June 12, 2025 • 21 mins
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.”
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's Thursday, so that means another edition of
our Leaders in Customer Loyaltyseries focused on brand stories.
So looking forward to anotherepisode where we get to speak
with brands about what's workingin Customer Channel and brand
loyalty.
Everyone remembers their firstconcert or their first pro
football game, usually withtheir family, a grandfather or
father who is trying to share apassion of his in hopes that
(00:26):
it's going to stick with theirkids.
These memories are deeplyetched within one's mind.
Over time, the experience ofattending events have evolved
pretty significantly.
No longer does going to aDenver Broncos football game
mean sitting in the top row ofthe stadium, far away from the
action.
Nor do you have to sit in thegrass at a Jason Haldim concert
away from the action.
Nor do you have to sit in thegrass at a Jason Haldim concert.
(00:46):
Today.
It is much more impactful tohave unique experiences that are
personalized to the audience'sinterest.
These experiences are veryemotive, whether it is
experiencing an artist in asmall acoustic set, touring the
inner workings of a recordingstudio or stadium, or even
walking through the visitorlocker room in an NFL football
game.
These memories last forever andcreate deeper engagement with
(01:09):
the customer.
Today we're going to hear fromEvan Abrams.
He's a senior director at VIPNation.
He will talk to us about howthey are working on experiential
reward opportunities for theirclients and how it's changing
the live entertainment industry.
Evan, thank you very much fortaking the time to join us today
.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I'm good Thanks for having me this is great,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
For those who may not be familiar, can you give us a
short introduction to VIP Nation?
You know what you guys are, howyou were started.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Vip Nation.
We're a global leader inpremium concert experiences.
We work directly with theartists and managers and
promoters to create elevated fanmoments at their shows.
That can range from anythinglike a meet and greet or a sound
check or a Q&A session, or wealso do a lot of programs that
don't involve artistparticipation, like a VIP lounge
(01:59):
or a backstage tour photo onthe stage before the show, or
maybe it's just a really greatticket to the show, and we come
up with some exclusivemerchandise that you can't get
on the merchandise stands andpackage that together as the VIP
experience.
We're part of the Live Nationfamily, so our mission is to
bring fans closer to the musicthat they love in unforgettable
ways.
Whether that's for a first timeconcert goer or a lifelong fan,
(02:23):
we're designing VIP programsthat turn live shows into
lasting memories.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Okay, excellent.
What's led to VIP Nation'ssuccess?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, I think a few key things.
First would be our relentlessfocus on the fan experience.
Everything we do starts withthat emotional connection with
the fan.
Second, I would say we've builta deep trust with the artists
and their teams that we workwith.
They know that we can handletheir fans with care and
attention to detail.
And I'd say the third thing iswe embrace innovation from tech
(02:55):
partnerships, like the one thatwe have with Blings, to create
content or activations at ourevents.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Okay, Can you tell us a little bit more about your
role with VIP Nation and how yougot to where you are now?
Were there positions beforethat kind of led you to where
you are, or you know how did youget involved?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, absolutely so.
I've been at VIP Nation forover a decade.
It was my second job out ofcollege.
I started as an intern, workedmy way through a number of
different roles in customerservice and operations and
marketing and, as you said today, right now I'm a senior
director.
I'm still wearing multiple hatshere as our team are creating
and selling and executing theseVIP programs across a wide range
(03:36):
of tours, so I've had thepleasure and the opportunity to
grow with this business, whichis really great.
It's given me a you know, up totop to bottom understanding of
the fan experience, as well asthe backend logistics that go
into making these you knowmoments come to life.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That's awesome.
Lots of disruption in theentertainment industry right now
.
Big tours, mega tours, lots ofchange, right, how you work with
artists, I think, is changing.
So when you look at some of thedynamic events that are
happening and kind of thecustomers changing in general,
you know what keeps you up atnight.
What do you see as the biggestchallenges or opportunities that
(04:12):
you faced within your position.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Besides the boogeyman , obviously, I would say, you
know, for me personally, Imanaged our VIP Nation website.
So making sure that those datesare correct, or did I spell a
venue wrong or did I set thattour to announce in the right
time zone?
I'm always kind of worried thatwe're going to be the first
ones to announce a tour beforethe actual announcement.
(04:36):
So that's what maybe keeps meup personally at night.
In general, for our business, Iwould say it's just making sure
that we're ahead of the curveand meeting fans where they are.
You know we want to make surethat we're creating experiences
that they actually want.
You know our fans have reallyhigh expectations, as they
should.
They're VIP right, veryimportant people.
So our goal is to always exceedthose expectations and create
(04:58):
these unforgettable experiences.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Okay, we talked about a little bit in live
entertainment.
Industry is changing a littlebit.
Customers are changing, youknow.
What are you seeing?
