Episode 168 Creating Memorable Experiences with Phil Mershon

John talks with Phil Mershon —  director of experience at Social Media Examiner, International speaker, author of the book "Unforgettable: The Art and Science of Creating Memorable Experiences," and a jazz saxophonist. Phil has over 15 years of experience planning major conferences and events and is passionate about using events to help people make meaningful connections and drive transformation. Listen to this episode to learn more: [00:00] - Introduction [02:50] - Phil's background and journey [05:08] - The experience side vs. the logistics side of event planning  [06:52] - Balancing creativity and execution in event planning [09:36] - Key ingredients that make up a great event experience [11:26] - The importance of making attendees feel secure and comfortable [15:51] - Hiring an event planner vs. organizing events independently [18:53] - Strategies for making events unforgettable [21:44] - Utilizing the senses and aromas to enhance event experiences [25:51] - Creating tangible memory triggers during speeches [27:07] - Insights into Phil's book "Unforgettable"  [31:18] - Fostering a genuine networking atmosphere in the events [33:38] - Phil's connections crew [39:01] - The impact of faith on Phil's business [40:19] - How Phil defines success [41:24] - Release details of "Unforgettable" book [44:46] - Book recommendations NOTABLE QUOTES: "The more senses you incorporate into something, the more memorable it becomes. The olfactory is the ultimate sense."  "The high peak moments trump the low moments if done right and at the right time."  "Events are like restaurants... what's different is the quality of the food and even more so as the quality of the service."  "You never know when a 15-minute conversation will change your life." "A master event planner is like a master baker. It's really in the details, the way you think about it, the intention with which you do each thing." "Success is about transformation. It's about the depth of impact." "There's no such thing as a perfect event. There's no such thing as a perfect plan. We've got to be ready for the things that we didn't know about. We want to, all obviously, be ready for the things we know can go wrong." BOOKS MENTIONED: The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip Heath and Dan Heath (https://tinyurl.com/ThePowerOfMomentsBook) 48 Days to the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal by Dan Miller (https://tinyurl.com/48DaysToTheWorkYouLoveBookDM) USEFUL RESOURCES: https://www.philmershon.com https://www.philmershon.com/?product=unforgettablebook https://www.linkedin.com/in/philmershon/ https://www.instagram.com/phil_mershon/ https://www.facebook.com/phil.mershon https://twitter.com/Phil_Mershon https://www.youtube.com/@PhilMershon CONNECT WITH JOHN Website - https://thejohnhulen.com     Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnhulen     Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen     Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/johnhulen     LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen     YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA     EPISODE CREDITS Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/