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FEATURE | ||
Back to Facility Manager
Contents |
Experience Venues are the quintessential extension of human interaction, surpassed only by the realm of “virtual” reality. These modern edifices reign supreme as the designated expressions of community ethos to which people gravitate for the synergistic expression enjoyed at an event. In an age when technological trends seem to encourage individuality, the desire to assemble continues to abound, penetrating through the distractions of new emerging technologies and systems. As a veteran venue manager, I am familiar with the common elements that are essential to the design and operation of public assembly spaces. From stadiums and arenas to performing arts and convention centers, a need to codify “best practices” principles and standards of venues has never been more important. Although not the chief purpose behind public venues, their design successes are measured intrinsically by an intangible product called an “experience.” The very word (experience) conjures up many ideas, but conceptually it relates to the desire of people to come together. Since people are social beings, and assembly in crowds creates excitement and energy, client organizers of public events at venues are expressly focused on creating “experience”; positive ones that reinforce that value of assembly. Many Things To Many People
Fundamentally, when people use public venues, their benchmark evaluation of their experience encompass three primary elements; is it a clean, comfortable, and safe venue? However, to impact the 2nd experience dimension requires attention beyond being clean, comfortable, and safe. This article will address some of the more masterful components of success behind the creative venues that specialize in designing experience, many of which will identify 2nd experience features that not only entertain, but engage the customer. Client Venue Needs The client of any prospective venue site, whether it is short term (for one event) or long term (resident company), will look at several factors before choosing to use a particular venue. Leading that list is destination. The destination is critical to the decision making process as it often is the chief deciding factor considered by the prospective guest (that the client hopes to attract) on whether to attend. It is the unsung power of the destination’s appeal and attraction that assists the client in a successful marketing effort. But, for an enticing destination to satisfy, it must have a number of sub-components present to be viable. The most prominent among them are: access, activity, and affordability. Is the destination easily reached? Accessibility is an important component to the decision process to attend an event at a venue. Whether it be across town or across the country, the relative ease of transportation is important to the equation. Conversely, if transit to and from the venue is difficult or cumbersome, it becomes an impediment to the venue’s success. Destination planners must carefully evaluate this element and attempt to remedy or alleviate the concern. Another component of an appealing destination is the available activity options of the venue or community. Important to any venue experience is the added variety of diversion attractions and their entertainment value. It is the surrounding periphery of action that fills out and wraps the experience package. Shops and restaurants, street vignettes and vendors, etc., bring additional life to the venue experience. From half-time entertainment and intermissions to local artists and talent, satisfaction is enhanced with value-added amenities. Although demand will play the primary role in a person’s decision to go to a public venue, price sensitivity is always a part of the success equation. Leading edge venue markets recognize this issue and strive to hold costs down or subsidize operational costs in order to attract clientele. The most successful outcomes will be those venue business models that strike the best balance between demand and optimum pricing. Importance Of Branding Another facility feature that the client looks for is people-friendly space that is inviting to guests. Venues with space environments that attract people effectively elevate the guest’s sensory perception of happiness and contentment. To the client, this is an added bonus for providing the customer a satisfying experience. Flexibility of facility space increases utilization possibilities, making customized adaptation easier for the client’s event. Venues that possess both a staff / employee culture of attitudinal support (assistance) and design features yielding flexible environments are valuable distinctions that provide substantial advantages to the client’s success quotient. In other words, the more user-friendly a venue is, the more desirable it is. One of the most important characteristics but often-overlooked commodity of attractive venues is the value of strong local and regional partnerships. Sponsoring partners, with vested interest stakeholders, help to encourage patronage and influence client decisions. Enticing prospective business clients is often the result of applying a multitude of sensory stimuli, achievement of which may require cooperative efforts with other community beneficiaries and stakeholders. Sponsoring partners desiring access to the client’s constituents or patrons may often provide goods and services that either lower the cost and/or increase perceived value of the experience. They may be local and regional businesses and corporations like Kinko’s (for copy needs) or Starbucks (for coffee breaks) that derive short-term profits or long-term allegiance. This value-added packaging strategy may influence the decision to choose a specific venue. Other benefiting partners that may assist in the venue sponsorship are airlines, rental cars, etc., many of which not only contribute to the value-added draw to the venue, but reap long term customer loyalty through the experience. In many communities (particularly in the US), a convention and visitor bureau (CVB) is commissioned to market community amenities and leverage local/regional resources, thus Experience may be many things to many people. It may be rich, it may be hollow, it may be extreme or it may be mild. Regardless, it is the anticipation of “experience” that draws people to the venue. providing the necessary ignition spark that promotes market awareness and destination value that increases convention sales and tourism with economic impact. Cooperative relationships may range from aggressive accommodation entitlements (such as room amenities) and housing rebates to cross-bounce coupon booklets for retail stores, boutiques, galleries, and restaurants. Experience Economy of Creative Communities
