Approaching the Visitor Experience Design workshop

Here's how I approached designing the Visitor Experience workshop for the TIA Summit 2024.

I knew the morning would be filled with high-level, inspirational talks so I wanted to balance this with something practical.

The goal? Show how small, intentional moments can transform a guest’s experience - and even a business.

It had to include interesting (and hopefully unheard of) examples of how a moment had changed a business.

These included:

- The $2 hotdog story from Eleven Maddison Park (and the best book I've read in years; 'Unreasonable Hospitality')

- The popsicle hotline that turned an average hotel into a consistent top 10 hotel in LA

- The 10 star exercise that could see David Attenborough as your eco-tour guide?

These then led into an exercise around unreasonable thinking because to create something unique it helps to ditch all constraints and think different.

(no one was ever asking for a phone by a pool with unlimited popsicle delivery)

Then come back to something that's feasible - using a grid for impact VS cost really helps to demonstrate the point.

The power of a moment is huge - it takes some creative thought to wrestle with but the value is worth it.

Very much appreciate everyone who turned up and hope it sparked ideas for how to create those moments in your own business, organisation or destination.

PS It seemed the best laughs I got was for calling my wife a 'pot-head' (because of her love for Harry Potter...). I hope no one took that literally 🪴