Are there some macroeconomictrends that you're seeing today
that that may be impacting youfrom a customer experience,
customer loyalty perspective and, if so, how are you responding
to those?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah.
So, you know, part of thisquestion makes me think of COVID
a little bit.
You know, coming coming out ofthat lockdown, we were really
nervous and you know our neck ofthe woods are people going to
want to meet the artist?
Are artists going to still wantto meet fans?
And maybe that first year and ahalf we were trying new things
like virtual experiences andthings like that, which were
(05:40):
cool and great to do, but, youknow, didn't have that same
energy that you get in thatconnection, that you get in the
same space as the artists ordifferent fans all experiencing
the same thing.
So we're really happy to seethat trend, kind of come and go,
and that demand to actually getout, go to the show, um, you
know, connect with other people,connect with the artist, um, so
that demand was still there.
(06:00):
So we're really happy to seethat, um, and how we kind of
maybe combat some of thosethings.
Um is just, you know, bycreating different packages.
So you know, affordability isalways, you know, a factor for
us.
So we always try to focus onclear value.
What does the fan get beyondjust that access?
Is it convenience?
Is it exclusive content?
(06:20):
Is it that face-to-face timewith the artist.
It has to feel you know worthit.
So personalization plays a bigrole here.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
We're always kind of thinking you know how do we make
every one of our fans feel likethey're the most important
person at the show?
Absolutely so.
When you look at youngeraudiences, entertainment is very
important to them.
But we see kind of a change inour audience people who run
customer loyalty programs,customer experience programs.
They see kind of a change inhow younger generations are
(06:49):
engaging with content, engagingwith entertainment.
I know VIP Nation blendsentertainment, lifestyle and the
community.
How are you looking at theyounger demographics and how do
we engage them?
How to keep them involved.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, so younger fans they're digital natives, right?
They grew up on Al Gore'sinternet.
So the two things that I thinkthat 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 generatedcontent from our events, so
we've done a much better job ofhighlighting what it actually
(07:24):
looks like and feels like to bea part of the VIP experience,
and so you know that disconnectthat that you maybe mentioned,
maybe not so much in our world.
Um, you know, the fan at theend of the day especially the
younger ones, I think are stillseeking that real personal
connection with the artist.
So, whether it's a meet andgreet or sound check or q a or
the face-to-face moment, I thinkthat you know, I think that's
(07:47):
what they value most, so thatchance to connect with someone
whose music has deeply, deeplyimpacted their lives.
That's the authenticity thatfans say they want and it's
right there in those moments,and I think that's what makes
them keep coming back.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
When you look at customer loyalty a very
important topic we always liketo understand how brands are
defining customer loyalty.
I think there's a pretty uniquedepth, in kind of the
qualitative understanding.
So when you look at customerloyalty, what does customer
loyalty mean to you and VIPNation?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, you know, I think every interaction should
build trust and that, you know,the loyalty shouldn't just be
about repeat purchases, it'smore about that emotional
investment for that experience,for that connection.
So when fans feel like VIPNation has helped create one of
the best nights of their life,that's, that's a trust that they
(08:39):
are going to have put on us todo again and again and that's a
huge responsibility that wedon't take lightly.
You know that means on our partwe need to be listening,
adapting constantly.
You know we're finding howwe're communicating with the
fans, how we're delivering theseexperiences.
I often joke that, you know,we're kind of wedding planners
in the live event space andevery one of our customers are
(08:59):
the bride and the groom and it'sreally important for us that
they have, you know, the nightof their life.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Okay, excellent.
Also one of the things that wesee brands that truly, truly are
customer loyalty focused versusbeing loyalty programmatic
focused.
Customer loyalty is bigger,right.
It involves experiences.
It involves understanding thedata points, creating
personalized messages that canresonate with the audience.
There's kind of a disconnectand some brands are truly
(09:25):
prioritizing and focusing oncustomer loyalty and some are
not.
How do you look at customerloyalty?
Is it something you're puttinga focus on, you're prioritizing,
or are you working toprioritize?
You know what does it look likeat VIP Nation.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah.
So I mean that fan feedback.
It's really important to us.
It's the you know.
We want to hear what did theylove about the experience, what
would they change about theexperience?
What do they want to see next?
So inviting them into thatprocess and building that trust,
it shows that their voicematters and it's not just about
their purchase.
So it's really importantgetting customer feedback from
(09:58):
our customer service team, doingsurveys, hearing from fans at
the event or after the event,and then retooling and
rethinking how we're deliveringthe messaging to those people
and what the package elementsthat we're putting into those
VIP experiences.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Okay, when you look at the sounding board program
that you have, you talked aboutlistening to your customers,
understanding that that voice ofthe customer, and being able to
action it when you can, rightas appropriate.
