If you’ve ever stood in a well-designed, purpose-built venue that feels like it was made specifically for the event unfolding inside—where logistics flow without a hitch, every corner has room for networking, and attendees don’t have to fight for space to set up their materials—you’ve experienced the kind of space STRO properties (short for Structurally Typed Rental Objects) offer. As someone who’s spent the last eight years as a supplier delivering custom STRO solutions for everything from trade shows and corporate conferences to pop-up product launches and industry summits, I’ve seen firsthand how these versatile, modular structures aren’t just temporary venues—they’re a powerful draw for event tourists, the segment of attendees who travel specifically to participate in events rather than just visiting a destination for leisure. Too many event organizers frame STRO properties as a quick, cost-saving fix, not as a strategic tool that can turn a one-time local event into a must-attend destination that brings in out-of-town groups, repeat attendees, and valuable tourism revenue for the host city. Today, I want to share the lessons I’ve learned working with event teams across North America and Europe on how to use STRO properties to attract more event tourists, without cutting corners on quality or attendee experience. STRO
First, let’s get clear on why event tourists matter, and why STRO properties are uniquely suited to draw them. The U.S. Travel Association’s 2023 Event Tourism Report found that event tourists spend 30% more per trip than leisure-only travelers, and they’re 25% more likely to book accommodation, dine at local restaurants, and visit area attractions during their event stay—meaning events that successfully target this group don’t just generate ticket revenue; they inject money into the entire local economy. For event organizers, event tourists also mean higher registration numbers, more networking opportunities (critical for B2B events), and stronger word-of-mouth that boosts future attendance. STRO properties check so many boxes for this group: they can be built in under four weeks, so an event can pop up in a destination without permanent construction; they’re fully customizable, so they can be tailored to reflect a host city’s culture (think: adding local art to exhibition walls or using reclaimed local wood for seating); and they’re modular, so they can expand or shrink to fit an event’s exact size, no matter how many event tourists end up registering. The mistake I see most teams make is treating STRO properties as generic boxes to hold sessions, though. To attract event tourists, these spaces need to become part of the event’s “destination appeal,” not just a place to hold meetings.
The first step is to design STRO spaces to blend the event’s core purpose with the host destination’s unique identity. Event tourists don’t just want to attend a conference—they want to attend a conference in a city they can tell a story about when they get home. Last year, I worked with a team organizing a regional sustainable design summit in Portland, Oregon. The original plan was to set up standard modular exhibition halls inside a generic event space downtown, but we proposed building STRO structures that integrated Portland’s reputation for sustainability and outdoor community. We used repurposed cross-laminated timber (CLT) sourced from a mill 20 minutes outside the city for all structural frames, added retractable glass walls that opened up to a public park adjacent to the event site, and installed a rooftop terrace made of local native plants for networking breaks. The event team marketed this to sustainability professionals across the country, highlighting that they could attend a summit focused on green design in a space built almost entirely from local, eco-friendly materials. By the time registration closed, 65% of attendees were coming from outside the Portland metro area—15% higher than their target—with many mentioning the unique STRO venue as a key reason they booked travel. This works because event tourists are often looking for experiences that feel authentic, not like they could have happened anywhere. For STRO properties, that means doing more than slapping a city’s logo on a sign: partnering with local artisans, using materials sourced within a 100-mile radius, designing spaces that complement nearby attractions (like adding a direct covered walkway from the STRO venue to a downtown museum or waterfront district), and even programming small, free activities tied to the destination in the STRO’s common areas—think a weekly local food pop-up in the event’s lounge or a evening workshop with a local artist. The data backs this up too: a 2024 study from the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) found that events that integrate local identity into their venue design see a 22% higher rate of event tourists extending their stay beyond the event dates, which is a huge win for host cities.
Next, STRO properties should be designed to facilitate the kind of networking that event tourists actually value. One of the biggest complaints from event tourists is that generic conference spaces feel crowded, impersonal, and don’t leave room for casual connections that turn into business relationships or new partnerships. STRO’s modular design solves this, but only if you plan for it intentionally. Early in my career, I worked with a tech startup hosting a product launch in Austin, Texas, that used small, boxy STRO rooms just for presentations, with a single empty hallway for networking. The event drew mostly local people who just showed up for the free food and didn’t stay long. Now, when we work with event teams on networking-focused events, we design STRO spaces with “micro-venue” zones: small, semi-private nooks for 4-6 people, open lounge areas with high tables that encourage drop-ins, and even dedicated “serendipity spaces” that are positioned between presentation rooms or exhibition halls. For the Austin product launch, we revised the STRO plan to replace some of the small presentation rooms with a central open atrium that had movable seating, built-in charging stations (critical for tech attendees), and a “mixer bar” that was tucked into a curved STRO structure that created a natural gathering spot. We also added a “wall of connections”—a STRO panel that attendees could post their business cards, job titles, and what they were looking for (like a marketing partner or a new client) on, with markers to let others add notes. After the event, the startup’s team told me that 70% of attendees said they’d made at least one meaningful professional connection, and 40% of the attendees were from outside Austin, double their original goal. The key here is that event tourists don’t just attend to learn—they attend to invest in their careers or businesses, so the STRO space needs to remove barriers to that. Unlike permanent venues, STRO properties let you adjust the layout mid-event too: if a mixer is too crowded, you can add more seating panels; if a presentation needs more space, you can move a divider wall to expand the room. That flexibility is a superpower for drawing event tourists, because it means you can adapt to how people actually want to interact, not just stick to a pre-planned layout.
