No, this isn’t clickbait. You read the headline right. Richard Branson’s recent perspective on his growing portfolio of Virgin Limited Edition retreats offered a nuanced view of why “luxury” isn’t necessarily the emphasis:
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t think about ‘luxury’…we just look for places in the world that are completely unspoiled and completely unique and completely special. And they are rare.” – Richard Branson, Robb Report
As Branson continued with Robb Report’s Heidi Mitchell, he reaffirmed the success of offering experiences that put “exclusivity” above all. Brands designing remarkable moments that will never happen again stand to become the most sought after and trusted.
Let’s apply this to business events for the C-Suite.
The upside in heeding Branson’s advice is that we’re talking about creating experiences for many of the same people and their peers: high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth leaders who are more attracted than ever to experiences that (as Ms. Mitchell goes on to say), “enhance a life well lived.”
The downside is that experience design for business events is often guided by limitations placed on brands because of internal culture and external governance. Regulatory constraints and the potential for misperceptions remain crucial considerations for teams. As a result, C-Suite events often shake out to be more of the same types of intimate conferences and white-glove hospitality activations. But, with the right data, collaboration and a Business-2-Human mindset, you can define what “exclusivity” means for how you engage decision makers who are among the most discerning consumers in the world.
Here are three ways to begin reframing common event elements around “exclusivity” informed by Momentum Worldwide’s proprietary B2H research:
- Keynotes: Drastically reduce time spent sharing prepared remarks and presentations with leaders. C-Suite attendees are more interested in spending time unpacking themes and topics of their choosing with one another.
- Speakers: Seek out external talent who prefer to truly interact with leaders beyond traditional Q&A, panel discussions, or meet and greets. C-Suite attendees would rather workshop new solutions than hear about them in theory.
- Networking: Integrate time for leaders to bond as people through common challenges, aspirations or cultural interests. C-Suite attendees will offer additional personal information to make deeper connections with the right peers.
We only scratched the surface of how C-Suite experiences can become unique, special and rare moments, just like Virgin’s Limited Edition retreats. By analyzing audience and competitive data, you can fully define precisely what “exclusivity” means for your brand and how you engage leaders differently in ways that drive greater action.
Author: Andrew Kyrejko, VP, Director of Strategy, NA
Sources:
Robb Report’s interview with Richard Branson
Momentum Worldwide 2024 Proprietary Global B2B Study