My name is Zev Norotsky. I am a father, husband and the CEO of ENTER, and if you are reading this, then chances are we have bumped into each other ordering drinks at a bar in downtown Austin during SXSW, worked together on a gifting suite during Sundance Film festival, I put your younger cousin on a guestlist for a huge Coachella launch event they just had to attend, we met at a party during NYFW and promised to get something on the calendar soon, perhaps I connected you to a friend who works at a brand you just had to speak to about an idea, or – most important of all – you have trusted me to work together on a project.
I live in a world of interconnectivity where every single action I take has a ripple effect on my family, my friends, my co-workers, my community and ultimately our collective conscience. I have craved that feeling for as long as I can remember, yearning to be part of culture in a meaningful way and always having my finger on the pulse of what comes next. Experiential marketing by design allows me to do this naturally, facilitating a blending of work and life that in and of itself is in perfect harmony with my career, my family and my goals.
Today, I read incessantly from people claiming how good it has been to disconnect, disengage and shut down during quarantine and how much better they feel, how much they love working from home and how much more productive they are. I am here to call outright bullshit.
Nils Davey
My life, if it’s anything like yours, has been spent in the trenches of the creative universe. Connecting flights in Minnesota, late nights in Miami, early mornings in Boston, pitch meetings in San Francisco, festivals in New York, and on and on and on. It has allowed me to create a network of people who I rely upon, who I have connected with over a career spent on the road and in the proverbial scene that we marketers live for.
After all, culture cannot be remote; it must be nurtured and live in the wild where it belongs.
I want you to know that if you are yearning for the day we get back to those norms, you are not alone, and that moment of reckoning is going to be upon us soon. The power of experience has never been greater in my opinion. While we have spent many, many months learning about virtual, streaming and every other novel way of approaching engagement, we all keep coming back to the natural conclusion. Nothing comes as close to the real thing, after all; you just have to be there to truly awaken one’s senses and create a lasting memory or impression. Whether it’s a concert, a movie premiere, a product launch, an exclusive dinner party or a nightclub event, the power of live has never been more prevalent. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE THERE!
To this point, there are many companies like mine who are unable or unwilling to adapt to the current landscape yet who’s outlook remains positive for the year ahead. You just need look at large event promoters like Live Nation or trade show leaders like Informa for guidance. These are entities who recognize that the thrill and impact of live events cannot be replicated by online platforms and in many cases have dug in on their existing businesses to reinforce their market positioning.
We will be back soon! I can feel it and yes there will be new hybrid ways of doing things, but one thing for certain is not going away anytime soon: the collective experiences we crave and the inspiration that comes from feeling like a part of something bigger than you. The need for fusing live events with digital output is not novel. It will evolve over time as technology continues to push capabilities forward, but at its core, all experiences are alike in that they create an opportunity for amplification and dialogue that live beyond the specific moment in time.
As we look ahead to the new year, I can say now more than ever before, experiential is my true passion. Bringing people and brands together has given me so much to be grateful for. But most of all I am grateful to you, the reader, for deep-down feeling the same as me and for the future we welcome together, side by side.
