By Russ Simons

[Venue Professional Editor’s Note: This is the unabridged content of the evolution of the Guest Experience, published in part in the Jan./Feb. 2024 Venue Professional magazine.]

The opportunity to coordinate this article on Guest Experience during the 100 years of IAVM created an opportunity for me to focus and think back to my introduction into our business some 40 years ago. I am certain that you would all agree that due to the nature of what we do, the wave after wave of events, including pre-event planning and post event recovery and the overall intensity of an industry that works when everyone else works and then works when everyone is playing can make the time go quickly. As I was considering how to approach this, I considered the transitions that I have seen in every aspect of the business. The one that stands out to me, above any technology, widgets or gizmos is the transition in guest experience from Public Assembly to the current experience economy.

In the previous public assembly era, guests arrived, watched and left. Sure, there were hot dogs and popcorn. Yes there were restrooms (not enough, particularly for women). Even things that we take for granted today, like souvenirs and merchandise celebrating the event, were not considered critical to the quality of a guest’s experience.

The truth is, like every other experience in our lives, it went along unchanged for a very long time but when it changed, the impact on our guests was cataclysmic and it did not stop there. The rate of change accelerated in keeping with the creativity of event producers and the expectations of our guests for service. When you look at the diversity of our seating offerings and the variety of experience options provided to our guests from just 20 years ago, I had real trouble thinking back and determining when it happened, and I am afraid that while I was thinking about the past that I was missing something important about the future.

I realized that to create order, I needed professional help. I thought to myself, who immediately comes to mind, so I created a list of the people I would go to when I need help on this subject. I consider all five contributors to be among the best of the best in our industry. I then realized that I would be leaving some equally important people out of the mix (apologies to Angie Nix, Travis Baker, Steinunn Parsons, Jessica  Reid-Bateman, Patrick Scanlon, Eboni Wilson, and others). You are starting to see my problem.

The good news is that the people that did contribute are an authentic mix of professionals from a variety of aspects of our business that I celebrate knowing and appreciate their commitment to making me and everyone around them better.

The contributors are: Marlene Hendrix, Chief Customer Experience Officer,  US Auto Trust, (26 years of experience in the NBA and NFL); Gina Chapa, VP of Guest Experience, American Airlines Center, Dallas, (20 years in the business); Anne Wheat, CVE, Event Operations General Manager, Pier 57, New York, (26 years); Kameron Durham, Managing Director – Event Services, Seattle Seahawks/First & Goal, Inc. (35 years); and Ray Daryabigi, Vice President, Guest Experience, San Diego Padres (17 years).

Russ Simons: What does Guest Experience (GX) mean to you? 

Marlene Hendrix Creating an experience for the guest that connects with the emotion of the heart, in a positive way. It is about creating engagement versus satisfaction.

Kameron Durham: Creating a welcoming environment that engages guests, meets them at their need level and generates a genuine connection.

Gina Chapa: The meaning varies according to the giver, the receiver, the event and the situation, but there are some universal truths. GX is how we make people feel. We strive to deliver that feeling of excitement, happiness and most importantly connection. This feeling is paramount for our guests and our employees. Two things that unite people in a common purpose are sports and music. We are lucky that we get to be a part of it every day.

Ray Daryabigi: It’s an event day culture where every guest feels welcomed, and everybody matters. It’s personalizing experiences to ensure that everyone feels valued and appreciated in a safe and secure environment.

Anne Wheat: GX is down to the individual, including their assessment of “great” or “unpleasant” experiences. Because it is so personal, it’s ever evolving which is why working in the guest experience side of the house is always a fun puzzle.

How has “Guest Experience” changed since you began in the industry?  

Hendrix:  It used to be referred to as “Customer Service” and, ironically, that’s what it felt like, providing an obligatory service to the guest. The idea was about resolving issues, being reactive. GX is now about being proactive by anticipating the guests’ needs.

