{"id":34863,"date":"2018-04-16T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bloomerang2dev.wpengine.com\/?p=34863"},"modified":"2025-09-03T22:54:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T02:54:05","slug":"wow-special-event-moments-to-convert-guests-to-loyal-donors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bloomerang.com\/blog\/wow-special-event-moments-to-convert-guests-to-loyal-donors\/","title":{"rendered":"WOW Special Event Moments to Convert Guests to Loyal Donors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me begin with a true story that\u2019s informed every single special event<\/span><\/a> I\u2019ve ever developed.<\/p>\n

[TRUE STORY]<\/b> Early in my nonprofit career, before I ran my first special event, I attended an Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) luncheon (it was called N.S.F.R.E. at the time) where Charlotte Mailliard (now Charlotte M. Schultz, wife of Secretary of State George P. Schultz, and California and San Francisco\u2019s Chief of Protocol) gave a talk about putting on killer special events.\u00a0<\/b>Hailing from Texas, she was all about the \u201cwow.\u201d (Still is. In fact, the San Francisco Chronicle<\/i> calls her the \u201ccity\u2019s premier party giver!\u201d). Charlotte\u2019s philosophy is as big as the state from which she hails, and it\u2019s one I\u2019ve carried with me ever since:<\/p>\n

Give your guests more than they anticipate; bestow them with exceptional gifts so they leave fulfilled beyond their expectations.<\/i><\/b> \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

GO BIG!<\/b><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t just meet people\u2019s needs. Exceed them. Merely meeting an expectation doesn\u2019t get people excited. They may be satisfied with what they got for their money, but they\u2019ll tell their friends the event was \u201cfine,\u201d \u201cokay,\u201d or \u201cwhat I expected.\u201d They won\u2019t become a raving fan who tells others: \u201cThe event was fantastic! You absolutely can\u2019t afford to miss it next year!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings<\/h3>\n

Maya Angelou famously wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you want to retain event attendees<\/span><\/a>, heed Maya Angelou<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Surprise them. Excite them. Enchant them. Make them feel special. Make them feel like heroes.<\/p>\n

Stuff your Event with Memorable Wow Moments<\/h3>\n

Think back on events you\u2019ve attended. Vacations you\u2019ve been on. Restaurant meals you\u2019ve enjoyed. What good memories come to mind?<\/p>\n

Chances are it\u2019s the extra touches you didn\u2019t expect. The towel folded into the shape of a swan. The bottle of bubbly delivered for your birthday. The complimentary chocolates tucked onto your pillow. The rose petals on the bedspread. The water misted on you at poolside. The touches that made you sit up and think: \u201cWow!\u201d<\/p>\n

Customer-centered touches make people feel pampered.<\/b><\/p>\n

People like to be pampered. They like to feel taken care of. It puts them in a good mood. It creates positive memories. And that\u2019s what you want for your special event attendees<\/span><\/a>. Right?<\/p>\n

Right! Because happy guests are giving guests. And guests who remember their experience with you fondly will give again.<\/p>\n

The Secret to a Memorable Event Attendee Experience<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s look at an example of a memorable restaurant experience (a true story) that can serve as a guideline for creating a memorable event experience. I found it on a podcast from\u00a0Convince and Convert<\/i>:\u00a0The Secret Ingredients to a Memorable Customer Experience<\/a><\/span>. The whole episode is interesting, but I particularly commend the example found midway through the audio [10:04 \u2013 19:46]<\/p>\n

[TRUE STORY]<\/b> For his seventh anniversary, Joey took his wife to Flagstaff House which is, according to Thrillist, the most romantic restaurant in America. Every detail was considered, from custom menus with their names and a hand-signed congratulatory message on them, to a magical, theatrical dessert called S\u2019mores Flamb\u00e9. Joey was over the moon about the presentation of the hand-signed menu and the dessert finale. First and last. The in-between part was important too.<\/p>\n

The podcast looks at lessons learned from this truly memorable customer experience. Takeaways include:<\/p>\n