It’s hard to find an event planner or event attendee that doesn’t love the thrill and energy of a large-scale, in-person event. Be it a music concert, conference, or trade show, there’s an electricity to events on a larger-than-life scale. But with hybrid events finding its footing in the future of events everywhere, a new opportunity is garnering attention: mico-experiences. This new type of hybrid event is capturing an intimate, luxury feel on a small and more personalized level, and it’s bringing “boutique” events to a whole new level.

• The Bare Bones of Micro-Experiences

In response to the consumers growing more busy and also desiring more personalization, mirco-experiences offer our industry a uniquely customizable solution in a post-COVID world. They offer a sensory and exploratory environment for consumers to get familiar with a brand, and can be repackaged and customized for a highly personalized experience.

Micro-experiences also don’t need to be standalone opportunities: larger opportunities can offer a hub-and-spoke model that allows attendees to experience smaller events that meet a very specific and niche audience. There’s an excitement to micro-experiences against a large-scale format, offering an unrivaled “out of the box” experience for those willing to engage with a brand on a more intimate level.

• Lessons Learned from Everything Going Virtual

Did you know that 86% of shoppers are willing to pay more for their product if a great experience is involved? Are you taking advantage of that high number? With so many businesses needing to pivot to online services for the past year, organizations everywhere have had to reevaluate how they can best reach their consumers online, creating an experience that feels both authentic and long-lasting. Enter the world of the new virtual micro-experience. 

Micro-experiences are the ways companies interact with their customers in the virtual world, and they have given a strong foundation for event planners to create micro-events with a hybrid element.

• Focus on Emotional and Human Connections

Event planners know that emotional, experiential events foster the most engagement and brand loyalty, and that same thinking needs to be tweaked for a great micro-experience. For in-person events, planners can leverage their wealth of knowledge in sensory experiences: how can you create an intimate event that invites your attendees to engage with all 5 of their senses? What colors will inspire them, what sounds will entice them, what smells will engage them? The list goes on and on!

In the digital realm, think about all of the ways you can use sounds and visuals to create a digital experience that is unprecedented for your virtual attendees. Even down to the way text scrolls or to the design of a uniquely branded cursor, allow your webpage to encourage your participants to see how you can customize their experience from the comfort of their homes.

Strategic partnerships with local community organizations or organizations that have a charitable outreach to their work can also add a strong human connection to your micro-experience. Not only could this lead to a greener world or more charitable donations, but could also help you generate more revenue. Talk about a win-win! 

• Always Offer Room for Personalization

If there’s anything that’s not going away anytime soon, it’s that consumers’ experiences are growing more and more personal. So, the question you need to be asking yourself at every phase of your event planning is, “how can I offer more consumer choice?”

Consider how you can alter the physical space of a room or hall with lounge or rest accommodations that are chosen from their preferences. Movable furniture is a great way to offer consumers the ability to create exactly the room they want. Accommodating more niche things like creating a device-free zone is another way to build loyalty before, during, and after the micro-event. Just make sure there’s plenty of hand sanitizer and disinfectant so consumers feel safe!

For a digital component, implementing technology with a component of AI is a strong bet. Using the beauty of a machine-created algorithm, attendees can be provided with curated suggestions for how to interact with a brand or experience, including how they can enjoy this experience after this moment, or where to eat in-between. 

• Strike a Balance of Digital and In-Person

The key to an amazing hybrid event is creating a stellar in-person event with an equally amazing digital component. This does require some thoughtful planning, but the benefits of it are invaluable. This is where you don’t need to stress: tech-savvy event professionals, like Wizard Studios, have been ramping up engagement in both the digital and in-person worlds by doing everything from gamifying content and hosting Q&As to creating personalized happy hours with virtual breakout rooms. With an event production team on your side, the perfect balance of in-person and digital is easily in reach.

Micro-experiences are the future of our industry, and continue to offer event producers a myriad of exciting hybrid opportunities. Wizard Studios has planned intimate mirco-events to large-scale stadium performances, always ready to create events that inspire and engage. If you’re interested in creating a micro-experience for your upcoming event, contact Wizard Studios today!