Another often-overlooked strategy is using STRO properties to extend the event’s life cycle before, during, and after the event, which turns one-time event tourists into future attendees and word-of-mouth advocates. Event tourists research events months in advance, and they share their experiences on social media while they’re there, long after they go home. STRO properties are perfect for creating shareable, Instagram-worthy moments without being over-the-top. For the Portland sustainable design summit I mentioned earlier, we added a large, curved STRO wall that displayed real-time stats from the summit’s energy usage (like how much solar power the venue was generating that day) and a wall of attendee quotes that was updated every hour. It wasn’t just a gimmick—event tourists would line up to take photos in front of it, sharing the hashtag #SustainSummitPDX on their feeds, which drew 12,000 new organic visitors to the event’s website before registration opened for the next year. Even better, we designed the rooftop STRO terrace to be available for local events in the months between the summit and the next year’s conference, like a small farmers’ market or a community yoga class. That meant the STRO space didn’t just sit empty—local residents and businesses got to experience it, which led more of them to recommend the summit to out-of-town guests. For event organizers, this is a win because it creates ongoing buzz in the destination, while for the host city, it turns a temporary event into a year-round amenity. A 2023 report from the Event Travel Association found that events with a dedicated pre- and post-event STRO activation see a 35% higher rate of event tourists recommending the event to others, which is free marketing that keeps bringing in more tourists year after year.
I know what some event organizers are thinking: “STRO properties must be expensive, and we don’t have the budget to add all these extra features.” But the reality is that STRO’s flexibility actually makes it more cost-effective than permanent venues when you’re targeting event tourists. Unlike a fixed conference center, where you pay for the entire space even if you only use half of it, STRO properties let you scale exactly to the number of event tourists who register. If registration is higher than expected, you can add modular sections a few weeks before the event, no major construction needed. If it’s lower, you can take down unneeded parts and save on rental fees. I also work with organizers to prioritize high-impact, low-cost features for event tourists: adding local plants for free to the lounge areas instead of renting expensive furniture, using attendee-submitted photos to decorate the STRO walls instead of printing custom signage, and partnering with local restaurants to provide food in the venue’s cafe area, which supports local businesses and gives event tourists an authentic taste of the destination.
Over the last few years, I’ve seen too many event teams miss out on the chance to turn STRO properties into a draw for event tourists, treating them as a necessary evil rather than a strategic asset. The most successful events I’ve worked on, the ones that bring in a steady stream of out-of-town attendees and get invited back to host events year after year, are the ones that think of STRO spaces not just as places to hold sessions, but as core parts of the event’s experience—and the host city’s story. If you’re an event organizer or a venue manager looking to boost event tourist numbers, start by asking: what makes our event different enough that someone would travel for it, and how can our STRO spaces amplify that difference? Maybe it’s a focus on local culture, maybe it’s better networking, maybe it’s a space that feels flexible and welcoming to a diverse group of attendees. Whatever it is, the STRO properties you use should be a reflection of that, not just a backdrop.
At the end of the day, attracting event tourists isn’t just about getting more people to show up—it’s about creating an experience that makes them want to travel, connect, and come back. STRO properties give you the tools to do that, but only if you use them with intention. If you’re ready to explore how custom STRO solutions can help your event draw more event tourists, feel free to connect with our team to discuss your needs and create a space that works for both your event and your host destination.
Containerized Water Treatment System References:
U.S. Travel Association. (2023). Event Tourism Economic Impact Report.
International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA). (2024). Venue Design and Event Tourist Behavior Study.
Event Travel Association. (2023). Maximizing Event Assets for Post-Event Community Engagement.
Hangzhou Nanoimp Environmental Technology Co., Ltd.
With abundant experience, we are one of the most professional stro manufacturers and suppliers in China. Welcome to wholesale high quality stro in stock here and get pricelist from our factory. We also accept customized orders.
Address: Road 25, Baiyang Street, Qiantang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
E-mail: keith.wang@nano-sepmer.com
WebSite: https://www.nanoimp-membrane.com/