Durham: When I started in the business there was no such thing as Guest Experience. It was all considered Stadium Operations. The importance of security and the facility were placed ahead of service and people. People (both guests and teammates) were subject to the limited nature of that stadium environment. As stadium and entertainment facilities became more complex in their design, an emphasis on guest experience became a larger priority. Today, GX allows guests to determine their engagement through a variety of seating options, resources, and amenities.

Chapa: Guest Services has transitioned into Guest Experience. The focus shifted from touchpoints throughout the event to looking at the whole of the experience from beginning to end. It has become more about the guest and less about enforcing the rules. The rules still exist but we continuously strive to find a happy medium.

Daryabigi: GX was called Guest Services when I started. Relationships were more transactional in general. The focus was on the respective task versus the purpose. The event day was more binary, e.g., say “yes” or “no” and move on. Now, the guest experience is evolving with more eyes on this sector because there is more competition for disposable income. The guest experience is growing with a focus on building more genuine and authentic relationships; individualization and personalization of each guest’s gameday/event day experience are trending.

Wheat:  I recall that anything related to the guest always started with “who is going to talk to the people who are complaining?” (and that was usually not for the faint of heart). We often were rolled into the Security or Building Operations groups. During those times, I was very aware of the conversations about the costs of retaining customers versus the costs of gaining customers and it seemed like a bit of a light bulb was turning on for senior leaders in our industry. At the same time, the massive growth of media and quality of the in-home experience started to compete significantly with in-person events. The combination of these two factors was the lightning-rod moment where, suddenly, we collectively started to proactively consider how to provide an “experience” versus a complaint resolution center.

When did GX change and why? 

Hendrix: With the changing landscape of sports and entertainment and the addition of so many new sophisticated venues, people actually have a choice where they spend their entertainment dollars, which has driven the change from Customer Service to Guest Experience. Guests attending events are now expected to be treated with respect and they are openly asking for it. If they are not satisfied with a venue, they can publicly share their opinion, so, not only will the venue lose a guest, but they also are faced with dealing with negative publicity.

Durham: The first evolution was the renaissance of the ballpark and stadiums in the 1990s. Camden Yards Ballpark at Arlington, Coors Field and Jacob Fields (just to name a few) introduced a new way to enjoy a sporting event. Expectations shifted as guests enjoyed premium seating, club lounges and an elevated level of service. The next evolution was in the recession of the early 2000’s when incomes were limited. Sports had to compete with other entertainment options for household discretionary dollars. Lastly, the residue of the pandemic has made it challenging with people choosing to watch from home more than be in-person. In both cases, GX has to now be one of the draws to get people off the couch and witness firsthand the uniqueness of the live entertainment setting.

Chapa: The guest experience has changed over time, primarily with social media interface and its immediacy of the user. As society changes, the expectations of guests change. The definition of memorable and exciting morphs from decade to decade, sometimes year to year. We must be flexible and adapt to stay current with modern society.  The eyes of social media are on all of us and there’s a heightened responsibility for us all.

Daryabigi: After COVID-19, society was forced to work from home, creating uncertainty and stress — the face-to-face connection we were so used to was gone. Fast forward to this post-pandemic world, and there is a tremendous need for in-person social spaces. Guests expect to be treated with respect and valued at every touchpoint. They will take their business elsewhere if we do not hit the mark. Furthermore, people were so used to watching television during the pandemic that they feel they can always return to that. Every moment matters, especially in this post-pandemic world.

Wheat: The two biggest moments of change are the new-building boom in the mid-90s and the proliferation of smartphones in the 2010s. The new/renovated buildings really leaned into the premium experience and attempted to address core needs like volume of restrooms and points of sale. With the proliferation of smartphones, we found ourselves competing with the ease of the in-home experience and needing to find a way to make the in-person experience one that could not be missed.

Where are the weaknesses in today’s Guest Experience Programs? What keeps us from being great? 

Hendrix: It’s usually the lack of buy-in from the entire organization. There is a belief that GX is a department, rather than seeing it as a “Culture.”  Additionally, the organization does not view GX as revenue generating, therefore very little is invested in the program, which is shortsighted because the cost on the backend can be much, much more.

