Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360
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Leaders in Customer Loyalty, Powered by Loyalty360
Creating Unforgettable Moments: How VIP Nation Builds Loyalty Through Emotional Experience
For many fans, the first concert or professional sporting event they attend is more than just entertainment. It’s a core memory. It’s the roar of the crowd, the closeness of family, and the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of seeing a favorite artist or team live. Today’s consumers no longer settle for a faraway seat or generic experience; they want immersive, personalized moments that spark emotional resonance. At the forefront of this movement is VIP Nation, a leader in curated concert experiences and part of the Live Nation family.
Evan Abrams, Senior Director at VIP Nation, has had a front-row seat in the evolution of fan engagement for more than a decade. “VIP Nation, we're a global leader in premium concert experiences. "We work directly with the artists, managers, and promoters to create elevated fan moments,” Abrams explains. These range from artist meet-and-greets and sound checks to photo ops on stage and exclusive merch bundles. “Our mission is to bring fans closer to the music they love in unforgettable ways.”
It's Thursday, so that means another edition of our Leaders in Customer Loyalty series focused on brand stories. So looking forward to another episode where we get to speak with brands about what's working in Customer Channel and brand loyalty.
Speaker 1:Everyone remembers their first concert or their first pro football game, usually with their family, a grandfather or father who is trying to share a passion of his in hopes that it's going to stick with their kids. These memories are deeply etched within one's mind. Over time, the experience of attending events have evolved pretty significantly. No longer does going to a Denver Broncos football game mean sitting in the top row of the stadium, far away from the action. Nor do you have to sit in the grass at a Jason Haldim concert away from the action. Nor do you have to sit in the grass at a Jason Haldim concert. Today. It is much more impactful to have unique experiences that are personalized to the audience's interest. These experiences are very emotive, whether it is experiencing an artist in a small acoustic set, touring the inner workings of a recording studio or stadium, or even walking through the visitor locker room in an NFL football game. These memories last forever and create deeper engagement with the customer.
Speaker 1:Today we're going to hear from Evan Abrams. He's a senior director at VIP Nation. He will talk to us about how they are working on experiential reward opportunities for their clients and how it's changing the live entertainment industry. Evan, thank you very much for taking the time to join us today. How are you?
Speaker 2:I'm good Thanks for having me this is great, absolutely.
Speaker 1:For those who may not be familiar, can you give us a short introduction to VIP Nation? You know what you guys are, how you were started.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. Vip Nation. We're a global leader in premium concert experiences. We work directly with the artists and managers and promoters to create elevated fan moments at their shows. That can range from anything like a meet and greet or a sound check or a Q&A session, or we also do a lot of programs that don't involve artist participation, like a VIP lounge or a backstage tour photo on the stage before the show, or maybe it's just a really great ticket to the show, and we come up with some exclusive merchandise that you can't get on the merchandise stands and package that together as the VIP experience. We're part of the Live Nation family, so our mission is to bring fans closer to the music that they love in unforgettable ways. Whether that's for a first time concert goer or a lifelong fan, we're designing VIP programs that turn live shows into lasting memories.
Speaker 1:Okay, excellent. What's led to VIP Nation's success?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think a few key things. First would be our relentless focus on the fan experience. Everything we do starts with that emotional connection with the fan. Second, I would say we've built a deep trust with the artists and their teams that we work with. They know that we can handle their fans with care and attention to detail. And I'd say the third thing is we embrace innovation from tech partnerships, like the one that we have with Blings, to create content or activations at our events.
Speaker 1:Okay, Can you tell us a little bit more about your role with VIP Nation and how you got to where you are now? Were there positions before that kind of led you to where you are, or you know how did you get involved?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. I've been at VIP Nation for over a decade. It was my second job out of college. I started as an intern, worked my way through a number of different roles in customer service and operations and marketing and, as you said today, right now I'm a senior director. I'm still wearing multiple hats here as our team are creating and selling and executing these VIP programs across a wide range of tours, so I've had the pleasure and the opportunity to grow with this business, which is really great. It's given me a you know, up to top to bottom understanding of the fan experience, as well as the backend logistics that go into making these you know moments come to life.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Lots of disruption in the entertainment industry right now. Big tours, mega tours, lots of change, right, how you work with artists, I think, is changing. So when you look at some of the dynamic events that are happening and kind of the customers changing in general, you know what keeps you up at night. What do you see as the biggest challenges or opportunities that you faced within your position.
