Igniting Event Magic: The Day Alice Changed Everything

“I have to choose between food or healthcare,” she sobbed…?

It all started when I met a woman named Alice. It was 2009, and I was leading events at UnitedHealthcare for the Medicare division. Picture this: a 10,000 sq. ft. booth at an AARP member conference, and there I was, ensuring every detail was flawless. Suddenly, I noticed a woman walk into our booth, tears streaming down her face. I felt an urgent need to comfort her and quickly made my way over.?

I told her my name was Wendy, and asked if there was anything I could do to help her. She told me her name was Alice, it was her 65th birthday, and she had just learned Medicare wasn’t free as she had thought. Alice was devastated, fearing she’d have to choose between healthcare or food.?

I comforted Alice and assured her we’d find a solution. I asked her if she needed a hug, and she said yes. So, I gave her one.?Calling in one of our insurance agents, we discovered she qualified for financial assistance. We signed her up on the spot. Alice’s relief was palpable, and she called me a lifesaver. I felt like I had made a real difference.?

That evening, I gathered our 100-person team for our usual debrief but with a twist. I shared the Alice Story, reminding everyone that while our booth’s allure was important, our real mission was to help people. It wasn’t about the sales pitch but the impact we made. I encouraged our team to be present and create their own Alice Stories. That’s when our event magic truly ignited.?

The very next day, a man with dangerously high blood pressure was in our booth at the health screening area. He had forgotten to take his medicine, but it was miles away, and he had to take the bus to the bus to the bus to get home. Our staffer asked if he would go home to take his medicine, and he assured us he would. But we weren’t certain he would go, given the complexities of transportation. ?

As he was about to leave, one of our staffers, Bob, stepped up. Bob offered to pay for a taxi to take him home and back. The man was stunned and accepted Bob’s offer. Bob even joked he’d watch the man take his medicine to make sure he was okay. But he wasn’t joking. He walked the man to his apartment, went in, made sure he got his medication and took it. And then Bob and our guest made their way back to the show floor.?

Our team was now empowered, owning their role in making a difference. Every evening, we shared new Alice Stories. Every morning, we pumped ourselves up with “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M., dancing together and setting a positive tone for the day. ?

We added a sign in our staff office with a quote by Maya Angelou. And it goes like this: ?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said,?

people will forget what you did,?

but people will never forget how you made them feel.”?

This sign was posted in our staff office from that day forward to remind our staff what was important.?Relationships with People. Experiences. This small change created a supportive and uplifting atmosphere which helped us better connect with attendees (and collect leads to make our CFO happy). ?

We started giving out Starbucks gift cards to staff who went above and beyond, and created special staff awards. Our post-event surveys became glowing with positivity. Working at the AARP member event became a coveted assignment over the 13 years we ran those events and employees gushed about the impact it made on them personally and on our customers.?

Our booth was always buzzing, and members returned year after year, sharing how much they loved our booth and our staff. Instead of the industry standard of a 3-minute visit to our booth, we had people that stayed with us for up to 3 hours... yes, hours. One AARP member from Seattle even baked cookies for our team annually as a thank you!?

In the end, it’s all about the lives you touch and the experiences you create, using the magic of events. The products and services you sell are intended to help people and improve their lives in some way. Flip the perspective on WHY you are doing events... take the focus off of the sale and make it about the people and the experience. And the sales will naturally follow.?

At?Wendy Porter Events, we don’t just plan events; we ignite the magic of experiences. What’s your Alice story? Sound off in the comments.?

Want to brainstorm how we can ignite magic in your events, go to wendyporterevents.com to schedule a FREE 30-minute consultation.