Leading The KISS Kruise
I previously worked as the event lead for The KISS Kruise, run by production and travel company, Sixthman. How did I help build two sold-out onboard experiences for a ship full of KISS fans?
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Crafting An Experience Through Guest Insight
It's all fun and games until KISS decides to take over a cruise ship and bring 2,300 of their diehard fans along for the ride. That was my life for a couple of years as the event lead of The KISS Kruise IV and The KISS Kruise V. In this case (study?), the product is the 4-day cruise and I’ll refer to the users as guests.
A graphic announcing new band activities that were created based on insights obtained from guests.
I wrote all of the copy found throughout each graphic in this case study. Visuals were created by the in-house Sixthman designer.
One of my jobs as the event lead of The KISS Kruise was serving as community ambassador for booked guests. The event had its own dedicated Facebook group where cruisers could meet and connect before sailing.
I was there to not only moderate the community but to understand guests needs, wants, expectations, and how they think in general. When I'd notice trends among guests, I'd take that information back to the event team or in some cases, to KISS themselves. Those guest insights lead to new activities and experiences onboard.
A segment from the event survey given to guests at the end of the cruise.
In addition to gaining insight directly from the KISS Navy, we surveyed guests at the end of each event to yield both quantitative and qualitative data.
Synthesizing the data of hundreds of surveys was a massive undertaking, but produced fruitful insights. It was through these surveys that we learned of guests desire to see Steel Panther play The KISS Kruise.
Guest insight from The KISS Kruise IV survey is what ultimately lead to us booking Steel Panther the following year.
The final post of a 4-hour long lineup announcement initiative.
Visually Communicating with Guests
I was responsible for making sure guests weren't confused about what to do or where to go once they boarded the ship.
With zero cell phone service and limited internet access, guests needed a way to stay updated. The production crew needed a way to communicate last-minute schedule changes to guests as they occurred. To solve this, I worked with designers to create a series of television slide decks to display schedule updates throughout the ship.
A Closer Look at the Slide Deck
I communicated with guests before sailing to use the onboard television slides as a guide and reference point.
The slide shown here is identical to the paper schedule guests received when boarding. The red signifiers reflect recent updates.
The television slide decks included corresponding graphics with real-time activity updates and important ship announcements.
Guest participation in the mandatory safety drill required assertive and direct communications. I wanted to reassure guests that an emergency was unlikely while stressing the importance of safety drill attendance. The STARTS AT 2 PM text overlay is an internal signifier letting the crew know this deck will begin cycling on screens at that time.
This slide served as a reminder for parents to register their child for onboard daycare services. I withheld the sign-up deadline to minimize anxiety for parents and reduce bottlenecking at registration.
Guests needed to understand when and where activities took place on board. Knowing that KISS Karaoke occurs in Bliss Lounge doesn't help much if you're unfamiliar with the ship. Adding location addresses eased confusion and provided helpful navigation points.
Below are a few of the non-schedule related slides that I wrote reminding guests of important information throughout the cruise. We created each slide for a specific purpose several weeks before the event. It was important to include situations that guests may forget while enjoying their onboard experience.
Helpful tips and reminders displayed throughout the ship for an experience with minimal friction.
Many guests commented about how helpful they found the slides, especially when it came to disembarking at port.
KISS Keepsakes
Below is a segment from The KISS Kruise Yearbook, a guest gift distributed onboard The KISS Kruise V. I wrote the copy speaking on behalf of the band which the KISS team later approved.
An except from The KISS Kruise Yearbook.