Speaker 2:Besides the boogeyman, obviously, I would say, you know, for me personally, I managed our VIP Nation website. So making sure that those dates are correct, or did I spell a venue wrong or did I set that tour to announce in the right time zone? I'm always kind of worried that we're going to be the first ones to announce a tour before the actual announcement. So that's what maybe keeps me up personally at night. In general, for our business, I would say it's just making sure that we're ahead of the curve and meeting fans where they are. You know we want to make sure that we're creating experiences that they actually want. You know our fans have really high expectations, as they should. They're VIP right, very important people. So our goal is to always exceed those expectations and create these unforgettable experiences.
Speaker 1:Okay, we talked about a little bit in live entertainment. Industry is changing a little bit. Customers are changing, you know. What are you seeing? Are there some macroeconomic trends that you're seeing today that that may be impacting you from a customer experience, customer loyalty perspective and, if so, how are you responding to those?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, you know, part of this question makes me think of COVID a little bit. You know, coming coming out of that lockdown, we were really nervous and you know our neck of the woods are people going to want to meet the artist? Are artists going to still want to meet fans? And maybe that first year and a half we were trying new things like virtual experiences and things like that, which were cool and great to do, but, you know, didn't have that same energy that you get in that connection, that you get in the same space as the artists or different fans all experiencing the same thing. So we're really happy to see that trend, kind of come and go, and that demand to actually get out, go to the show, um, you know, connect with other people, connect with the artist, um, so that demand was still there. So we're really happy to see that, um, and how we kind of maybe combat some of those things.
Speaker 2:Um is just, you know, by creating different packages. So you know, affordability is always, you know, a factor for us. So we always try to focus on clear value. What does the fan get beyond just that access? Is it convenience? Is it exclusive content? Is it that face-to-face time with the artist. It has to feel you know worth it. So personalization plays a big role here.
Speaker 1:We're always kind of thinking you know how do we make every one of our fans feel like they're the most important person at the show? Absolutely so. When you look at younger audiences, entertainment is very important to them. But we see kind of a change in our audience people who run customer loyalty programs, customer experience programs. They see kind of a change in how younger generations are engaging with content, engaging with entertainment. I know VIP Nation blends entertainment, lifestyle and the community. How are you looking at the younger demographics and how do we engage them? How to keep them involved.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so younger fans they're digital natives, right? They grew up on Al Gore's internet. So the two things that I think that they're always expecting is relevance and authenticity. So I'm really proud of our team. Over the last couple of years, we've really stepped up our game of capturing user generated content from our events, so we've done a much better job of highlighting what it actually looks like and feels like to be a part of the VIP experience, and so you know that disconnect that that you maybe mentioned, maybe not so much in our world. Um, you know, the fan at the end of the day especially the younger ones, I think are still seeking that real personal connection with the artist. So, whether it's a meet and greet or sound check or q a or the face-to-face moment, I think that you know, I think that's what they value most, so that chance to connect with someone whose music has deeply, deeply impacted their lives. That's the authenticity that fans say they want and it's right there in those moments, and I think that's what makes them keep coming back.
Speaker 1:When you look at customer loyalty a very important topic we always like to understand how brands are defining customer loyalty. I think there's a pretty unique depth, in kind of the qualitative understanding. So when you look at customer loyalty, what does customer loyalty mean to you and VIP Nation?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I think every interaction should build trust and that, you know, the loyalty shouldn't just be about repeat purchases, it's more about that emotional investment for that experience, for that connection. So when fans feel like VIP Nation has helped create one of the best nights of their life, that's, that's a trust that they are going to have put on us to do again and again and that's a huge responsibility that we don't take lightly. You know that means on our part we need to be listening, adapting constantly. You know we're finding how we're communicating with the fans, how we're delivering these experiences. I often joke that, you know, we're kind of wedding planners in the live event space and every one of our customers are the bride and the groom and it's really important for us that they have, you know, the night of their life.
Speaker 1:Okay, excellent. Also one of the things that we see brands that truly, truly are customer loyalty focused versus being loyalty programmatic focused. Customer loyalty is bigger, right. It involves experiences. It involves understanding the data points, creating personalized messages that can resonate with the audience. There's kind of a disconnect and some brands are truly prioritizing and focusing on customer loyalty and some are not. How do you look at customer loyalty? Is it something you're putting a focus on, you're prioritizing, or are you working to prioritize? You know what does it look like at VIP Nation.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I mean that fan feedback. It's really important to us. It's the you know. We want to hear what did they love about the experience, what would they change about the experience? What do they want to see next? So inviting them into that process and building that trust, it shows that their voice matters and it's not just about their purchase. So it's really important getting customer feedback from our customer service team, doing surveys, hearing from fans at the event or after the event, and then retooling and rethinking how we're delivering the messaging to those people and what the package elements that we're putting into those VIP experiences.
