It’s not just because stories are enjoyable.

It’s because everything changes when a story is introduced.

People lean in. They forget they’re in a conference room, a gala, a holiday party. Their mirror neurons fire — they feel what the characters feel. They get involved. They stay involved all the way through to the end.

That’s not a design trick. That’s biology.

And at Engagement Unlimited, it’s Doorway 3.

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Story & Immersive is anywhere story or theme creates engagement.

For example, it’s our Murder YOU Mysteries — where your colleagues become suspects, detectives & the entertainment all at once. It’s undercover actors woven invisibly into your event until the moment they reveal themselves & the room erupts. It’s themed environments, surprise entrances, & characters that don’t just show up — they land.

Here’s what people say when story hits the room right:

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“The Murder Mystery was a huge hit, and everyone had a fantastic time. It was the perfect icebreaker for our group — especially since many people had never met each other before and some came from different locations across Canada and the US.” — Julie Hobbart, Senior IT Project Manager, Factors Group

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“We made the Front Page of the Vancouver Sun!! People came. They hugged. They talked. They connected. It was remarkable! We will be using your performers at every event!” — Sharon Bonner, Bright Ideas Events

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“OMG WHERE DO I BEGIN! This was the BEST PARTY THIS FAMILY HAS HAD SO FAR! WOW! Usually this group is separated — one side of the house and the other family on the other side! But last night we were completely united!” — Debbie Kisil, Private Booking

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Story is the oldest way humans communicate.

And it still works.

 Explore Story & Immersive

Roger + Michael + The EU Crew

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PS. Monday’s Meme… 

<p>The post The oldest trick in the book! first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>

Julius Solaris at Boldpush surveyed 800 event professionals to find out what separates winning events from declining ones in 2026.

Here’s what caught our attention 

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“The wrong AI focus is a signal of a declining event.”

“Events are outperforming by using AI to elevate the attendee experience. Underperformers focus on saving time.” — Julius Solaris, Boldpush

Notice what this data is really saying.

Your conference isn’t remembered because it ran efficiently. It’s remembered because of what people did there — what they felt, who they became for a few hours. When people are fully in it — not watching, but living it — that’s when the room changes.

EU’s take: We turn attendees into participants. We always have. AI is a tool. Engagement is the point.

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“Virtual events are the best marketing tool for in-person events.”

“Events spending the most on virtual software have better in-person registration outcomes than any other tech category.”— Julius Solaris, Boldpush

Three years of “virtual is dead.” The data disagrees.

Virtual doesn’t replace the live room — it fills it. The organizations that stayed in the virtual game kept their audiences warm, curious & coming back for more.

EU’s take: We never stopped doing virtual. Live, hybrid, virtual — the platform changes. Our job doesn’t. Get the room engaged, or nothing else matters.

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“Big sponsors want content & activations — not just booth space.”

“Booth space is less important to sponsors who spend more at events. Sponsors with larger budgets require either content or experiential.” — Julius Solaris, Boldpush

Real estate isn’t enough anymore.

Sponsors need a reason for people to stop, turn & lean in. Something that pulls people out of their own heads and into the moment. That’s engagement.

EU’s take: We are that reason. We design the moment that turns a sponsor’s presence into a conversation — and a conversation into a connection.

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The research confirms what a lifetime in events has taught us:

Engagement is an ADVANTAGE. It’s not an add-on to a great event; it’s WHAT MAKES a great event.

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Roger + Michael | Engagement Unlimited | The Engagement Advantage

PS. Silence is golden, unless… 

<p>The post What the data just confirmed first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>

They give us the energy to carry on — with the knowledge that we’re really making an impact.

Whether that impact is engaging the room through keynotes or emcees that make a traditional conference day come alive with laughter & meaning & relationships — or it’s a game where Everyone Plays or it’s a retreat that pulls your team together so you’re unified in language, in goal, & in purpose.

It matters. And it lands – that’s what the testimonials tell us 

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Every once in a while, though, a testimonial comes in that makes us sit up & take notice. 

We recently received two emails — a couple of days apart — from a client who was so overwhelmingly happy with their event that they couldn’t just tell us once.

They had to write again. 

Here’s what Mahsa Johnson, Career Advisor at YWCA BC, wrote after their Murder YOU Mystery in February:

“Thank you to you & your team for the amazing activity. We had a great time, & the participants really enjoyed it. It was a wonderful experience & a great addition to the event.”

— Mahsa Johnson, Career Advisor, YWCA BC

And then, a couple of days later — unprompted — she wrote again:

“Once again, thank you to you & your team for the fantastic activity. Everyone had a great time & really enjoyed the experience. We would be very happy to work with you again in the future.”

