Almost every facet of our daily lives has evolved over the past year in the face of unprecedented challenges, yet the core drivers of human behavior remain constant. Looking through the lens of loyalty and engagement at this critical juncture, you might wonder: What's next for the human experience? Augeo CEO David Kristal hosted a virtual Fireside Chat to discuss this fascinating topic with other industry experts. Read on to catch up on the conversation.

Customer is king, right? We’ve all heard the mantra. Businesses of all shapes and sizes have embraced this perspective for over a century in their quest to boost brand affinity and their bottom line. While honing in on the customer experience with focused precision is one element of a successful brand strategy, there are two sides of every coin. After all, a superior customer experience begins with the most important customers of all: employees.

One of the most valuable functions of virtual events is often the most overlooked: community building. While “virtual” might not be what immediately comes to mind when you think about community building, it can provide a wealth of meaningful, cost-effective opportunities for helping people become and remain engaged on a long-term basis.

As part of the Augeo Luminaries Speaker Series in conjunction with the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, Augeo CMO Ken Greer recently interviewed one of his childhood friends—renowned New York Times columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tom Friedman. Tom’s career spans four decades and has carried him from the Arctic to the Amazon. He’s covered wars, famines, the COVID-19 pandemic—everything that brings him to the edge of stories.

In the first podcast from Entertainment® Rewards & Incentives, Augeo CEO David Kristal shares his perspective on the evolution of loyalty and engagement—and what he believes lies ahead for the industry in a post-COVID world.

As companies large and small look for ways to facilitate strategic growth, virtual events have emerged as a way to foster connections, build community and share information, bringing remote attendees together to discuss, engage, learn and re-energize.