Reflection on Live Event

Reflection on Live Event

By Vergil DAI

The event management students in the University of Huddersfield has organized variety of fundraising events during February and March. As an event management student, I also organized an event named ‘Brain Crash’ with teammates. Meanwhile, I participants in a large amount of events that completed by other groups. In order to improve the performance of future events, I will compare the brand experience in some of the events that I attended.

Brakus (2009) define brand experience as the subjective, internal and behavioral consumer responses towards the experience of interacting with brands. In this case, brand experience means the experience of an event in before the event period, during the event period and after the event period. Also can be regard as promise, deliver and delight.

As for the brand experience before the event, ‘Creative Arts Fair’ did a good job. They gave out paper crane, paper butterflies and paper heart when they promote in student union. These can give people an intuitionistic feeling of the event. Also free gifts can build a good brand image and attract people to attend the event. Meanwhile ‘Health and Wellbeing Event’ made the good use of their fliers to provide special event experience before the event. The group used the reverse side of flyers to be a healthy one week plan sheet. People could tick in the table when they complete the tasks, and they can share the result and exchange ideas with others. 

As for brand experience during the event, four dimensions theory is helpful to analyze, which include sensory, affective, behavioral and affective. ‘Faceless’ can be a good example provide nice sensory experience. It was an event full of color and light. Participants can make their own masks with luminescent pigments. Then they can move to another dark room with UV light to dance and make Light painting photography. This event bring a strong and memorable experience of sight sense. 

‘Battle of Bands Huddersfield’ is an event that create affective brand experience. Because ‘Battle of Bands Huddersfield’ co-operated with a local bar and several bands. The hot music and alcohol bring participants strong emotion of excited and high. 

‘Brain Crash’ did well in create behavioral and intellectual experience. There were many types of interactive intelligent toys in the event. People can pick which they like to play with. ‘Brain Crash’ also include two competition at the central stage of Sudoku and Rubik Cube during the event. Participants can take part in the competition to win the prize. Meantime with the help from volunteers and videos on IPads on the table, clients can learn how to solve the games and a little history of the game.

As for brand experience after the event, ‘HudDance’ can be the best example. ‘HudDance’ keep post news, videos, pictures on Facebook after the event for a long period of time as delight process. It can make customers to feel highly involved in the event experience. As a result they will be more possible to come to the event again.

The major part of the event is experience. Therefore providing a good brand experience through all of the period in the event is very important. Marketers need to learn to understand what customers want from the experience, and use proper methodology to improve the brand experience.

• Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009). Brand experience: What is it? how is it measured? does it affect loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 73(3), 52-68.