— Mahsa Johnson, Career Advisor, YWCA BC

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We love sharing these kinds of testimonials.

One — because it’s good business.

Two — because sharing joy is one of Roger’s rules.

These testimonials spread joy into the world. How can they not? When someone is so happy — how can that not impact others?

In fact, the most emotionally expressive person in the room will transmit their emotion to others within two minutes.

We’re hoping some of the joy coming through these words brightens YOURday a little too.

It certainly brightens ours.

— Roger + Michael

Ready to create an experience people can’t stop talking about? Let’s chat → engagementunlimited.ca

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PS. You’re a lyre. 

Happy Meme Monday.

<p>The post When one THANK YOU isn’t enough first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>

The moment where a few people are up front doing the thing — and everyone else is watching.

Sometimes that works. But here’s what we’ve learned after 33 years of running events for 1,100+ organizations:

The room changes when everyone plays at the same time.

Not watching.
Not waiting.
Playing.

And when that happens, the energy isn’t manufactured. It’s real — because everyone made it together.

We run game shows, trivia battles, Name That Tune events, & team competitions where nobody sits on the sidelines. And here’s what we hear when it goes right:

“We saw people involved in a social activity that don’t usually get involved.”

That’s the quiet win nobody puts in the brief. The person who always hangs back. The new hire who doesn’t know anyone yet. When the game is running & everyone’s in it — the walls come down on their own.

“The entire room was involved and participated in the fun! Professional, energetic & truly entertaining.” — Paula D’Souza, RBC

This is what a well-run game show does. It doesn’t ask people to be enthusiastic. It gives them something to be enthusiastic about.

“Name That Tune needs to be a weekly Friday social function — we’ve decided!”

When people leave talking about the game — when they’re already asking “can we do this again?” — that’s the sign you picked the right format.

The most common feedback we get after an Everyone Plays event isn’t about the game itself. It’s about what happened after. People who had never spoken to each other were still talking an hour later.

That’s what happens when you give a room a shared experience instead of a shared agenda.

If you have a team event coming up:
a conference
an all-hands
a holiday party
an offsite
& you want everyone actually in the room (not just in the building), this is the Doorway for you.

Explore Everyone Plays

Roger + Michael + The EU Crew

PS. Happy Friday
Have a great weekend.

<p>The post When Everyone Plays at the Same Time first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>

Sometimes that’s a keynote speaker. Sometimes it’s an emcee holding the whole day together. Sometimes it’s a facilitator reading the room and adjusting on the fly. Sometimes it’s a retreat leader helping a team find the path forward.

Whatever the role, the same truth holds: When that person is thinking about engagement first — about the audience, about the participants, about how to involve them in their own experience so they get more out of it — they put ENGAGEMENT IS A SUPERPOWER into the room.

And then, everything works better. The content lands harder. The transitions feel smooth. The room opens up. People walk away talking about something real.

THAT’S DOORWAY 1 — ENGAGE THE ROOM.

We’ve been doing this for 33 years. And the feedback we get isn’t always what you’d expect. People comment on the humor, yes. They comment on how much fun it was, of course — but they also tell us these things:

THE PLANNER GETS THEIR EVENT BACK.

“The event was awesome and you were right — I did not know I needed an MC until we had one. It was incredible to watch Stefano work his magic, while the whole time I was able to sit back and enjoy the entire evening, instead of running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Now that we have experienced what a professional MC does, WE WILL NEVER DO IT OURSELVES AGAIN.” — Sandy Heer, HR Manager, Mainland Construction Materials

THEY READ THE ROOM. IN REAL TIME.

“Read the room.” “Think on your feet.” “Tap dance when needed.” “Doesn’t look canned.”

Multiple clients independently name the same thing, in their own words, without knowing the others said it too. Having someone engage the room makes the room — and the way we engage makes it feel real, not scripted. Because it is.

THE EVENT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AS IT GOES.

“I loved that after each ceremony, he would come up and ask if it was ok to do this or that to incorporate into the next ceremony — and the event got better & better each time.” — Tracey Tse, Events Manager, CPABC

The best engagements don’t just open strong and coast. They build. The room gets more itself as the day goes on — more connected, more willing to participate, more alive. That’s what Engage the Room does.

THE ROOM ENDS. THE IMPACT DOESN’T.

“I have heard staff reference the ‘misery is optional’ rule a number of times in the following weeks.”

After a ‘A Leg Up’ workshop for young leaders we received this testimonial: “I’ve used pretty much every one of Roger’s Rules since our sessions 3 YEARS AGO!”

The room ends. The impact doesn’t. That’s ENGAGE THE ROOM.

NOT JUST DAZZLE. SOMETHING MORE HUMAN.

“It took one 15-minute conversation with Roger to turn everything around. Roger made me feel like I belonged there. It was a seminal moment — it literally turned my career around and made me feel like I belonged in this profession! In 15 minutes!” — L.N, at a Destination Vancouver meet & greet

Roger spent 15 minutes with someone who was 18 years old, completely out of their element, feeling small, thinking of leaving… That’s what a skilled facilitator can do in 15 minutes — not because of a trick or a technique, but because engagement, at its core, is about making people feel like they BELONG.

Think about what a change that would make for your team! Ask about Roger’s ‘Magnetic Communication for Socializing and Beyond’ Workshop.

THAT’S WHAT ENGAGE THE ROOM IS.

If you have an event coming up — a conference, a gala, a retreat, a town hall — and you want to really:

Captivate. Really Create Change. Really Create Significant Movement.

Then ‘Engage the Room’ is one Doorway for you.

 EXPLORE ENGAGE THE ROOM

Roger + Michael + The EU Crew you need.

Engagement Unlimited: The Engagement Advantage

<p>The post The First Doorway — What “Engage the Room” Actually Does first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>

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The Engagement Advantage

There’s a moment that happens in every great meeting, event, or team gathering. You can feel it when the room shifts — when people stop watching and start participating.

The energy changes. The conversations change. The outcomes change.

We call it “The Engagement Advantage” — the measurable lift that happens when people stop sitting through something and start showing up for it.

It’s not just a feeling. It’s an advantage. And the way people experience meetings, events, and each other can be one of your organization’s most powerful competitive advantages.

When engagement becomes the strategy, here’s what becomes possible:

Teams remember the message because they helped create it

Conversations continue long after the event ends

People feel connected to each other, not just informed by leadership

Your culture gets stronger with every gathering

The shift happens when people move:

from passive to active

from audience to participant

from sitting through to showing up for.

That’s where the advantage lives.

“Your rapport and engagement with the people on stage as well as the audience allowed the entire room to be involved and participate in the fun!” — Paula D’Souza, RBC Richmond

Want to see what “The Engagement Advantage” looks like for your next event? Reply to this email with “tell me more” and I’ll send you three ideas tailored to your team.

Roger, Michael, & Team
Engagement Unlimited
The Engagement Advantage

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PS. Check our new website — brand new look — we rebuilt everything!

PPS. Some early Friday Fun 

It’s Friday. And the only agenda item that matters right now? These faces. 

Happy Furry Friday, everyone. Whatever your weekend looks like — may it have at least this much joy in it.

<p>The post What is The Engagement Advantage? first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>

But here’s what we’ve noticed: when teams build something together — not just show up and sort donations — something shifts. People soften. Walls come down. Conversations deepen. And the group feels more human.

Hello friends,

What if the thing your organization has to do became the thing your team actually wants to do?

A lot of companies treat volunteer days like taking out the trash — necessary, but nobody gets excited about it. Often it’s mandatory… The emails go out, people dutifully sign up, and it’s… fine.

But here’s what we’ve noticed: when teams build something together — not just show up and sort donations — something shifts. People soften. Walls come down. Conversations deepen. And the group feels more human.

A small group leans in, painting side by side — and the conversations start.

Purpose becomes personal.

That’s what happened when ESSA Technologies built MudPie Kitchens for kids at the YMCA:

“Our team at ESSA Technologies had an incredible experience building MudPie Kitchens. The event was exceptionally well-organized & the facilitators brought a contagious energy that made the entire process engaging & fun. It was the best team-building activity we’ve ever done.“
— Alex Crew, ESSA Technologies

Then, many. The whole team — hands up, kitchens done, pride earned.

Meme-break…

When you ALMOST hit your target… literally.
Hope your week is off to a better start than this driver’s :flushed:
image

Google built Buddy Benches. Microsoft built MudPie Kitchens. Encore assembled Birthday Boxes. CPABC put together Birthday Boxes & Kindness Kits… and it turned mandatory into memorable.

And this is where it all ends up. A child looking for a buddy on a buddy bench that your team built together…

If your organization has a give-back requirement this year & you want your team to actually show up with energy, let’s talk. We handle the materials, setup, delivery & recipient coordination. You get the impact & the engagement.

Reply to this email or call us at 604-649-4867 — let’s turn your volunteer day into something your team talks about at dinner.

Roger + Michael
Engagement Unlimited — Where Engagement Meets FUN!
The Engagement Advantage

PS. Some early Friday Fun
That moment when you get a bonus day you didn’t even know was coming.
Happy Friday, everyone!

<p>The post What If Your Volunteer Day Became the Best Team Building Event of the Year? first appeared on EngagementUnlimited.ca.</p>