Crafting Unforgettable Events | with Phil Mershon
Brand to Fan Show Ep24
Phil Mershon joins the podcast to share how unforgettable experiences are created when positive moments are stacked to build a lasting impact.
Episode 24:
Fandom isn’t a passive activity. Fandom is built upon Actions that are inspired and driven by affinity. What we’ve discussed on the Brand to Fan show before is that initial story or invitation sparking a new journey of loyalty, affinity, and trust for someone else.
I'm a keynote speaker traveling around the country to discuss marketing topics, including the Brand to Fan approach and Actionable Affinity. I'm very familiar with the world of event experiences, both the good and the bad. To discuss this in detail, I invited Phil Mershon, the author of "Unforgettable: The Science of Creating Memorable Experiences,” to join the podcast.
If you're a meeting planner or know one, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Come for the insights about developing the touchpoints at conferences, events, and experiential activations that spark invitations. Stay for tips on using technology and social media to extend the personalized guest experience beyond the event itself.
“How do you stack positive moments together to such a great extent that they become unforgettable and negate any negative moments that might happen?”
The Guest: Phil Mershon
WHERE TO FIND Phil:
Check out Phil’s book:
Unforgettable – The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences
Phil Mershon is the director of experience for Social Media Examiner. He's been designing the Social Media Marketing World experience for over a decade. Drawing from over 25 years of experience creating customized events, Phil loves creating memorable moments and transformational experiences. In addition, Phil is a jazz saxophonist, a pickleball enthusiast, and the author of Unforgettable: The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences.
TL;DL (too long; didn’t listen)
My key takeaways from Episode 24 with Phil Mershon
Event planners are designing for the “a-ha moment” — Phil’s own “a-ha” >> creating a “Time stood still” moment in our experiences and events — we can create the conditions for change and create a memorable experience.
3 M’s of Unforgettable Experience:
Memorable
Meaningful
Momentus
Hermann Effinghaus studied retention (and how people forget) — people are likely to forget 50% of what they learned within one hour and 90% of what they learned/experienced one month later.
Extraordinary to Ordinary to Boring > Fatigue is based on an event schedule that is too packed.
Event design pitfalls are “D.R.I.E.D”: Dull - Resistance - Isolation - Exhaustion - Distraction.
First impressions set a tone for what’s to come. Positive or Negative impressions can dictate the rest of the experience that may be overcome.
Retention is important, but word of mouth reigns supreme. Your ambassadors are the storytellers / build your brand through their loyalty and advocacy.
Move from interest to connection before the event begins, before anyone gets on the plane to travel.
Think about what sets up best for your audiences. Empowering those who are “super connectors” to be part of the welcome group and scattered throughout the event the entire time.
When relationships are being built organically, you’ve grown something bigger than the event.
Personalization — don’t be too far from your audience that you can’t ask individual questions (as well as surveys).
When attendees can dictate their own choices and take ownership of their experience, that creates meaning for the individual attendee.
Metrics for Successful Events: Listening to conversations, content ratings, surveys on experience, ticket pacing, and retention.
In this Episode (Time Stamps):
[01:57] Phil Mershon is an event planner seeking to create transformative experiences at events that have a lasting impact.
[04:07] Create meaningful and unforgettable experiences by combining positive moments and understanding the science of storytelling, guiding crafting personalized events or books.
[08:34] Harnessing your big idea, letting others shape it. Apply it to various aspects of life and business. Focus on making intentional choices to make it easier and more beneficial for others. AHA moments in research on memorable experiences and emerging science.
[12:13] Exhaustion hampers engagement in storytelling.
[16:37] The Exploration Place museum in Wichita fails to create an inviting atmosphere for its primary audience, causing negative first impressions and a need to overcome inertia.
[17:14] A positive impression encourages people to be interested and engaged. Overcoming resistance and isolation is crucial for connecting with others.
[22:31] Audiences were encouraged to express gratitude and pledge presence at the event.
[25:55] Retention business is important as it is cheaper and more effective than acquiring new customers. Word-of-mouth marketing is crucial. Creating a connection before the event is critical.
[29:20] Plans to form a community with shared interests, fostering organic discussions and diverse connections.
[34:04] Listening and engaging with individuals to address concerns and offer support.
[35:36] Creating a personalized mobile app with interactive features for events, aiming for a video game-like experience with user-selected choices.
[39:26] Qualitative feedback led to creating an event geared towards agencies.
[41:36] Data helped identify the target audience's preferences, leading to improved music choices.
[49:47] TL; DL (too long didn’t listen) minute.
[51:35] Foster connections before events to empower attendees.
WHAT ARE YOU A FAN OF?
Savannah Bananas. I love what Jesse Cole is doing over with the Savannah Bananas because they are pushing the boundaries on experience-making, and he learned some of what he knows from me, but I think I'm learning far more from him now. And he's actually on the top of my book. He wrote one of the endorsements on the book. So definitely a big fan of them.
Show Credits
Brand to Fan Show is produced by Teague FC and supported by FanWagn
Audio production by Bryan Griggs / Griggs Production
Producers: Kimberly Voorhis and Carrie Hellbusch
Video Editing by Garrett Teague
AI assistance from Pictory.AI and CastMagic
And I’m your host, Lauren Teague.
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