Durham: The weakness is the missed opportunity by all to understand the importance of being fully invested and consistently living out their organizational service principles. GX is everyone’s responsibility. We must be collective and strategic in our approach. Be willing to invest consistent resources (not just money, but other resources – people, ideas, etc.) to keep the GX evolution process ahead of the curve.

Chapa: Consistency is a weakness. Within the workforce, it is a challenge to maintain the same level of top-tier service with every employee on a daily basis. The second is understanding Task vs. Purpose. As leaders, we have been focused on the tasks of running an arena. However, our purpose is to deliver an experience that exceeds expectations. This is our vision and our driving force.  If purpose is done right, it aligns everyone to the same vision that will lead to company success.

Daryabigi: I am blessed to have a great guest experience team in San Diego (thank you, Kameron)! However, a weakness in today’s GX programs is finding the right people to work with you. The workforce has taken on a new meaning in the post-pandemic world. Working in a public environment, where you are interacting with thousands of strangers, can be daunting for many people. It is essential that you hire people who align with your organization’s core values. We must be clear on our expectations and what non-negotiable behaviors are. We must create a culture where people want to come to work, not have to come to work. Finding the right people is a win-win for all parties.

Wheat: To really execute guest experience well, a venue needs to invest in the group that executes it. This means budgets for training (a lot of training!), incentives, and other programmatic costs. And all for something that does not generate revenue on paper. The real challenge that I have always faced is that we don’t have commonly accepted KPIs (key performance indicators) that can illustrate the value of our experiential programs. Everyone who has been in our role’s has had to defend our budgets through a variety of methodologies. The other significant concern is with in-bound talent development. Our hours are long, the work can be emotionally stressful, we are often cold/hot/tired, and the idea of public speaking that training requires can scare people. This is why many of us (including those in the preamble and those contributing to this article) pride ourselves on supporting and developing the next generation of guest experience experts.

Has Technology helped or hurt our ability to deliver Guest Experience? 

Hendrix: Helped, because of the ability to receive feedback in real time which allows us to pursue timely resolutions.

Durham: Helped and hurt. It has helped in providing data and automation that can identify trends and helped us to pivot to meet the changing guest needs. It has hurt in that we have seen people grow increasingly impatient in the response process. Guests expect an immediate response to an email, phone call or comment card. Social media is another arena that has hindered guest experience. It only takes one bad review or misperception to result in a very public and lasting reputation change. We must temper expectations in this technology-driven, fast-paced society.

Chapa: It’s both beneficial and tough. Technology makes things more convenient and seamless – when it works. Ticketing is a prime example. You order tickets on your phone, and they are delivered digitally. In the past, you would go to the box office to purchase from a person, get a physical ticket and then hand that ticket to a person to enter the venue. Now you can do all those steps without speaking to anyone. There are also guests not as experienced with purchasing tickets digitally, and it becomes a frustration point for them. This forces us to seek out new ways to interact with guests.

Daryabigi: Technology has helped and will continue to help streamline the guest experience and make it more frictionless/seamless. Minimizing hassles for our guests is the name of the game. However, technology will never be the one-stop shop solution. It will always take humans to make the guest experience magical and more memorable. At times, frontline staff get too comfortable with technology and then drop their guard and lose track of their “why,” e.g., not being engaged and paying attention to the guest. People can add to the technology and truly create an incredible experience. For example, some technologies enable the ticket taker to know who is scanning their ticket. Instead of sitting back and letting the fan enter, the ticket taker can personalize their greeting by using the fan’s name. Who doesn’t like it when someone greets them by their name?

Wheat: 100% technology has really contributed to our ability to deliver the guest experience more efficiently. This includes everything from more effective access control to lost and found management to tracking ADA assistance. It also allows for better training, guest communication, tracking, real-time surveys and access to the guest experience team (for both guests and team members). I recognize that the change for many of our guests can be hard…hello digital ticketing. For me, the overall value of technology supersedes those challenges.

What technologies have you found that help in delivering a better Guest Experience? 