You know how does the soundingboard program reflect the VIP
Nation's broader effort toincorporate voice of the
(10:35):
customer into your experiencesand offerings?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah, so I mean, it's all about that co-creation of
these experiences.
You know we want to listen tothe fans.
We want to make packages thatthey actually want to do and
experience.
So we're always striving tocreate a program that the fans
truly want.
So their feedback gives us kindof real-time insights to
adjusting the messaging you know, the communication that we're
sending to them before the eventor rethinking those package
(11:02):
elements to something that theyactually want to do.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Okay, live events are very powerful.
They create deeply emotionalexperiences, whether it's sports
or artists.
You know I've taken my kids toJason Aldean since they were two
and I think my boys had two orthree signed autographs.
Those memories you'll neverforget, right, very emotional,
yeah.
When you look at emotionalconnection, emotional loyalty,
you know what does that mean toVIP Nation.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah.
So emotional loyalty, I wouldsay, you know, those emotional
loyal customers for us are thesuper fans, the ones who are
camping out the night before theshow so that they're the first
ones to check in that day, theones that are traveling from
city to city just to get their,you know, close up to their
favorite artists.
Multiple times, they'rebringing signs, they're wearing
custom outfits and costumes,they're posting every single
(11:53):
detail of their VIP experience.
So the fans, you know I don'tthey're just not buying access,
they're buying, they'reinvesting in a memory, like you
were talking about thosekeepsakes that your boys have.
So you know, they trust us todeliver that moment that they'll
never forget.
And that bond only growsstronger every time we get it
right.
And so, you know, that's that'sour goal is that they leave
with tears of joys in their eyesand saying it was, you know,
(12:13):
the night of their life.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Absolutely.
Personalization.
You've talked about that alittle bit as well understanding
what artists you know whatsports team individuals may have
an interest in.
When you look atpersonalization, you know how
are you looking atpersonalization and how do you
get it right.
The challenges of datatechnology integration and truly
being able to listen to andunderstand the customer can be
(12:36):
fraught with challenges.
Ramsey, how do you get it right?
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Yeah, so personalization is really
important to us, whether it'screating different package tiers
that speak to different typesof fans or using tools like
blings to deliver personalizedvideo communications that speak
directly to those fans and theirexperience.
Know, we're always kind ofasking you know, how do we make
this feel one of a kind?
And so you know, a challenge ofof that one-of-a-kind feeling
(13:00):
is just the scale of it.
You know, delivering thatpersonal touch at hundreds of
shows across the globe can bepretty challenging, or even just
one show alone.
You know we've done soundcheckexperiences up to 5,000 people
per show, so that just presentsa whole bunch of different
challenges, you know, includingpersonalization for each one of
those 5,000 people.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Okay, are there challenges?
Creating personalizedexperiences?
You mentioned doing soundcheckfor 5,000 people or one people,
or you know.
If you do do it smaller.
What are the challenges?
You kind of, you know, migrateor even manage the, the
disparate opportunities that youhave yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
So you know that would be, you know, again,
speaking to the customer,listening to them, surveys, um,
listening to our customerservice team, and you know the
feedback they're getting fromfans, um, looking at the
purchase behavior, what are fansbuying?
What are fans maybe not buyingso much?
The insights that we get fromour social media pages, or even
just reviews for the events thatwe see after, you know,
(13:58):
post-show.
So all those data points arereally important to us and they
speak to kind of the fans'motivations.
So you know what are the fanslooking for?
What are they looking for in aVIP experience?
What matters most to them?
Is it the access, is it theexclusivity, is it the
convenience or is it thatconnection?
(14:19):
It's probably all of thosethings.
So you know, all those insightshelp us to constantly shape,
you know, these experiences, tomake them as tailored for the
fan as possible.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You talked about your personalization approach.
Data is a big piece of thatright.
Talk about technology, evenbeing able to leverage something
like blinks for personalizedvideos based on people's
interests.
How do you get to know yourcustomers?
Are there certain data pointsthat are most important to you
that you leverage?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, you know it's definitely heavily relying on
our customer service team.
You know we're definitely goingto hear from the fan good or
bad after the show VIP, veryimportant person.
There's lofty expectations andif we don't meet those
expectations, we're for suregoing to hear about them and we
want to hear about them so thatwe can constantly improve and
make our experiences better ateach show.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Have you ever found out something about your
customers that was maybesurprising or unexpected?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
I think the surprising things would probably
be those small moments that wehear about, that maybe we're not
always thinking about, or whatwe're thinking about, but maybe
surprised to hear that that waswhat's stuck with the fan.
We're constantly hearing fromfans about the most
unforgettable part of theexperience.
Wasn't that flashy element?
