Make them REMEMBER
Have you ever asked your guests ONE specific thing that they remember from your event a year later?
I think the answers would shock you. Usually the answer has something to do with an element that struck emotion or activated the senses. My favorite answer that I’ve ever received is, “the chocolate cake!”. Mary, seriously? I spent 148 hours of planning, spent six figures, and searched to the depths of the earth to find research to support the self-development of 150 employees….And you remember THE CHOCOLATE CAKE?!
It makes sense. The chocolate cake was wheeled into the room on a huge stand, strung with blinking lights, and served warm with a melt-in-your mouth center. Word to the wise: don’t serve warm chocolate cake during a key note takeaway that you’re trying to drive home to your audience because no-one in the room is listening to you anymore. Maybe next time I should print my main point on the plate under the cake so it’s the last thing they see after inhaling that sugary lump of heaven (now there is an idea!).
This is a prime example of how activating the senses and creating an experience can make or break an event objective. Experiential design is the work of creating an element that evokes emotion and connection to the desired message or intention. Experiential doesn’t have to be a stand-alone experience (although that is one way to do it); it can be added to ANY event or space as a driving element in creating emotional connections. Adding an experiential activation to your next event, meeting, or party will guarantee that they remember more than just the chocolate cake.
Here are 2 examples of activation that show the versatility in using experiential elements in both corporate branding or private event atmospheres.
