Monday Mashups: A Marketing Pro's 5 Rules for Creating Emotional Connections at Events

BizBash recently highlighted Pamela Norwood - the chief creative officer at Pamela Norwood Creative, a New York-based marketing and events firm. She previously served as the general manager of experiential for New York Media, where she oversaw the bicoastal Vulture Festival and New York magazine’s 50th birthday celebration. Pamela has also led marketing and events for Travel & Leisure, GQ, Rolling Stone, the Condé Nast Bridal Group, and much more. In this feature, she shares five of her infamous rules for creating emotional connections at events. Check it out!

1. Rethink everything. Every time.
Don’t allow yourself or your team to create formulas that are repeated. Really think through every consumer touch-point every single time. Treat each project like it’s an original masterpiece in the making. If you ever find yourself saying, “Yeah let’s do that. It worked for…” the internal alarm bells should be sounding.

This isn’t just about challenging yourself or ethics—there is a very practical reason behind it. Do something more than once and your team will be bored. Your events will start to feel like a factory floor, and that is always somehow telegraphed to guests.

2. Kindness is king.
Your team is gold. Staff members are your front-line ambassadors, and their energy is everything. Excited, empowered teams set the tone for a happy, exciting event. And confident people who are having a great time in their role create fantastic experiences for guests. Conversely, beaten-up staffers will take it out on guests in one way or another, whether they mean to or not.

The secret is a 360-degree service philosophy, which means treating everyone with the same, highest level of respect. And I mean everyone—from the guy delivering the orange juice, to the interns, to the C.E.O. of the company. Kindness, enthusiasm, and especially humor trickle down, so set an example as the gold standard by going out of your way to assist and support. Knit your people together; the rewards are huge.

3. Delight creates engagement.
It’s all about creating the unexpected to trigger emotional connections. This is the most challenging piece, but it’s also the most fun. Start by looking at every touch-point. Make a list. And with your best, most scrappy creative people, look at that list with fresh eyes, and start every sentence with “What if we….” Take event elements that can be rote, where guests expect a certain cadence or experience—like the front door, where talent performs, how food is served—and turn it upside-down in some way.

4. Create moments of discovery.
We have all been there. Guests walk into an event, get a drink, and then stand in one spot looking around, kind of just waiting for the “thing,” whatever that is, to happen. There’s no magic at that party. It’s a trip to the dentist.

Create moments of discovery for guests. Give them a reason to move through the space. And, of course, make it 100 percent selfie bait. Our culture is all about being at the center of the situation right now.

5. Play to the highest common denominator.
Come up with a dream guest profile, a dream demographic for your client, and envision all the details with that guest in mind. Even if 99 percent of your guests don’t know the difference between foie gras and a Big Mac, elevate the experience.

Take Pamela's advice! Create the experiences that seem to sweep guests up, make them feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves, and get their inner voice to say, “This is it. I am at the epicenter of what matters right now.” Your efforts will surely exceed their expectations and devour the details of a true emotional connection to your next event!