It was maybe one comment thatthe artist made during the Q&A
(15:31):
session, or a kind gesture fromour staff that day, or one of
those personalized keepsakes,you know autographed poster from
Jason Aldean.
All of that just reinforcesthat emotional connection I've
been talking about.
So small details really matter.
It's not, maybe about bigger,it's about better and more
(15:51):
intentional.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Excellent.
So partnerships I know VIPNation has some partnerships
with a number of differentcredit card companies that offer
pre-sale ticket access.
You know preferred seating,different experiences you know
how do you determine whichcompanies to work with or
partner with.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
So those type of partnerships that are like a
pre-sale access or preferredseating with credit card
companies, that's going to behandled at the Live Nation level
in collaboration with the tour,so not something VIP Nation is
really involved in terms ofmaking those partnerships.
But if the tour would like VIPpackages to be password
protected during any of thosepre-sales, the tour would like
VIP packages to be passwordprotected during any of those
pre-sales, then we will.
But if they don't want uspassword protected, we'll go up
(16:31):
with no password.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
You know, when you look at customer experience,
customer loyalty, it's everchanging rapid pace.
And what's the next big thingfor customer loyalty, customer
experience, that VIP Nation isfocused on?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, we're focused on that post-event journey.
The fans remember the nightforever, but we want that memory
to continue on unfolding afterthe show is over.
So investing in things likecontent, follow-ups and surprise
and delight moments,personalized thank yous all that
can help kind of extend thatemotional arc after the VIP
(17:05):
experience is over at the show.
We're also in the midst ofanother project with bling's to
explore more interactive digitaltools that are going to keep
fans engaged year round.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
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 toyour platform, your program,
that wouldn't enable you tooffer more personalized rewards?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Yeah, I think that's another next leap forward that
we need to take.
We're a small but mighty teamat VIP Nation, and AI presents a
lot of exciting opportunitiesto enhance our efficiency and
scale our efforts.
I see a real potential in areaslike our customer service and
marketing, whether it'sstreamlining support or
delivering smarterpersonalization or helping us
(17:51):
anticipate what fans want beforethey even ask.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Okay, and what are two or three things you're most
proud of when it comes to yourcustomer loyalty, customer
experience programs.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, I would say I'm really proud of that emotional
impact.
We've been talking about Seeingthe fans with tears of joy in
their eyes as I was saying, orsaying it was the best night of
their life.
That never gets old for us.
Also really proud of theinnovation that we're doing,
working with forward-thinkingpartners like Blings to push
personalization, and also justproud of our team's dedication.
(18:25):
This is a passionate fan firstgroup that works tirelessly to
make these unforgettable momentscome to life.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Excellent.
And last question what canLoyalty360 do to help you and
your team and your customerexperience?
Customer loyalty journeys.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah, I think keep creating spaces for brands to
connect, share ideas and learnfrom each other.
You know the loyalty landscapeis evolving quickly and being
able to tap into a network ofpeers and case studies and
innovative partners isincredibly valuable, helping us
stay inspired and helps us serveour fans even better.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Okay, well, thank you very much.
Very interesting perspective tohear from you today, evan.
But now it's on to the quickfire question round.
We like to keep these to a wordor a short phrase, or I get in
trouble with Hannah and thecontent team, so I don't like
that.
First off, what's your favoriteword?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Favorite word Nuance.
Okay, what's your leastfavorite word?
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Ointment.
Okay, what excites you?
Boston sports teams there yougo.
What do you find tiresome?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Laundry, specifically folding it.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Okay, is there a book that you've read that you'd
like to recommend to colleagues?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Honestly, I'm going to go with the first book I ever
read, which is the Hobbit.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Oh, wow, okay, interesting.
Is there a profession otherthan the one you're currently in
that you may like to try?
Food critic oh, wow, okay, isthere something?
Speaker 2 (19:56):
that you enjoy doing that.
You often don't get the time todo.
I live on the West Coast now,so I'm going to say ice skating.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Oh, okay, who inspired you to become the
person that you are today Familyand what do you typically think
about at the end of the day?
Chocolate, chocolate, a hundredpercent.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
And how do you want to be?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
remembered by your friends and family.
Goofy Okay, goofy's good, allright.
Evan, thank you very much fortaking the time to speak with us
today.
It was great getting to knowyou a little bit, but also
learning more about what VIPNation is doing, how you're
driving unique experiences andimpacting that emotional
engagement with your customers.
That's great to hear.
So thank you very much fortaking the time to share that.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Thank you, mark.
Really excited to get to theexpo next month, or this month,
excuse me, it's already May.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Oh my gosh.
So thank you everyone fortaking the time to listen today.
Make sure you join us backevery Thursday for our next
Leaders and Customer LoyaltySeries, the Brand Stories.
Until then, have a wonderfulday and look forward to having
you back soon.
Thanks.
