Experiences. We’re talking marketing events that radiate a WOW factor. These experiences are super hot right now because they engage emotions through the senses.

Read that again slowly: they engage emotions through the senses.

That means everything from the music that is playing at the event to the smell of the candles and the taste of the treats at the refreshment table.
(and there should always be treats)

It’s not business – it’s personal.

The main point of the experience is to engage the participants by making it personal for them.

Determining the target market is the first critical step in order to provide the right type of experience for maximum engagement. Different generations have different interests. It might be a bit challenging to engage all ages at once, but it’s definitely possible. For example, one of our healthcare clients held a very successful event that mimicked a holiday shopping village, where they offered free hot cocoa and cookies, a Santa photo opp (yes, adults loved it!), a retail pop up shop, and a wrapping station. It was suitable for all ages, and received a ton of engagement from millennials to boomers!

Key Components

There are a few critical components to consider when planning an experiential event:

1. Attendance
   Be sure to evaluate potential traffic in order to accommodate maximum capacity. You don’t want people stumbling over each other. Additionally, you want to make it super comfortable for attendees to maneuver the event.

2. Engagement
   There should be some sort of activity to drive attendee engagement. This could be anything from a raffle for a cause, a jumbo game of some sort, a celebrity photo opp, or an on-site activity to encourage engagement from attendees.

3. Videos/Images
   Don’t forget to capture the event with videos and images that can be used for future case studies and internal evaluations.

4. Social Sharing
   Make it a moment worth sharing. Meaning, attendees should want to take their own photos and videos to share on social media platforms. Take it a step further and initiate a hashtag to track social activities.

5. Branding
   Last, but certainly not least, provide some creative branded swag as takeaways. Whether as a purchase on site or a giveaway as they leave the event, a tangible (and functional) branded product is a great way to commemorate the event and give attendees something to remember once they leave.

Again, the key is to play on the senses. That’s what makes it an emotional experience for the audience.