Thinking Like A Traveller

Focusing on the Customer Experience

The Canadian University and College Conference Organizers Association National Conference Keynote Presentation 30 Sept 2013 Calgary AB

(c) Dr. Nancy Arsenault, Tourism Cafe 2013

Theres a Customer Revolution Going On!

And you can capitalize if you think through the eyes of your customer ... and for Conference and Event planners ... your
Narrowing the focus to Conferences ... but the same applies to meetings, incentive travel weddings, and special events

Its a fact: Times have changed!

Its a new experience!

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Reading & Publishing Has Changed

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Shoppings Changed

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How & where we converse has changed!

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And change is evitable - keep up with your customer!

(c) 20th Century Fox: Parental Guidance. 2012.

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Todays consumer is a:

Film maker/photographer Author/journalist/ blogger/storyteller

Reviewer

Marketer

Intermediary

And they have the world at their ngertip!

They hold the controls.

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Old Consumers vs. New Consumers Lowest price Waiting for solutions Asks, Whats in it for me? Seeking more stuff Trusts marketing messages on front of the box Passive recipient of brand communications Total value Creating their own solutions Asks, Whats in it for we? Seeking meaningful experiences Looks at ingredients on them back of the box Active co-creators of content, products and experiences

(c) 2011 BBMG

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The

Experience Factor

New value for your clients and their valued guests Differentiating business opportunity Host and community pride Optimize institutional assets and attributes
Dare to be different

The customer experience ... the next competitive battle ground & new currency.

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Lets think like a traveller! Think about your experience.

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One word to describe your memories of the:

Travel Experience

relaxation peace culture adventure love discovery history memorable surreal extraordinary fun

Conference Experience

grand connection eye opening interactive exciting rejuvenating fun unique complete communication

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A Great Customer Experience

Photo Credit: McLeans Photo Credit:

An interaction between an organization and a customer. Its a blend of the physical performance, the senses stimulated, and emotions evoked, each intuitively measured against customer expectations across all moments of contact.
Source: Colin Shaw(2005).

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Customer Experience
99% of organizations do not focus on the customers emotional needs
Colin Shaw (2010) Customer Experience Trends & Insights

Make the shift from: What do customers need?

Which tends to focus on infrastructure and services
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From Moments to Memories

83% businesses think the customer experience will be more important in the year ahead
CPXA (2011)

To:

What makes a memorable conference experience.

And start to focus on emotion, value over price, and designing what you offer around the experience.

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Experiential Travel

Photo Credit: GMIST

Photo Credit: Celes Davar

Photo Credit: Experience PEI

Engages visitors in a series of authentic, memorable travel activities, revealed over time, that engage the senses, are inherently personal and makes connections on a physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual or social level.

Source: Nancy Arsenault (2004). Packaging Experiences - A CTC Publication

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Layer on Value
Value is the immunization factor.When there is no difference in value people buy on price alone. Competing on value allows you to create a be different strategy that your competitors will have difculty copying.
Roy Osing (2009). Be Different of Be Dead.

Credit: Inniskillin

The CN Tower:Photo Credit: CTC

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Benets from Raising the Bar on Engagement, Personalization, Connections & Value
Greater Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Programs & People

Competitive Positioning

Service & Activities

No to Low Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Infrastructure
Pricing & Prots
(c) 2013 Lesley Anderson & Nancy Arsenault

Commodity Pricing

Value Pricing

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Benets from Raising the Bar on Engagement, Personalization, Connections & Value
Greater Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Programs & People

Competitive Positioning

Physical Engagement
No to Low Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Service & Activities

Infrastructure
Pricing & Prots

ROI

You are strongest here

Value Pricing

Commodity Pricing

(c) 2013 Lesley Anderson & Nancy Arsenault

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Benets from Raising the Bar on Engagement, Personalization, Connections & Value
Greater Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

You have room to improve

Emotional Engagement

Programs & People

Competitive Positioning

Service & Activities

No to Low Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Infrastructure
Pricing & Prots
(c) 2013 Lesley Anderson & Nancy Arsenault

Commodity Pricing

Value Pricing

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Benets from Raising the Bar on Engagement, Personalization, Connections & Value
Greater Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Partnerships+&+Connec0ng+ to+People,+Place+&+Culture

Emotional Engagement
Competitive Positioning

Programs & People

Physical Engagement
No to Low Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Service & Activities