It's Thursday, so that means another edition of
our Leaders in Customer Loyaltyseries focused on brand stories.
So looking forward to anotherepisode where we get to speak
with brands about what's workingin Customer Channel and brand
loyalty.
Everyone remembers their firstconcert or their first pro
football game, usually withtheir family, a grandfather or
father who is trying to share apassion of his in hopes that
(00:26):
it's going to stick with theirkids.
These memories are deeplyetched within one's mind.
Over time, the experience ofattending events have evolved
pretty significantly.
No longer does going to aDenver Broncos football game
mean sitting in the top row ofthe stadium, far away from the
action.
Nor do you have to sit in thegrass at a Jason Haldim concert
away from the action.
Nor do you have to sit in thegrass at a Jason Haldim concert.
(00:46):
Today.
It is much more impactful tohave unique experiences that are
personalized to the audience'sinterest.
These experiences are veryemotive, whether it is
experiencing an artist in asmall acoustic set, touring the
inner workings of a recordingstudio or stadium, or even
walking through the visitorlocker room in an NFL football
game.
These memories last forever andcreate deeper engagement with
(01:09):
the customer.
Today we're going to hear fromEvan Abrams.
He's a senior director at VIPNation.
He will talk to us about howthey are working on experiential
reward opportunities for theirclients and how it's changing
the live entertainment industry.
Evan, thank you very much fortaking the time to join us today
.
How are you?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I'm good Thanks for having me this is great,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
For those who may not be familiar, can you give us a
short introduction to VIP Nation?
You know what you guys are, howyou were started.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Yeah, absolutely so.
Vip Nation.
We're a global leader inpremium concert experiences.
We work directly with theartists and managers and
promoters to create elevated fanmoments at their shows.
That can range from anythinglike a meet and greet or a sound
check or a Q&A session, or wealso do a lot of programs that
don't involve artistparticipation, like a VIP lounge
(01:59):
or a backstage tour photo onthe stage before the show, or
maybe it's just a really greatticket to the show, and we come
up with some exclusivemerchandise that you can't get
on the merchandise stands andpackage that together as the VIP
experience.
We're part of the Live Nationfamily, so our mission is to
bring fans closer to the musicthat they love in unforgettable
ways.
Whether that's for a first timeconcert goer or a lifelong fan,
(02:23):
we're designing VIP programsthat turn live shows into
lasting memories.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Okay, excellent.
What's led to VIP Nation'ssuccess?
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, I think a few key things.
First would be our relentlessfocus on the fan experience.
Everything we do starts withthat emotional connection with
the fan.
Second, I would say we've builta deep trust with the artists
and their teams that we workwith.
They know that we can handletheir fans with care and
attention to detail.
And I'd say the third thing iswe embrace innovation from tech
(02:55):
partnerships, like the one thatwe have with Blings, to create
content or activations at ourevents.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Okay, Can you tell us a little bit more about your
role with VIP Nation and how yougot to where you are now?
Were there positions beforethat kind of led you to where
you are, or you know how did youget involved?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, absolutely so.
I've been at VIP Nation forover a decade.
It was my second job out ofcollege.
I started as an intern, workedmy way through a number of
different roles in customerservice and operations and
marketing and, as you said today, right now I'm a senior
director.
I'm still wearing multiple hatshere as our team are creating
and selling and executing theseVIP programs across a wide range
(03:36):
of tours, so I've had thepleasure and the opportunity to
grow with this business, whichis really great.
It's given me a you know, up totop to bottom understanding of
the fan experience, as well asthe backend logistics that go
into making these you knowmoments come to life.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That's awesome.
Lots of disruption in theentertainment industry right now
.
Big tours, mega tours, lots ofchange, right, how you work with
artists, I think, is changing.
So when you look at some of thedynamic events that are
happening and kind of thecustomers changing in general,
you know what keeps you up atnight.
What do you see as the biggestchallenges or opportunities that
(04:12):
you faced within your position.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Besides the boogeyman , obviously, I would say, you
know, for me personally, Imanaged our VIP Nation website.
So making sure that those datesare correct, or did I spell a
venue wrong or did I set thattour to announce in the right
time zone?
I'm always kind of worried thatwe're going to be the first
ones to announce a tour beforethe actual announcement.
(04:36):
So that's what maybe keeps meup personally at night.
In general, for our business, Iwould say it's just making sure
that we're ahead of the curveand meeting fans where they are.
You know we want to make surethat we're creating experiences
that they actually want.
You know our fans have reallyhigh expectations, as they
should.
They're VIP right, veryimportant people.
So our goal is to always exceedthose expectations and create
(04:58):
these unforgettable experiences.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Okay, we talked about a little bit in live
entertainment.
Industry is changing a littlebit.
Customers are changing, youknow.
What are you seeing?