Speaker 1:Okay, when you look at the sounding board program that you have, you talked about listening to your customers, understanding that that voice of the customer, and being able to action it when you can, right as appropriate. You know how does the sounding board program reflect the VIP Nation's broader effort to incorporate voice of the customer into your experiences and offerings?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I mean, it's all about that co-creation of these experiences. You know we want to listen to the fans. We want to make packages that they actually want to do and experience. So we're always striving to create a program that the fans truly want. So their feedback gives us kind of real-time insights to adjusting the messaging you know, the communication that we're sending to them before the event or rethinking those package elements to something that they actually want to do.
Speaker 1:Okay, live events are very powerful. They create deeply emotional experiences, whether it's sports or artists. You know I've taken my kids to Jason Aldean since they were two and I think my boys had two or three signed autographs. Those memories you'll never forget, right, very emotional, yeah. When you look at emotional connection, emotional loyalty, you know what does that mean to VIP Nation.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So emotional loyalty, I would say, you know, those emotional loyal customers for us are the super fans, the ones who are camping out the night before the show so that they're the first ones to check in that day, the ones that are traveling from city to city just to get their, you know, close up to their favorite artists. Multiple times, they're bringing signs, they're wearing custom outfits and costumes, they're posting every single detail of their VIP experience. So the fans, you know I don't they're just not buying access, they're buying, they're investing in a memory, like you were talking about those keepsakes that your boys have. So you know, they trust us to deliver that moment that they'll never forget. And that bond only grows stronger every time we get it right. And so, you know, that's that's our goal is that they leave with tears of joys in their eyes and saying it was, you know, the night of their life.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Personalization. You've talked about that a little bit as well understanding what artists you know what sports team individuals may have an interest in. When you look at personalization, you know how are you looking at personalization and how do you get it right. The challenges of data technology integration and truly being able to listen to and understand the customer can be fraught with challenges. Ramsey, how do you get it right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so personalization is really important to us, whether it's creating different package tiers that speak to different types of fans or using tools like blings to deliver personalized video communications that speak directly to those fans and their experience. Know, we're always kind of asking you know, how do we make this feel one of a kind? And so you know, a challenge of of that one-of-a-kind feeling is just the scale of it. You know, delivering that personal touch at hundreds of shows across the globe can be pretty challenging, or even just one show alone. You know we've done soundcheck experiences up to 5,000 people per show, so that just presents a whole bunch of different challenges, you know, including personalization for each one of those 5,000 people.
Speaker 1:Okay, are there challenges? Creating personalized experiences? You mentioned doing soundcheck for 5,000 people or one people, or you know. If you do do it smaller. What are the challenges? You kind of, you know, migrate or even manage the, the disparate opportunities that you have yeah.
Speaker 2:So you know that would be, you know, again, speaking to the customer, listening to them, surveys, um, listening to our customer service team, and you know the feedback they're getting from fans, um, looking at the purchase behavior, what are fans buying? What are fans maybe not buying so much? The insights that we get from our social media pages, or even just reviews for the events that we see after, you know, post-show. So all those data points are really important to us and they speak to kind of the fans' motivations. So you know what are the fans looking for? What are they looking for in a VIP experience? What matters most to them? Is it the access, is it the exclusivity, is it the convenience or is it that connection? It's probably all of those things. So you know, all those insights help us to constantly shape, you know, these experiences, to make them as tailored for the fan as possible.
Speaker 1:You talked about your personalization approach. Data is a big piece of that right. Talk about technology, even being able to leverage something like blinks for personalized videos based on people's interests. How do you get to know your customers? Are there certain data points that are most important to you that you leverage?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know it's definitely heavily relying on our customer service team. You know we're definitely going to hear from the fan good or bad after the show VIP, very important person. There's lofty expectations and if we don't meet those expectations, we're for sure going to hear about them and we want to hear about them so that we can constantly improve and make our experiences better at each show.
Speaker 1:Have you ever found out something about your customers that was maybe surprising or unexpected?
