Improving attendee experiences is a top priority for the majority of conference planners. Yet few of us plan the attendee experience correctly. We approach conference planning from the inside-out. Considering the attendee experience is an afterthought. Most conference improvement plans look something like this: Systems & Resources → Procedures → Touchpoints → Interactions → Experiences. Although we don't usually use those words. We look at logistics and tools, operations, methods of … [Read more...]
Using Empathy Mapping To Create Conference Target Market Personas
We could all use a little more empathy…and a little less yelling! And your organization could definitely cultivate more empathetic team members who help plan and design your conference and education offerings. Why We Need More Empathy For Our Stakeholders Empathy is walking in another person’s shoes and understanding life through their eyes. It is trying to experience and feel what they are feeling. When we experience empathy, we are known to increase our helping behaviors. It’s … [Read more...]
Your Attendees Are More Than Transactions. They Are Unique Individuals!
The traditional approach to understanding your conference attendees has been to consolidate and analyze their transactions, attendance and activities at various events. Knowing the customer has been confined to segmentation, statistical averages and historical inferences. This is no longer enough! Organizations need to have a much more holistic view of their customer based on how he or she engages in the rest of the world, not just their organization. Huh? We're Going To An Exotic Hunting … [Read more...]
Four Ways To Create Customer Evangelists For Your Conferences And Events
What if you could create a volunteer army of true believers who spread the word about your conference? Would you? Sure you would. Creating Customer Evangelists More Profitable Than Marketing Creating customer evangelists is a more efficient and profitable approach to acquiring and retaining customers than traditional marketing says authors Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba in their book Creating Customer Evangelists. According to McConnell and Huba, putting the customer at the center of … [Read more...]
Using Social Media Successfully For A Digital Concierge And Customer Service 3.0
Ever been in a small business or restaurant that has a small bell sitting on the front counter? Next to the bell is a sign with the words "Ring for service." In my opinion, many of today's social media networks are the equivalent of that little bell with the words "Tweet or post for service." The challenge for most organizations is whether they are listening for that social media bell to ring. Responding To The Digital Bell As A Concierge Many organizations are looking for an edge … [Read more...]
