes in and you’re suddenly hugging someone you’ve never met… The specific electricity of being one person inside a much larger feeling.”

According to the New York Times, the term Collective Effervescence was coined by Emile Durkheim, the 19th century founder of sociology as an academic discipline, and describes that electric, unifying feeling generated by a communal experience.

It’s why people go to the ballpark, pitch, stadium, concert venue, place of worship, and events – to be with likeminded others. It’s a lot more fun and, when it’s good, so satisfying. When it’s great, it’s truly memorable. Life changing.

Collective Effervescence is when the sum of the live group experience becomes greater than its parts.

It happened at the first WIE International Summit in Maastricht, Netherlands. The community, event, and bonding were palpable. We knew we were part of something more. If asked to define it, we couldn’t. We just knew.

The World Cup had fan watch parties all over the world – in stadiums, arenas, town squares, bars, pubs, restaurants, parks, and more. People will remember where they were and who they were with when their country’s team scored a goal, won, and lost in June/July 2026.

That’s the kind of emotional experience we should strive to give our communities at our events and expos.

You can feel the excitement and anticipation when an exhibition opens.

• For the entrepreneur or inventor showcasing their new product for the first time to the audience they designed it for
• For the veteran celebrating her 20th year looking forward to catching up with her longtime friends – and making new ones
• For the Gen Zer visiting their first work expo with his boss

The list goes on.

Our live events are so much more than simple commercial transactions.

Scheduling in high moments should be included when designing an expo. Make your exhibitions be remembered with a similar intensity. Be intentional. Look for ways to increase emotional connections between stakeholders through music, speakers, onsite and offsite activations, and a combination of macro and micro events.

Be creative. If it sounds like a fun idea that increases community, try it out. Get it sponsored.

Collective Effervescence. If your organisation is already doing it, congrats! If not, start intentionally designing for it.

Stephanie Selesnick, President, International Trade Information, Inc. is based in Las Vegas, NV, USA, is a founding board member of the WIE North American Chapter, and is a global exhibition industry relationship architect connecting markets and minds across borders, well known industry speaker, trainer, and industry blogger.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieselesnick/