In the world of behavioral psychology, there’s a principle called the Peak-End Rule...
- EJ Corporan
- Sep 9
- 4 min read
Peak-End Rule: the idea that people don’t remember an experience in its entirety. Instead, they recall the emotional high points (“peaks”) and how it ended.
During event design, this insight is gold. It tells us that no matter how flawless our run-of-show is, if we miss the opportunity to elevate the emotional high points and create a strong, intentional ending, we leave our attendees with a flat memory. And in a business where repeat attendance, referrals, and brand advocacy are the ultimate metrics, memory matters.
But after years of producing events, I’ve found that the Peak-End Rule, while powerful, doesn’t capture the whole picture. Which is why I started using what I call The Box Rule.
What is The Box Rule?
Imagine your event as a box; a container that shapes the entire attendee experience. In the Box Rule, we don’t just focus on peaks and endings. We intentionally design four touch points that shape memory and emotional connection:
The Beginning – The first impression that sets the tone.
The Peak – The highest emotional moment of the event.
The End – The final note that sends people away inspired, energized, or fulfilled.
The Valley – The moment most likely to drop energy or engagement (and the plan to minimize or transform it).
The first three map closely to the Peak-End Rule, but the fourth — the Valley — is the game-changer. All events have natural ebbs and flows in energy.
Identifying and addressing the low points ensures you don’t lose momentum or attention before the peak or the close.
Applying the Box Rule in Practice
Let’s break it down with a real-world example:
The Beginning: At a corporate sales summit, you can transform the first impression into a full-sensory welcome that makes attendees feel like VIPs the moment they arrive.
Imagine stepping into a space where the entryway is washed in your brand colors, an immersive light display pulses in sync with upbeat live music, and the scent of fresh citrus or florals drifts through the air. Interactive digital check-in kiosks greet each guest by name, while roaming brand ambassadors offer a signature welcome beverage in a custom glass they can keep. A curated welcome gift, thoughtfully packaged and themed to the event, is waiting at their seat, sparking curiosity about what’s to come.
The Peak: This is often the main stage reveal, a big announcement, or a keynote speaker, but you can push it further.
Imagine that the lights dim, and the audience slips on lightweight AR glasses handed to them minutes earlier. The product materializes in their field of vision, surrounded by a virtual world showing its impact. Data points explode into constellations, customer testimonials appearing as lifelike holograms at their side. As the music swells, the AR scene fades, and the actual product is revealed on stage, seamlessly transitioning from the digital to the physical.
The End: Rather than letting the closing session be a logistical wrap-up, we turned it into an intentional experience that has staying power.
Imagine the house lights dim and a single spotlight illuminates the stage. Instead of a traditional emcee, a series of short, heartfelt stories from attendees plays on screen, filmed candidly during the event. They share what they learned, who they met, and how they’ve been inspired. The final clip transitions seamlessly into a live moment: one of those attendees walks out, joined by others, to lead a unified pledge or toast to the community’s next chapter. The audience joins in, raising glasses, lighting phone flashlights, or even signing their names on a shared digital “commitment wall” displayed in real time. The event ends with a collective feeling that lingers long after the doors close.
The Valley: At multi-day conferences, the post-lunch slot on day two is almost always a valley.
As the lights fade after lunch, the room is suddenly filled with an ambient hum. Large LED walls ignite with a dynamic visual countdown, and an emcee announces a rapid-fire “Innovation Sprint.” Attendees are given tablets or connected to an app where they vote, answer live polls, and collaborate with others in real time on a creative challenge. Their collective input drives a giant, evolving visual on the main screen. Just as the final results lock in, the app reveals an animated teaser for what’s coming next in the event, tying the valley break into the overall narrative.
Why the Box Rule Works
The Box Rule is about designing memory anchors.
The beginning sets expectations.
The peak creates the story attendees will retell.
The end cements how they’ll describe the experience afterward.
Managing the valley prevents an avoidable dip from coloring the entire memory.
When you plan with these four touchpoints in mind, you’re intentionally shaping their experience to be memorable from the jump.
How to Start Using the Box Rule Today
Map your event flow and mark where you think the beginning, peak, end, and valley occur.
Ask your team to imagine those moments from the attendee perspective. What will they see, hear, and feel?
Design enhancements for each moment that reflect your brand and your purpose for the event.
Have a valley plan. This could be surprise content, an interactive format, or simply a shift in pacing.
Final Thought
If you want your event to be remembered, talked about, and acted on long after it’s over, you have to design these moments with intention. And when you do, you create experiences that live well beyond the closing session.
EJ Corporan
Experience Design & Client Strategy; L!VE
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