Maximise the customer experience at your event

It’s no secret that an event is a great opportunity to connect with both future and existing customers. Creating an amazing customer experience at your event will forge positive associations with your brand.

What’s more, growing consumer interest in the experience economy gives extra weight to the experiences you create at your event – and longevity to your event’s impact.

So how do you deliver the best possible customer experience? Some companies do it by “owning the show.” Yet there are other, less resource-intensive, ways to capture attention and make your event a success.

UNDERSTAND YOUR AUDIENCE

How and where you interact with your customers can make a big difference. So knowing what makes your customer tick is essential. In the case of a new product launch, this can mean bringing the product to the people.The ‘BMW X climb’ activation, based in UK climbing centres, targets the adventurous crowd to great effect. Sessions from climbing experts and DJs reflected a deep understanding of BMW’s target audience, gained from detailed customer insight and a wealthy database of preferences. Of course, it’s important to enrich the customer information you have already, but essential to capture information on potential customers too.

CREATE A PERSONAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Among customer emotions, feeling a sense of belonging is a powerful motivator of customer loyalty. One way to create a sense of belonging is through VIP treatment. With smart data capture software, you can create and upload invitee lists directly to your event, and allocate fast check-ins or preferential treatment for special guests.

DIG THE DETAILS (THEY REFLECT ON YOUR BRAND)

Small details across your event often go a long way. Few would doubt that Disney, for example, has mastered customer experience – but it’s not always in ways you’d expect. Children who are too short for height-restricted rides at Disney parks receive special passes to jump the next queue. And, while your event may not include rollercoasters, there are myriad other details to get right. Sending customers personalised live incentives such as QR codes for free drinks – or other in-event offers – can encourage engagement and a feeling of exclusivity for those involved.

LISTEN TO CUSTOMERS

Listening to customers helps to create trust, lowers resistance – and ultimately improves customer experience. What’s more, deeper customer insight can facilitate better relationships between brands and their customers. When UBM surveyed customers to better understand their perceptions, its findings enabled the company to improve service delivery as well as client opinions. So make it easy for your customers to speak to you. Break down language barriers and capture data in your customer’s native or preferred language with one tap of Gather’s app. Switch between English, German, French, Italian and Russian with Gather Lite. Reach customers in five further languages in Pro – and any language in Enterprise.

MAKE BRILLIANT USE OF CRM

Not all events happen in one place. Last month, BrewDog famously gave away one million pints of free beer. This required a detailed understanding of which customers registered, which redeemed a beer, which expressed further interest, and which gave feedback. Tight control over its CRM enabled the event to run smoothly, create a memorable customer experience, and convert prospects into fans. The same is true of any event. But, while you expect control over how you use existing customer data, utilising new data during an event can be more difficult. Gather’s smart data capture software integrates with any kind of CRM or Marketing Automation Platform (MAP), allowing you to submit or retrieve customer and prospect data – and make smart use of that data to round-off the customer experience.

Imagine how your new contact will feel receiving a discount for a smoothie, or a thank-you email as they leave your event.

Contact our team today for your 7-day free trial and maximise the customer experience at your next event.