Dani's summit experience

A great moment can be described as follows:
Being told by my Marketing Communications lecturer that it is compulsory to read, self study and continuously refer to Berndt Schmitt in our final exam... and then ACTUALLY hearing him talk in real life! It was precisely at this awesome moment that I was absolutely blown away at the 2nd African Experiential Marketing Summit. Yet that was just one of the many highlights experienced last Wednesday at Monte Casino...
At the outset, I would like to take my hat off to the organisers and events coordinators of this event. Being my first professional summit, I was truly in awe of how everything was so magnificently orchestrated. Every detail was taken care of, and the little extras that kept on popping up throughout the day were truly conducive to creating a wonderful experience for all delegates! From the professionalism with which I was greeted and introduced to the main players (such as Martin Leong and Carol Abade from Exp.), to the calibre of local and international speakers that inspiringly commanded the stage, the day was seamlessly organised. Not a single feature was left unattended to – whether it was the ice cream carts and vendors that took me back to my childhood days, or the decadent display of pink and white cupcakes at tea time, or the dramatic and sensual tap dancers – the entire day revolved around emphasising the value of experiential marketing. And a good job it did at that!
I did not know it was possible to sit through approximately 7 hours of talks, and to not lose focus even once. The speakers were so gripping, interesting and passionate, that my attention was hooked right from the opening keynote by Bernd Schmitt (the novelty of hearing the author of one of my key university text books does not wear off - I literally get excited every time the lecturer mentions his name in class, and I proudly say “I have now heard him live!”) – right up until Kim Skildum-Reid who closed the conference. The speakers were in a league of their own, and I can only marvel at their sheer genius understanding of and insight into the marketing realm.
What I loved most about the Summit, was the way in which each speaker translated their message into real life scenarios by providing case studies and actual tangible examples of Experiential Marketing. I had always learnt about it in theory, but until each speaker wove it into a real life success story, I never grasped just how profound an impact creating an experience can have. I always learn about the world’s leading brands, but the ways in which the speakers elaborated on the experiences behind Starbucks, Apple and Mini (to name but a few) was truly an eye opener. There was no need for highfalutin and verbose complex language, the speakers were to the point and very clear in making their point.
Ryan FitzSimons (CEO of Gigunda Group) was a real highlight! He really got the message across that you have to create an episodic framework. And his case study of the Charmin Toilet Experience was mind blowing! Anyone wishing to understand the entire gist of Experiential Marketing in a few minutes needs to simple Google the Charmin story!
Carol Abade was equally interesting in shedding light on marketing in Africa, emphasising that Africa requires the same degree of sophistication as anywhere else in the world. Her reference to Johnnie Walker and the mosquito-net case studies were brilliant in conveying her message. She truly answered how one would go about utilising the influencer matrix, finding one person to influence the market, and then stretching out across communities of interest.
I took so much from each speaker and the Summit as a whole. I am truly grateful for having been given the opportunity to experience the Experiential Summit... Thank you!
Dani du Plessis