All too often you see the great instagrammable picture of a person on a cliff or a hike or having a great time at a destination. This promoteds the tagline of the fact that consumers will have a great experience is usually associated to a specific product which the company is offering. 

We seldom remember that the experience as a word is a sum total of many aspects of a consumer's journey. One single product cannot shape or create an experience and it's the food, the culture, the walk , the laugh or the weird connection we get through the events that sum total the experience. 

Product companies pushing experiences as their way to engage audiences is probably working for those brands but MICE companies probably are the best suited to elucidate this concept the best.

If we walk through the customer journey of an experience from thought , planning, engagement, travel , stay , connections, customer service and feedback , they all need to be stiched together for that great experience. 

MICE organizers do that day in and day out. But this goes unnoticed. Because, service companies get shot down as just event managing or project managing something. 

Why do some of the best hotels in the world have such a high score on customer service? Because they watch for the details. MICE companies need to market their offerings in a similar fashion as competition and opportunities require that. 

Three ways to re-design your marketing efforts for experiences : 

1. Ask not tell :  Build a questionnaire for the companies you engage with to find out from mulitple sources what they are looking for. While the Event head might have some thoughts, at the end of the day , its the attendee who needs to get the most out of it. 

2. Mind, Body and Soul :  A true experience is something which meets all three aspects. Think about how to showcase that through the journey to the customer and ensure that these vital elements are included in the right amounts. It's not an easy one when it is yet another boring conference or meeting for them but creative ways can certainly bring it out. 

3. Lastly, Define Metrics : Quality does not mean just expressiveness. Qunantifying things is necessary in this data driven age. Understanding the key metrics that drive satisfaction seems surreal but if you know what to measure , you can then have strong proof points for the next event. 

If Organizers change the way you engage customers through experiences , brands will come to MICE companies to ask you to promote their brand in the process. We know that in today's influencer marketing strategies , but why can't MICE companies be influencers too?