Speaker 2:I think the surprising things would probably be those small moments that we hear about, that maybe we're not always thinking about, or what we're thinking about, but maybe surprised to hear that that was what's stuck with the fan. We're constantly hearing from fans about the most unforgettable part of the experience. Wasn't that flashy element? It was maybe one comment that the artist made during the Q&A session, or a kind gesture from our staff that day, or one of those personalized keepsakes, you know autographed poster from Jason Aldean. All of that just reinforces that emotional connection I've been talking about. So small details really matter. It's not, maybe about bigger, it's about better and more intentional.
Speaker 1:Excellent. So partnerships I know VIP Nation has some partnerships with a number of different credit card companies that offer pre-sale ticket access. You know preferred seating, different experiences you know how do you determine which companies to work with or partner with.
Speaker 2:So those type of partnerships that are like a pre-sale access or preferred seating with credit card companies, that's going to be handled at the Live Nation level in collaboration with the tour, so not something VIP Nation is really involved in terms of making those partnerships. But if the tour would like VIP packages to be password protected during any of those pre-sales, the tour would like VIP packages to be password protected during any of those pre-sales, then we will. But if they don't want us password protected, we'll go up with no password.
Speaker 1:You know, when you look at customer experience, customer loyalty, it's ever changing rapid pace. And what's the next big thing for customer loyalty, customer experience, that VIP Nation is focused on?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're focused on that post-event journey. The fans remember the night forever, but we want that memory to continue on unfolding after the show is over. So investing in things like content, follow-ups and surprise and delight moments, personalized thank yous all that can help kind of extend that emotional arc after the VIP experience is over at the show. We're also in the midst of another project with bling's to explore more interactive digital tools that are going to keep fans engaged year round.
Speaker 1:Okay, I talked about some things you're doing with bling's. Are there other technologies, maybe AI, different platforms that you're looking to add to your platform, your program, that wouldn't enable you to offer more personalized rewards?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's another next leap forward that we need to take. We're a small but mighty team at VIP Nation, and AI presents a lot of exciting opportunities to enhance our efficiency and scale our efforts. I see a real potential in areas like our customer service and marketing, whether it's streamlining support or delivering smarter personalization or helping us anticipate what fans want before they even ask.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what are two or three things you're most proud of when it comes to your customer loyalty, customer experience programs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say I'm really proud of that emotional impact. We've been talking about Seeing the fans with tears of joy in their eyes as I was saying, or saying it was the best night of their life. That never gets old for us. Also really proud of the innovation that we're doing, working with forward-thinking partners like Blings to push personalization, and also just proud of our team's dedication. This is a passionate fan first group that works tirelessly to make these unforgettable moments come to life.
Speaker 1:Excellent. And last question what can Loyalty360 do to help you and your team and your customer experience? Customer loyalty journeys.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think keep creating spaces for brands to connect, share ideas and learn from each other. You know the loyalty landscape is evolving quickly and being able to tap into a network of peers and case studies and innovative partners is incredibly valuable, helping us stay inspired and helps us serve our fans even better.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, thank you very much. Very interesting perspective to hear from you today, evan. But now it's on to the quick fire question round. We like to keep these to a word or a short phrase, or I get in trouble with Hannah and the content team, so I don't like that. First off, what's your favorite word?
Speaker 2:Favorite word Nuance. Okay, what's your least favorite word?
Speaker 1:Ointment. Okay, what excites you? Boston sports teams there you go. What do you find tiresome?
Speaker 2:Laundry, specifically folding it.
Speaker 1:Okay, is there a book that you've read that you'd like to recommend to colleagues?
Speaker 2:Honestly, I'm going to go with the first book I ever read, which is the Hobbit.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, okay, interesting. Is there a profession other than the one you're currently in that you may like to try? Food critic oh, wow, okay, is there something?
Speaker 2:that you enjoy doing that. You often don't get the time to do. I live on the West Coast now, so I'm going to say ice skating.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, who inspired you to become the person that you are today Family and what do you typically think about at the end of the day? Chocolate, chocolate, a hundred percent.
Speaker 2:And how do you want to be?
Speaker 1:remembered by your friends and family. Goofy Okay, goofy's good, all right. Evan, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us today. It was great getting to know you a little bit, but also learning more about what VIP Nation is doing, how you're driving unique experiences and impacting that emotional engagement with your customers. That's great to hear. So thank you very much for taking the time to share that.
Speaker 2:Thank you, mark. Really excited to get to the expo next month, or this month, excuse me, it's already May.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. So thank you everyone for taking the time to listen today. Make sure you join us back every Thursday for our next Leaders and Customer Loyalty Series, the Brand Stories. Until then, have a wonderful day and look forward to having you back soon. Thanks.