Are there some macroeconomictrends that you're seeing today
that that may be impacting youfrom a customer experience,
customer loyalty perspective and, if so, how are you responding
to those?
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah.
So, you know, part of thisquestion makes me think of COVID
a little bit.
You know, coming coming out ofthat lockdown, we were really
nervous and you know our neck ofthe woods are people going to
want to meet the artist?
Are artists going to still wantto meet fans?
And maybe that first year and ahalf we were trying new things
like virtual experiences andthings like that, which were
(05:40):
cool and great to do, but, youknow, didn't have that same
energy that you get in thatconnection, that you get in the
same space as the artists ordifferent fans all experiencing
the same thing.
So we're really happy to seethat trend, kind of come and go,
and that demand to actually getout, go to the show, um, you
know, connect with other people,connect with the artist, um, so
that demand was still there.
(06:00):
So we're really happy to seethat, um, and how we kind of
maybe combat some of thosethings.
Um is just, you know, bycreating different packages.
So you know, affordability isalways, you know, a factor for
us.
So we always try to focus onclear value.
What does the fan get beyondjust that access?
Is it convenience?
Is it exclusive content?
(06:20):
Is it that face-to-face timewith the artist.
It has to feel you know worthit.
So personalization plays a bigrole here.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
We're always kind of thinking you know how do we make
every one of our fans feel likethey're the most important
person at the show?
Absolutely so.
When you look at youngeraudiences, entertainment is very
important to them.
But we see kind of a change inour audience people who run
customer loyalty programs,customer experience programs.
They see kind of a change inhow younger generations are
(06:49):
engaging with content, engagingwith entertainment.
I know VIP Nation blendsentertainment, lifestyle and the
community.
How are you looking at theyounger demographics and how do
we engage them?
How to keep them involved.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, so younger fans they're digital natives, right?
They grew up on Al Gore'sinternet.
So the two things that I thinkthat 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 generatedcontent from our events, so
we've done a much better job ofhighlighting what it actually
(07:24):
looks like and feels like to bea part of the VIP experience,
and so you know that disconnectthat that you maybe mentioned,
maybe not so much in our world.
Um, you know, the fan at theend of the day especially the
younger ones, I think are stillseeking that real personal
connection with the artist.
So, whether it's a meet andgreet or sound check or q a or
the face-to-face moment, I thinkthat you know, I think that's
(07:47):
what they value most, so thatchance to connect with someone
whose music has deeply, deeplyimpacted their lives.
That's the authenticity thatfans say they want and it's
right there in those moments,and I think that's what makes
them keep coming back.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
When you look at customer loyalty a very
important topic we always liketo understand how brands are
defining customer loyalty.
I think there's a pretty uniquedepth, in kind of the
qualitative understanding.
So when you look at customerloyalty, what does customer
loyalty mean to you and VIPNation?
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, you know, I think every interaction should
build trust and that, you know,the loyalty shouldn't just be
about repeat purchases, it'smore about that emotional
investment for that experience,for that connection.
So when fans feel like VIPNation has helped create one of
the best nights of their life,that's, that's a trust that they
(08:39):
are going to have put on us todo again and again and that's a
huge responsibility that wedon't take lightly.
You know that means on our partwe need to be listening,
adapting constantly.
You know we're finding howwe're communicating with the
fans, how we're delivering theseexperiences.
I often joke that, you know,we're kind of wedding planners
in the live event space andevery one of our customers are
(08:59):
the bride and the groom and it'sreally important for us that
they have, you know, the nightof their life.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Okay, excellent.
Also one of the things that wesee brands that truly, truly are
customer loyalty focused versusbeing loyalty programmatic
focused.
Customer loyalty is bigger,right.
It involves experiences.
It involves understanding thedata points, creating
personalized messages that canresonate with the audience.
There's kind of a disconnectand some brands are truly
(09:25):
prioritizing and focusing oncustomer loyalty and some are
not.
How do you look at customerloyalty?
Is it something you're puttinga focus on, you're prioritizing,
or are you working toprioritize?
You know what does it look likeat VIP Nation.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah.
So I mean that fan feedback.
It's really important to us.
It's the you know.
We want to hear what did theylove about the experience, what
would they change about theexperience?
What do they want to see next?
So inviting them into thatprocess and building that trust,
it shows that their voicematters and it's not just about
their purchase.
So it's really importantgetting customer feedback from
(09:58):
our customer service team, doingsurveys, hearing from fans at
the event or after the event,and then retooling and
rethinking how we're deliveringthe messaging to those people
and what the package elementsthat we're putting into those
VIP experiences.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Okay, when you look at the sounding board program
that you have, you talked aboutlistening to your customers,
understanding that that voice ofthe customer, and being able to
action it when you can, rightas appropriate.