Two of the more prevalent components of this model are to introduce an urban merger of retail districts with cultural districts. The outcome of this not only provides a strong economic function, but also is an enhancement to the 2nd experience. This model uses the cultural venues to stimulate and awaken the community (experience) while reinforcing the engagement of people through enrichment of the experience. The creative community model at its base level essentially becomes an entertainment machine, generating economic impact through 1st and 2nd experience satisfaction. Typical characteristics of this model’s environment are depicted by street level retail amenities with casual and informal atmospheres, yet vibrant and dynamic cultures. In Pine and Gilmore’s book The Experience Economy, experience is greatly increased in value because the customer finds each increased level of service more relevant to what is truly desired. Regardless of the competition, by differentiating levels of experience, a premium product price, based usually on value added benefits (primarily convenience and/or time savings), is achieved. Ingredients for Successful Venue A main catalyst for vibrant community dynamics is the prevalence of a creative business environment, with a strong technological infrastructure. Social demographics (income, ethnic diversity, education) are less significant than the strength of a creative business attitude. Initiating an entrepreneurial-friendly environment, one that fosters corporate investment, is high on the list of “musts” for cities wishing to become creative communities. Tax incentives are often used by communities to encourage investment in community infrastructure. The stimulus of such strategy is a proven model used by cities to re-invent themselves in blighted urban areas. Engaging the proper urban mix of utility can virtually revitalize communities. But a strong technological platform is not enough to propel cities into a vibrant and dynamic creative status. There are plenty of examples of communities that have a strong presence of technology that don’t succeed in re-inventing themselves. Abundant resources of skills are critical. Existing in every thriving community is a broad selection of essential talent to stimulate the technology environment. Without a strong pool of talented people, a community has less potential to achieve its destiny of becoming a dynamic and vibrant society. Cross-pollination of people skills and culture is common in communities that have achieved this level of development. To complete the formula for successful venue dynamics, you must focus on diversity. Providing a safe and accepting environment of diverse skills and ideas is instrumental in helping cities thrive. A dynamic community’s diverse needs are energized by a city’s tolerance of individual creative expression. In fact, the experiences that take place in venues represent that diversity. Trends of Venue Design A chief virtue among their artistic designs, these venues have an iconic nature they inherently possess from their creator. They are signature landmarks that effectively create the distinctive image and character of a destination city and its ethos, defining a brand identity recognized far and wide. These great public spaces encourage people to assemble together. Increasing name recognition and branding occur through naming rights with major business corporations. This practice now dominates the naming strategy of professional sports venues in North America and will inevitably become increasingly important to other venue types, further associating venues with commercial product value. Another of the emerging trends deals with the “how” and “where” of the venue site. Much attention has been focused on utilizing public venue projects as the catalyst for leading the re-development of inner-city areas. However, over years of experimentation, it is now recognized that urban revitalization cannot depend alone on this single component. It must have other amenities to enhance the environment of the guest/client experience. What we now see is a migration to designing entertainment/cultural districts in conjunction with retail districts. This cluster approach by developers (in London and Frankfurt) is quickly becoming the recognized business model for creative communities. An example of this approach is the Millennium Dome and Meridian Delta projects in London, England. Additionally, with the cost of land an impediment, a smaller venue footprint in the urban development cluster is becoming more prevalent. Stacking the facility programming components vertically and spanning air space over streets not only provides greater options of locale; it helps to reduce the sense of vastness that many traditional convention centers exude. Upscale space is also a strong trend in the build-out of public space. The venues of the creative community have placed an emphasis on aesthetic appeal and human comfort. Many of the newer facilities are providing more inviting environments in the venue build-outs ranging from lounge furnishings to Internet cafés, vast atriums to ornate boardrooms. Space distribution (circulation pattern relationships) has become extremely important to clients. Although flexible exhibit areas remain important, contiguous meeting and breakout rooms, bounded by lounge amenities, Internet cafés and pre-function spaces, have emerged at the forefront of client demand.
Bringing Them Back Branding the 2nd experience is more about “bringing them back.” Once experienced (by a client/guest), a venue is measured, compared, and judged, first subliminally and then outwardly, for its ability to meet or match expectations. It either succeeds or fails to live up to standards that in today’s market are based upon a highly sophisticated and discriminating customer. Appealing to the sensory and intellectual perception of each individual through sincere enrichment (2nd experience) of the original experience raises the value to a premium level, achieving a greater level of satisfaction than the competition. In today’s competitive business and leisure environments, bringing the customer back requires astute focus on providing an exceptional 2nd experience. Dexter King, CFE, is executive director of IAAM. |
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© 2002-2004 International Association of Assembly Managers 635 Fritz Dr. Coppell, TX 75019 USA Phone: 972/906-7441 Fax: 972/906-7418 |
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As powerful as “experience” may be, however, it is not the only factor that contributes to the venue’s impression repertoire. Beyond this impression is the “2nd experience;” that which the client or guest comes in contact with on the periphery during their visit. The sensation experience is the enrichment of the original and is what keeps people coming back.
Ease of circulation to and from the various public spaces is important to the venue experience and the client’s overall satisfaction. It also has an impact on life and safety issues which are much more pronounced today than ever before. Continuing crowd tragedies at venues, as well as terrorism – international and domestic – are changing many of the basic design criteria of our public venues. To adequately provide for this primary need, space planners are
now beginning to design into the program such features that can accommodate pre-function technology that screens participants at the entrance points or elsewhere within the facility.
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