Meetings Blog Nov 07, 2017
It’s good practice to know certain attributes of your attendees: age ranges help focus the supporting content, cultural background allows you to be clever with the choice of food and beverage, and personality types can help get everyone connected on the day. However, we’re talking about taking this knowledge to the next level, to a magical place inspired by Walt Disney himself. Amaze your guests by introducing personalized surprises.
When personalizing items at an event are considered, many people think of the attendee’s name on a small gift bag or notepad to take away as a souvenir of the day. Don’t get me wrong, these surprises are lovely, however, we want to take this idea further. I mean, it’s nice that it has their name on it but that’s hardly ‘personal’.
So, let’s look at one incredible practice that goes on at Walt Disney World, and more specifically, its Magic Bands. This small, plastic wristband – which is waterproof and comes in a selection of colors – was introduced in 2013 and offer guests to the parks all sorts of handy uses. Their purpose is to make their stay as seamless as possible and, along with a fingerprint, it acts as a room key, a payment method, and your access to the park and rides. “Nice and helpful,” I hear you say, “but where’s the magic?”
Where these clever little devices really add to the mystical experience of the guest is where Disney uses the information that it has gathered to surprise them. Unique photos for example. Whether you’re speeding down a water slide or meeting the beautiful Snow White in the forest, Disney’s Memory Maker service ensures you have a memento to take home. Your Magic Band tracks where you are and the strategically placed cameras do the rest. The tech is all interconnected so the app that goes with it receives the images for you to enjoy later. I can sense you are already considering other incredible ways that these could be used!
F&B is one of the areas in which you can be creative and apply a dose of Disney magic
The man behind Mickey Mouse was truly remarkable. His vision was to amaze and, boy, did he manage it. His obsession with excellence was one factor that drove him and his team to push the idea of something being good is not enough. He wanted ‘good’ to become ‘great’ and then something even better. He even had an expression for it, telling employees to “plus it” at any opportunity. Have you ever thought you’ve got something just right for your event? Next time see if you can plus it.
This desire to have everything perfect was demonstrated with something simple, trashcans. As the story goes, Walt examined how customers at other amusement parks were behaving and realized that littering tended to happen within 30 paces of a person consuming their food-on-the-go. So what do you see an abundance of at Disney parks?
You see, Walt Disney was always looking for ways to improve his work and recognized early on that often the best way to do this is learning from the past, while not dwelling on the past. He once said about the public upon finishing a movie: “I find out what they like, or they don’t like, and I have to apply that to some other thing; I can’t change that picture…”
It’s a fantastic approach to take to event planning too. The event that has happened is over, it’s gone, and you can’t change it. What you can do, though, is apply the feedback from it to the next one, or to another aspect of your work.
I find out what they like, or they don't like, and I have to apply that to some other thing; I can't change that picture…
‘The whole is greater than the sum of all its parts’. A well-known phrase attributed by many to Aristotle, and one that could apply perfectly to the team that Walt Disney assembled. He had a keen eye for talent and pulled together a group of writers, artists, engineers, musicians, and more, gave them a working environment in which they could flourish, and let them get on with it. They were named, much like everything in this magical world, the ‘Imagineers’, and continued his dreams long after he had passed away.
Now it’s your turn. Consider what magic you can weave into your next meeting, event or conference to put each attendee at the very center of the enchanting occasion. How much more special can someone feel if they get a sense that everything is miraculously revolving around them? How can you ‘plus’ each and every aspect of the plan or the event? What can you learn from past experiences by asking those directly affected by them?
The opportunities are vast, only really limited by your creativity and imagination. It’s about obsession, sometimes generating a perception or illusion; you are the magician with oodles of tricks up your sleeve, and a talented team around you, as you create an experience that has guests heading home with an amazed look on their face.
And talking of happy endings, here’s one example where NH Hotel Group were able to turn the tables on Disney and make its event dreams come true. How can we help do the same for you?