Return on Investment & Return on Emotion

Increased+Sales,+Brand+ Strength+&+Advocacy
Value Pricing

Infrastructure
Pricing & Prots

ROI

Commodity Pricing

(c) 2013 Lesley Anderson & Nancy Arsenault

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EDIBLE CANADA

www.ediblecanada.com
(c) 2012 Tourism Cafe & Earth Rhythms

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Edible Canada,Vancouver, BC
www.ediblecanada.com Greater Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement

Chefs Gourmet Kayaking (Experience)

Raising the Bar on Engagement, Personalization, Connections and Value

I& RO

E RO

Granville Island Chefs Market Tour (Experience) Competitive Position

I RO

Restaurant Dining (Service)

Culinary Artisan Store (Goods) No to Low Differentiation, Emotion, & Engagement Market Price Pricing & Prots Food ingredients (Commodities) Premium Price

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Commodity: Goods: Services: Off-site Culinary Adventures:

Vegetables: $1 to $3/kg Olive Oil: $12 to $100 Served Meals: $12 to $23.00+/per person Chefs Market Tour: $35/pp (2- 8 pax) Chefs China Town Tours: $40 - 60/pp (2-8 pax) Guest Chef Market Dinner: $100/pp (14 - 24 pax) Gourmet Kayaking Weekends: $750/pp (8 - 12 pax)

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College and University Conference Departments

Commodity: Goods: Services: Experiences:
___________________________

(physical assets) (physical things you sell)

___________________________

_______________(things

you offer to ensure a positive event)

___________________________ (things

you must stage for engagement, personalization and relevance)

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College and University Conference Departments

Commodity: Goods: Services: Experiences:
Land, buildings, location (physical assets) Venues, AV equipment (physical things you sell) Food & beverage, conference planning/support (things you offer to ensure a positive event) Learning, networking, transacting business (things you must stage for engagement, personalization and relevance)

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The Challenge in your world is have a customer Soyou whos your customer? who has multiple valued guests that are essential to success.
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Your Customer
The decision maker who chooses you The person you work with to ensure success. planner/volunteer. .

May or may not be the same person, could be an event company/planner/volunteer

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So whos your customer? And their valued

guests!

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... essential people to a conferences success?

1. Delegates 2. Sponsors 3. Speakers/Presenters 4. Volunteers 5. The event planners boss/client
Your Client Their Valued Guests

(c) Dr. Nancy Arsenault, Tourism Cafe 2013

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Narrowing the scope of todays talk! BUYING

EXPERIENCE Experience Experience Experience
Post Delivering

Planning

If you dont get the biz, the rest doesnt matter!

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My Reality

BUYING EXPERIENCE

My time is precious My clients time is precious I know what I need I may or may not know you I know my budget I can potentially be upsold if there is value I need to make a decision soon
How easy can you make it for me?

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Customers want personalized services and experiences from YOUR business. How are you doing?

(c) Dr. Nancy Arsenault, Tourism Cafe 2013

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Looked at 34 Colleges/Universities here plus 6 not here Search engine google: [Institution] Conference Services

29 April 2009

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Could we nd you?
Get into the Consideration Set

Searched: Institution Name Conference Services

Conference Home Page (31) Had to work to nd (3) Experience Impact:
91% 9%

If I cant nd you easily, Ill move on; not sure you really want my business.
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Experience Impact: Pretty solid beginning, targeted opportunities to improve

Infrastructure

Services Asking for the biz based on infrastructure not experience Call to action UFE & Personalization missing

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Experience Impact: Lots of reading, searching, I have to work hard

Infrastructure Services Asking for the biz based on location Call to action: missing

Experience - intimacy, security

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We want you biz but ...

Infrastructure Services Call to action UFE is missing

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Or I try another academic institutions

Who has LOTS of information and multiple calls to action

and a Value Proposition

Because in a simple click I can try another place in town Or I try the Private Sector Lots of detail to make my decision gathering experience easy
UFE & Personalization - The Best So Far

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Engagement
Because in a simple click I can
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Infrastructure

Facility Information
Do you t my/clients needs?

Described in some form (25) No easy to nd info (9)

14%

Experience Impact: Some of you are making me work harder than I want to decide if I can bring you my business.

