Experience Counts

August 21. Emory Conference Center. 12:00 Noon, straight up. The ballroom doors opened with a sense of adventure created by mists rising from the floor in the dimly lit room with traveling spotlights of blue, red, and yellow…a memorable start to a fun and well planned Meeting Professional International's monthly luncheon.

As I enjoyed the ambiance, I overheard one committee member say, "These monthly meetings have to help our members EXPERIENCE something so they'll know what they can create at the meetings they plan." This vision was right on track. The MPI leadership's role is to help members enter the Experience Economy.

I grew up on a farm. When I was five years old, I remember my mother made my birthday cake from scratch, mixing the farm commodities of flour and sugar with the butter we churned from the milk our cows gave and the eggs we gathered from our chickens. It may have cost a dime.

When I was a teenager, the goods-based economy had taken over and my mother paid $1.89 to Betty Crocker for a yellow cake mix. The cake was frosted with chocolate fudge. Yum.

I was a busy working mother when my daughter, Susan, turned three. I paid the local bakery $12.00 for a cake. It cost ten times as much as the packaged ingredients, but my time was precious.

On Susan's eighth birthday, I paid $81.45 to take her and her friends to Chuck E. Cheese's because I wanted it to be memorable. The cake was free and I was unknowingly participating in the new experience economy.

When Susan turned 21, she attended the National Speakers Association Convention with me and we celebrated her birthday with dinner at the Raintree Forest Restaurant in the Minneapolis Mall. Just like Chuck E. Cheese's, it was a totally consuming experience.

People waiting for a table were at a bar under a huge mushroom seated on chairs that were the backs, legs, and feet of zebras, ducks, and giraffes. We decided to step into the memorabilia store, which was conveniently located to the right of the hostess's podium. While we shopped, we became aware of stuffed snakes, parrots, and cockatoos peering at us from the trees.

When our table was ready, the words of the hostess enchanted us: "Your adventure is about to begin," not the usual command, "This way."

When we were seated, we heard a "Ssssssssss" sound which introduced a rising mist that cooled our skin. We smelled the tropical essence. We took our first bite of unique, tasty food. We looked at each other and said, "What an experience."

In today's world, attendees at your meetings don't want just good service, they want a Raintree Forest experience.

How can you do it? Get yourself a theme that is concise, compelling and will drive all of the design elements and staged events of your meeting. Then make sure the five senses are engaged.

Start your transformation with the typically frustrating experience of long lines at convention registration. Let registration "start the adventure." Decorate the registration area to match your theme. Have greeters dressed in themed costumes and available to SHOW people where to go or better yet, TAKE people toward the elevators until they can actually see and touch them.

Let some greeters be talented local artists who can give information as well as entertain with juggling, magic or music. Set up a computer and screen with looped information about what will be happening. Provide chairs and massage therapists. Touch them with friendliness. Create pleasant smells. Pass out themed treats. Let them taste the excitement.

After the attendees register, have the greeters entertain them all the way to the hospitality area which is placed adjacent to the registration area like the Raintree Forest memorabilia store.

Sell convention memorabilia there. If they perceive that this will be the experience of their lifetime, they will buy your themed mugs, T-shirts and bags.

And my last out of the box idea: Have psychologists dressed up like greeters to listen patiently to all the woes of business travel.

Using the Raintree Model, you can transform your entire meeting into a totally pleasurable and memorable experience. Think of the possibilities: Your adventure in the Experience Economy is about to begin.

RESOURCE
Karla Brandau, CSP is a speaker, trainer & successful entrepreneur. She is "A wealth of empowerment information" who provides "real help, not theory" to improve, enhance & energize your leadership skills. Visit her website for free energizers and program information - boost YOUR people skills today! www.timeforresults.com