Issue 57

EVENTS
encounters that do not last for a very long
time and the outcome is a lasting memory
linked to positive emotions (but can also be
negative). A typical example of an encounter
that could trigger positive emotions is a meal
at a restaurant where the front of house staff
responds to customers in a way that makes
them feel special or a specific dish that tastes
like something they have never experienced
before. These kind of experiences are key to
being successful in the events, tourism and
hospitality industries.
EXTENDED OR EXTRAORDINARY
EXPERIENCE
In contrast, extended or extraordinary
experiences differ from peak/memorable
experiences in respect to their duration.
These would usually last several days or
sometimes weeks. These experiences are
usually self-steered rather than guided and
their ultimate effect is specific memories
linked to emotions. They may constitute
several encounters over a longer period of
time. They are immersive by nature because
the encounters take place in the same
physical context e.g. a city, region, country,
or a bike or walking trail. Backpacking in
Australia is a typical example of an extended
or extraordinary experience. Once again this
is highly relevant to business professionals
being successful in the events, tourism, and
hospitality industries.
TRANSFORMATIVE OR FLOW EXPERIENCE
Our final considered experience is the
transformative or flow experience.
What makes these different is that they
are absorbing by nature as opposed to
immersive, and usually bring about learning
or a change in the individual. These changes
can relate to an increase in a skill level
e.g. getting better at playing the guitar,
rock climbing, yoga, etc. or an increase in
knowledge levels such as understanding
architecture, haute cuisine or history.
Participants would go through intense
concentration on a task as they get into the
‘flow’ of the experience and possibly lose
track of time and place. These experiences
can be purposely designed, staged and
managed by coaches, guides and experts for
business professionals in the events, tourism
and hospitality industries.
So how can my students and event
professionals create positive visitor
experiences from their participants engaging
in memorable encounters that have a longlasting,
moving effect?
“A CUSTOMER JOURNEY INCORPORATES ALL THE RELEVANT
ENCOUNTERS AND SITUATIONS THAT OCCUR PRIOR, DURING
AND AFTER YOUR PARTICIPANT HAS CONSUMED A SPECIFIC
PRODUCT OR SERVICE”
TOUCH POINTS AND CUSTOMER JOURNEY
MAPPING
If we go back to the experience of eating an
exceptional dish at a restaurant, we should
note that this is not the only encounter
that will occur during the visit. There will
be interaction with the restaurant staff, an
impression of the interior of the restaurant,
observation/interaction with other guests
and enjoyment (or dislike) of the food
and drink. These series of situations and
encounters are typical of many event,
tourism and hospitality experiences and
together they make up your so-called
customer journey.
A customer journey incorporates all
the relevant encounters and situations
that occur prior, during and after your
participant has consumed a specific product
or service. Now whether this customer
journey includes specific peak, extended or
transformative experiences, these activities
within the context of your customer journey
are normally referred to as ‘touch points’.
In other words, the various types of touch
points within a specific customer journey
can determine what types of experiences
will be linked to a customer that is
consuming a specific product or service.
For example, booking a ticket for a
theatre show on your home laptop is done
with relative ease and will influence your
expectations of the show. The same applies
to conversations that you might have
with other visitors when dropping your
coat at the cloakroom or buying a drink
at the bar. Then there is the performance
itself, the interlude, end of show and
departing the theatre. Whether the overall
customer journey turns into a memorable
or extraordinary experience depends on
the combination of the personal, social and
physical contexts in which each encounter
and situation took place.
Together these ‘activity peaks’ and ‘nonactivity
lows’ create a unique structure to
the customer journey. Music festivals usually
try to create a peak at the beginning but
also try to build up the biggest peak near
the end of the festival. By scheduling an
interesting artist in the first few hours you
may be able to attract visitors to arrive early
and consume more food and drink.
The customer journey map for a meal at
a high-end restaurant would run something
like as follows. The starting point for the
meal’s service delivery process is a table
reservation made by phone or through the
restaurant’s website; if this touch point is
managed this can stimulate excitement and
anticipation. The next touch point is the
customers arriving at the restaurant, the
host checking their reservations, taking their
coats and escorting them to their table, once
again raising expectation and excitements
levels.
The next touch point is at the table where
the guests may order some appetisers and
then front of house will provide a food and
wine menu, talking through the specials. The
guests are given some time to decide what
to order, take in the atmosphere and observe
other guests; this would invoke relaxation
and satisfaction. The waiter returns and
communicates the order to the kitchen so
that the food can be prepared. The various
courses will be served at the right time
without rushing or any overlong waiting.
The final steps are the process of presenting
the bill, the payment, handing the guests
their coats and seeing them out. The whole
experience is reliant on staff interactions with
the guests to create these touch points of the
customer experience journey.
If sounds rather complex and overanalytical,
just remember we used to call this
‘putting yourself in your customer’s shoes’.
This is exactly what I will remind my students
to do with their event planning.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Kirby is a senior
lecturer and course leader
for the BA(Hons) Creative
Events Management course
at Falmouth University and
has worked as an academic for
15 years. Prior to this Matt worked in
corporate events for 10 years. matt.kirby@
falmouth.ac.uk / www.falmouth.ac.uk/
study/undergraduate/creative-eventsmanagement
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