Hendrix:  QR Codes which allow the guest to scan and have access to Guest Experience to share their feedback. Also, it helps in providing wayfinding information, if done efficiently.

Durham: The introduction of analytics has been a game changer. Using data to see where trends are happening and reviewing historical data can help make for a more consistent guest experience. I would also note that the app’s introduction has allowed all guests to tailor the experience to fit their needs.

Chapa: Fan surveys provide an immediate pulse check. It helps us to determine expectations and needs of our guests, and also where we are falling short. The thing about surveys is that if you ask, you are then required to follow up and take action. Otherwise, you leave the guests feeling more frustrated than before. Our most useful tool is real time feedback. We have a program called TELLAAC.COM that is utilized during events for guests to contact us to tell us about issues or problems they may encounter during an event. The site is monitored by Dispatch, who then farms out the issue to the appropriate department for immediate resolution. It is used by both guests and employees to report everything from spills to inappropriate behavior. This has been a game changer for us providing the ability to take immediate action rather than dealing with problems later or not being aware of the problem at all. The voice of the guest is being heard and responded to in real time.

Daryabigi: Software integration has become more critical than ever. Tying in data from an operations and facility management software to a CRM can be the X-factor you need. There’s so much data in various software, but they often don’t talk to each other. Leveraging software integrations can help sales and service staff make more personalized calls, driving revenue and attendance while improving satisfaction and loyalty levels.

Wheat: I am an enormous fan of shared documents where multiple people can access information and update in real time. For places that have very distributed Guest Experience Centers, it allows for better visibility and faster access for things like re-seating or ADA assistance lists. I think we will also see a significant increase in the use of chatbots or AI tools to expedite access to information. Many of the questions that our team members or guests have are easily found, but our downstream users are often impatient in looking for those answers and these tools shortcut people to faster answers.

What does the Guest Experience of the future look like? 

Hendrix: GX will become a priority with more sophisticated features.  People are demanding more for their financial investment in tickets, concessions, merchandise. They have options and they will seek out the best return on their investment.

Durham: It will continue to evolve to what the ticket holder desires. I believe we will see people enjoying more premium specialized locations and opportunities. People want to feel a connection to their teams, entertainers and personalities. Balancing that desire with safety will be critical. I also believe that GX will become more free flowing, allowing guests to adjust their experience to fit their desires. Guests will be allowed to make decisions on where they are willing to wait and when they can pivot to enjoy other elements of the entertainment experience.

Chapa: It will be a more personalized experience. The next generation wants an experience that is based on their own individual motivators. We must train staff to respond to guests’ feelings. Emotional intelligence will become much more important in staff training. This is a different approach and will take time to find a baseline and consistency. Another challenge will be to not rely too much on technology and maintain human interaction. We are going to have to actively look for ways to connect with guests in meaningful ways.

Daryabigi: It will focus more on an overall personalized experience for each guest. Technology will help us identify fan preferences and proactively deliver surprise and delight moments, some of which they will remember forever. The guest experience will also lean toward building genuine and authentic relationships with guests. Fan/guests’ expectations/needs/wants have changed since the pandemic. There will be more emphasis on quality and attention to detail at every touchpoint.

Wheat: I would argue that the future of guest experience is to further refine the experience down to the individual. One of the mistakes that can often be made is to consider our attendees as guests (one collective unit) rather than unique people. If we can really continue to refine our work down to the single human, our experience will feel personal. Just think about the last time that someone did something as small as using your name or gave you a compliment during an interaction.

Simons: I was fascinated by the common themes expressed by the contributors. I also appreciated the diverse responses. This reminded me that guest experience today is both an art and a science. From that perspective the Guest Experience professionals in our industry must focus on meeting the expectations of today while keeping an eye on the future. That is true for all of us. My final comment is to remind everyone that we are in a fun business. Yes, it is labor intensive. Yes, it is long days, nights, weekends and holidays. Yes, it can be challenging, but also immensely rewarding, particularly with the shared experience of a group of people working together to create something magical for others.

Russ Simons, CVE, is Chief Listening Officer and Managing Partner, Venue Solutions Group.