Everyone’s talking about the need to create customer experiences. (Yes, including us, the Velvet Chainsaw team.) It’s as if Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore’s Experience Economy is just now hitting its stride—for conferences at least. The word is out: we’ve got to create conference experiences, not just conferences that feel like a patchwork quilt of our great grandmother’s dresses. However, what we really need are transformative conference experiences! We need to create conference opportunities … [Read more...]
Attract With Content; Keep Them With The Experience
The internet has made world-class content front, center, mobile and affordable—often free. Anyone can hear the best experts for free (or nearly free) on almost any device they own. Anyone can get thought leadership at their fingertips. And your conference audience does. They have access to the same information you do. They can hear, watch and read the greatest speakers anytime. Technology Disrupts Traditional Content-Driven Conferences So why should someone pay a registration fee, book a … [Read more...]
What Participants Expect From 21st Century Conference Experiences
Everything we take for granted about conferences, and planning them, faces disruption. Participants from all generations and cultures increasingly expect conferences to mirror their work and personal lives. They expect conferences that are authentic, connected, contextual, mobile, participatory, work-related and transparent. Savvy conference organizers meet these disruptions head-on. They know how to segment their target market with personalized messages that help them solve their … [Read more...]
Conference Experiential Design: Why Emotion Trumps Efficiency
This post, Delivering Experience, by Anthony Iannarino stuck in my mind as it sparked new ideas about conference experience design. Iannarino recounts a dining experience with his wife at a "funky, cool, eclectic" restaurant. Within moments of arriving, drink orders were swiftly taken and delivered. Entrees arrived moments later. Then the check, lickety-split. The Speed Drill Speed is usually appreciated by dining patrons. It also makes for faster table flips. Yet Iannario and his wife … [Read more...]
Conference WOW Moments Require Perpetual Reinvention
Your mighty event team managed to transform a "what if?" idea into a five-star, conference greatest hit. The attendee WOW factor was off the charts. This big moment gave your brand a major boost, with social shares rippling out to others who didn't attend, but now wish they had. Everyone's talking about this incredible experience, including your boss. Way to go! Now for the tough truth: WOW moments have a very short shelf life. Each time they're repeated, the buzz diminishes substantially. … [Read more...]
