III. EXPERIENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

The Emperor’s First Night at Sea | 2005

Hosts | Jim, Tim, Ted, Rocky, Josh, Toly, Wacko, Ravin’

Partners | FJORD Catering and Cruises, WJ Productions

Last New Year’s Eve we built it, and they came. This year we changed our approach. Completely. Same audience different approach. We took our show off the road and on to the sea. Instead of mass promotion, we searched out intimacy. Starting with our closest and those who we knew, friends, family and fools combined with an idea or two. Person by person, touch by touch, we packed the cabin just like a Dutch.

Through a combination of text messages, emails and phone conversations, each contained a customized pitch. They all sent a message and were followed by another; each one was personalized, from friends’ of each other. The voyage began at the Hyatt Regency in Greenwich. From there guests were shuttled over to the yacht and back. The use of a hotel as a starting and ending point, helped give this event narrative. It provided continuity for the whole experience. It also added a sense of togetherness, before and after. In the end, it proved a success. Old friends reacquainted and new ones were made.

Already, this crew has signed themselves up for next year, no matter what we do. We joked about a train, or maybe even a plane. .