Jenny Wang
Jenny Wang is an associate strategist at FreemanXP, where she works on portfolio planning, research strategies, and brand messaging to help her clients reach success.
Amp Up Your Hype and Design Anticipation for Your Next Event
July 16, 2016
Can you design anticipation? Get people so excited about your event that they are literally counting down the days until it kicks off?
That’s how I felt leading up to this year’s Coachella — and it got me thinking about brand experiences. Statistics show that our current generation puts much greater value on experiences and events than ever before. But what makes certain events stand out? How can you amp up your hype?
Based on my recent experience at Coachella, here are a few tips to maximize attendee anticipation for your next event:
The Whole Package
Part of the excitement comes in the packaging of how the tickets are delivered. For example, Coachella tickets come in a nifty box along with other promotional items, which are all sponsored. While sponsored giveaways have been the norm, it’s important to consider how they relate to the event. Why give away a mouse pad at a dental conference? It needs to not only make sense, but also add value.
This year, Coachella partnered with Doppler Labs to integrate Here Active Listening headphones. Using the Coachella app and Here access code, attendees could access exclusive and personalized listening experiences throughout the festival, optimized presets for specific stages, and special audio filters. Not only does this increase attendee engagement, it also collects attendee preference data through the app.
The Cool Badge
Tickets are out and wearable technology is in. Forget clunky badges! At Coachella, attendees sported chic RFID wristbands—efficient for check in (can’t lose your ticket) and also fashionable (they played off the Coachella “bohemian” look). Festival-goers could load cash onto their wristbands and happily forget the wallet at home, meaning less things to carry and worry about. Using RFID wristbands can also help organizers collect data on attendee preferences to create a more personalized experience. Win-win!
Take Me Places
In the same lines of personalization, Coachella incorporated virtual reality for “sneak peeks” to get audiences intrigued. Using the Coachella app and a cardboard VR headset, attendees could enter the Sahara stage or check out the rush of when the entry gates open. Whether you’re a Coachella veteran or a rookie, the experience evokes either a sense of nostalgia or anticipation — all building up excitement for the event. While VR reality may not be possible for every event, consider fun promo videos, infographics, and other forms of multimedia to amp up the hype!
Think about which emotions you want to evoke from the audience at your next event and use some of these ideas to design the anticipation for it!
This blog was first published on the FreemanXP blog.
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.
Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.
Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.
The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.
MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.
MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.
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