86%

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Infrastructure

Accommodations
May or may not be relevant

Offer Accommodations (28) or info No mention (6)

18%

Experience Impact:
You may not offer them, but dont leave me guessing.
82%

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Infrastructure

Floor Plans
21%

Facility Plans (7) None, or none easily found (27)

Experience Impact:
I have to guess at things like - room shape, distance between plenary & breakouts, number of rooms in close proximity, etc.

79%

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Infrastructure

Photos of the Conference Rooms

Empty Rooms (18) Rooms with Delegates (3) No sense of space (13)

41% 53% 6%

Experience Impact: Everyone looks the same.

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Which is more interesting? Personalized?

University of Guelph (Functional)

Grant McEwan Formal

Kings College Halifax Flexible, relaxed

Watermark Resort Personalized

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What affect does people have

University of Lethbridge

Georgian College

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Programs & People

Photos Gallery

Have a Photo Gallery (10) No Gallery

46% 54%

Experience Impact:
I cant see what you offer and when I could, it was mostly food and infrastructure - non differentiating.

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The Best
A room with speaker, equipment and delegates

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The Best

Delegates dining and engaged caters

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The Best
Sponsor and Trade Space

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The Best
A warm welcome!

Volunteers

II can see myself here as a speaker, delegate, sponsor, or volunteer.

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Infrastructure

Maps
Can I nd where Im going easily?

General Maps (18) Specic (5) No Maps (11)

32% 53%

Experience Impact:
Client and guests have to do the work to nd the locations - negative impact on their experience, could be late or get lost.

15%

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Infrastructure

The Best for Options and Detail

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Activities/ Services

Food Services
How much variety do you have?
Offer Catering (29) Didnt easily nd any catering info (5)
15%

85%

47%

53%

Offer Menus (18) No Mention/Had to dig (16)

Experience Impact:
Food is an essential element - make it easy to nd, know the choices, and price range
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Activities/ Services

Speaker Services
How much can you take care of?
AV Info (10) No Info
71% 29%

100%

Speakers Info No Speakers Info

Experience Impact: Essential elements to any professional development

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Great info, but add type of client. Takes the guessing out and could help you build customer pages specic to your key customer types.

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Activities/ Services

How Guests Can Enjoy Themselves

Options Provided (17) No Options/Links Found (17)

Reality: Just links and lists, customer has to do all the work, campus options arent celebrated/used to differentiate Whats available if I have 1 hour, 2 hours, a day. Transportation/No transportation? Safety? Pre & Post Conference Support - didnt nd!

50%

50%

On Campus/Off?

Source: The Autonomous Customer 2013 by Avaya

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Programs & People

Securing the business

38% 62%

Online Quotation Form (13) Must Phone/Email (21)

Experience Reality: Make it easy for me to get info and book through channels I use, not what you prefer.
38% would like a web chat while on the internet 82% would like organizations to offer different channels to meet their needs
Source: The Autonomous Customer 2013 by Avaya

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Programs & People

Testimonials
18%

Yes (6)

No (29)

Experience Impact: Do I trust you?

82%

Source: The Autonomous Customer 2013 by Avaya

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Programs & People

Why Choose Us?

15%

Choose Us - Nice and Clear (5) Not obvious or buried in text Experience Impact: I have to try and gure it out.
85%

Source: The Autonomous Customer 2013 by Avaya

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Bold, specic, relevant.

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Bold - place based and service differentiator. Why not add the experience?
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BUYING
EXPERIENCE Experience Experience Experience
Post Delivering

Planning

Infrastructure & Service focused An opportunity to dene the conference/event experience.

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Think of your business a stage to ENGAGE

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You have the opportunity to Raise the Bar on:

Engagement Personalization Connections Value ... for your client

... for your client and theirs!

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Things you can do right away

Think through the eyes of your traveller/guest Consider mapping your customer journey Dene your UFE Articulate how you personalize the experience Watch language & imagery unless you only deal with
student and the academic community

Determine what makes a memorable experience for Take one step at a time.

everything you sell (conference, meeting, wedding, etc._

(c) Dr. Nancy Arsenault, Tourism Cafe 2013

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Thanks!

www.tourismcafe.org (website) www.tourismcafe.ca (blog)

The experience gal nancy@tourismcafe.org

Tel: 250.391.6077

facebook.com/tourismcafe twitter.com/#!/NancyArsenault slideshare.net/nancyarsenault/ linkedin.com/in/nancyarsenault

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