You know how does the soundingboard program reflect the VIP
Nation's broader effort toincorporate voice of the
(10:35):
customer into your experiencesand offerings?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yeah, so I mean, it's all about that co-creation of
these experiences.
You know we want to listen tothe fans.
We want to make packages thatthey actually want to do and
experience.
So we're always striving tocreate a program that the fans
truly want.
So their feedback gives us kindof real-time insights to
adjusting the messaging you know, the communication that we're
sending to them before the eventor rethinking those package
(11:02):
elements to something that theyactually want to do.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Okay, live events are very powerful.
They create deeply emotionalexperiences, whether it's sports
or artists.
You know I've taken my kids toJason Aldean since they were two
and I think my boys had two orthree signed autographs.
Those memories you'll neverforget, right, very emotional,
yeah.
When you look at emotionalconnection, emotional loyalty,
you know what does that mean toVIP Nation.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Yeah.
So emotional loyalty, I wouldsay, you know, those emotional
loyal customers for us are thesuper fans, the ones who are
camping out the night before theshow so that they're the first
ones to check in that day, theones that are traveling from
city to city just to get their,you know, close up to their
favorite artists.
Multiple times, they'rebringing signs, they're wearing
custom outfits and costumes,they're posting every single
(11:53):
detail of their VIP experience.
So the fans, you know I don'tthey're just not buying access,
they're buying, they'reinvesting in a memory, like you
were talking about thosekeepsakes that your boys have.
So you know, they trust us todeliver that moment that they'll
never forget.
And that bond only growsstronger every time we get it
right.
And so, you know, that's that'sour goal is that they leave
with tears of joys in their eyesand saying it was, you know,
(12:13):
the night of their life.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Absolutely.
Personalization.
You've talked about that alittle bit as well understanding
what artists you know whatsports team individuals may have
an interest in.
When you look atpersonalization, you know how
are you looking atpersonalization and how do you
get it right.
The challenges of datatechnology integration and truly
being able to listen to andunderstand the customer can be
(12:36):
fraught with challenges.
Ramsey, how do you get it right?
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Yeah, so personalization is really
important to us, whether it'screating different package tiers
that speak to different typesof fans or using tools like
blings to deliver personalizedvideo communications that speak
directly to those fans and theirexperience.
Know, we're always kind ofasking you know, how do we make
this feel one of a kind?
And so you know, a challenge ofof that one-of-a-kind feeling
(13:00):
is just the scale of it.
You know, delivering thatpersonal touch at hundreds of
shows across the globe can bepretty challenging, or even just
one show alone.
You know we've done soundcheckexperiences up to 5,000 people
per show, so that just presentsa whole bunch of different
challenges, you know, includingpersonalization for each one of
those 5,000 people.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Okay, are there challenges?
Creating personalizedexperiences?
You mentioned doing soundcheckfor 5,000 people or one people,
or you know.
If you do do it smaller.
What are the challenges?
You kind of, you know, migrateor even manage the, the
disparate opportunities that youhave yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
So you know that would be, you know, again,
speaking to the customer,listening to them, surveys, um,
listening to our customerservice team, and you know the
feedback they're getting fromfans, um, looking at the
purchase behavior, what are fansbuying?
What are fans maybe not buyingso much?
The insights that we get fromour social media pages, or even
just reviews for the events thatwe see after, you know,
(13:58):
post-show.
So all those data points arereally important to us and they
speak to kind of the fans'motivations.
So you know what are the fanslooking for?
What are they looking for in aVIP experience?
What matters most to them?
Is it the access, is it theexclusivity, is it the
convenience or is it thatconnection?
(14:19):
It's probably all of thosethings.
So you know, all those insightshelp us to constantly shape,
you know, these experiences, tomake them as tailored for the
fan as possible.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
You talked about your personalization approach.
Data is a big piece of thatright.
Talk about technology, evenbeing able to leverage something
like blinks for personalizedvideos based on people's
interests.
How do you get to know yourcustomers?
Are there certain data pointsthat are most important to you
that you leverage?
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Yeah, you know it's definitely heavily relying on
our customer service team.
You know we're definitely goingto hear from the fan good or
bad after the show VIP, veryimportant person.
There's lofty expectations andif we don't meet those
expectations, we're for suregoing to hear about them and we
want to hear about them so thatwe can constantly improve and
make our experiences better ateach show.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Have you ever found out something about your
customers that was maybesurprising or unexpected?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
I think the surprising things would probably
be those small moments that wehear about, that maybe we're not
always thinking about, or whatwe're thinking about, but maybe
surprised to hear that that waswhat's stuck with the fan.
We're constantly hearing fromfans about the most
unforgettable part of theexperience.
Wasn't that flashy element?
It was maybe one comment thatthe artist made during the Q&A
(15:31):
session, or a kind gesture fromour staff that day, or one of
those personalized keepsakes,you know autographed poster from
Jason Aldean.
All of that just reinforcesthat emotional connection I've
been talking about.
So small details really matter.
It's not, maybe about bigger,it's about better and more
(15:51):
intentional.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Excellent.
So partnerships I know VIPNation has some partnerships
with a number of differentcredit card companies that offer
pre-sale ticket access.
You know preferred seating,different experiences you know
how do you determine whichcompanies to work with or
partner with.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
So those type of partnerships that are like a
pre-sale access or preferredseating with credit card
companies, that's going to behandled at the Live Nation level
in collaboration with the tour,so not something VIP Nation is
really involved in terms ofmaking those partnerships.
But if the tour would like VIPpackages to be password
protected during any of thosepre-sales, the tour would like
VIP packages to be passwordprotected during any of those
pre-sales, then we will.
But if they don't want uspassword protected, we'll go up
(16:31):
with no password.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
You know, when you look at customer experience,
customer loyalty, it's everchanging rapid pace.
And what's the next big thingfor customer loyalty, customer
experience, that VIP Nation isfocused on?
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, we're focused on that post-event journey.
The fans remember the nightforever, but we want that memory
to continue on unfolding afterthe show is over.
So investing in things likecontent, follow-ups and surprise
and delight moments,personalized thank yous all that
can help kind of extend thatemotional arc after the VIP
(17:05):
experience is over at the show.
We're also in the midst ofanother project with bling's to
explore more interactive digitaltools that are going to keep
fans engaged year round.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
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 toyour platform, your program,
that wouldn't enable you tooffer more personalized rewards?
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Yeah, I think that's another next leap forward that
we need to take.
We're a small but mighty teamat VIP Nation, and AI presents a
lot of exciting opportunitiesto enhance our efficiency and
scale our efforts.
I see a real potential in areaslike our customer service and
marketing, whether it'sstreamlining support or
delivering smarterpersonalization or helping us
(17:51):
anticipate what fans want beforethey even ask.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Okay, and what are two or three things you're most
proud of when it comes to yourcustomer loyalty, customer
experience programs.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Yeah, I would say I'm really proud of that emotional
impact.
We've been talking about Seeingthe fans with tears of joy in
their eyes as I was saying, orsaying it was the best night of
their life.
That never gets old for us.
Also really proud of theinnovation that we're doing,
working with forward-thinkingpartners like Blings to push
personalization, and also justproud of our team's dedication.
(18:25):
This is a passionate fan firstgroup that works tirelessly to
make these unforgettable momentscome to life.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
Excellent.
And last question what canLoyalty360 do to help you and
your team and your customerexperience?
Customer loyalty journeys.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Yeah, I think keep creating spaces for brands to
connect, share ideas and learnfrom each other.
You know the loyalty landscapeis evolving quickly and being
able to tap into a network ofpeers and case studies and
innovative partners isincredibly valuable, helping us
stay inspired and helps us serveour fans even better.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Okay, well, thank you very much.
Very interesting perspective tohear from you today, evan.
But now it's on to the quickfire question round.
We like to keep these to a wordor a short phrase, or I get in
trouble with Hannah and thecontent team, so I don't like
that.
First off, what's your favoriteword?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Favorite word Nuance.
Okay, what's your leastfavorite word?
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Ointment.
Okay, what excites you?
Boston sports teams there yougo.
What do you find tiresome?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Laundry, specifically folding it.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Okay, is there a book that you've read that you'd
like to recommend to colleagues?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Honestly, I'm going to go with the first book I ever
read, which is the Hobbit.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Oh, wow, okay, interesting.
Is there a profession otherthan the one you're currently in
that you may like to try?
Food critic oh, wow, okay, isthere something?
Speaker 2 (19:56):
that you enjoy doing that.
You often don't get the time todo.
I live on the West Coast now,so I'm going to say ice skating.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Oh, okay, who inspired you to become the
person that you are today Familyand what do you typically think
about at the end of the day?
Chocolate, chocolate, a hundredpercent.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
And how do you want to be?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
remembered by your friends and family.
Goofy Okay, goofy's good, allright.
Evan, thank you very much fortaking the time to speak with us
today.
It was great getting to knowyou a little bit, but also
learning more about what VIPNation is doing, how you're
driving unique experiences andimpacting that emotional
engagement with your customers.
That's great to hear.
So thank you very much fortaking the time to share that.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Thank you, mark.
Really excited to get to theexpo next month, or this month,
excuse me, it's already May.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Oh my gosh.
So thank you everyone fortaking the time to listen today.
Make sure you join us backevery Thursday for our next
Leaders and Customer LoyaltySeries, the Brand Stories.
Until then, have a wonderfulday and look forward to having
you back soon.
Thanks.
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