You aren’t a billionaire with a dream, nor are you a global brand that everyone recognizes.  So what can you learn from CNN, The Olympics, Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium?

These were questions we asked this year’s TargetX Xpert Summit participants.  Part of this two-day event in Atlanta was an experience excursion where we took everyone (all 115 clients in attendance) to the CNN Center, Centennial Olympic Park (did you know that the 1996 Olympics were in Atlanta?), the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium. We weren’t there to play tourists.  We wanted to see what we could learn from the experiences being hosted by these popular destinations and discover what might be applicable to a college campus.

2010 Xpert Summit group at CNN Center

One AHA moment came from our good friend Sam Word, Associate Attraction Manager at the World of Coca-Cola.  We found it so profound, I wanted to share with everyone. Sam shared this with us:

“When people go somewhere on vacation, or just visiting some place, they are going to remember three things.  For the World of Coca-Cola, they’ll remember the drinks, the Polar Bear and one other thing. I tell my team members to try to be that third thing.”

Part of the Xpert Summit Group with the Polar Bear at the World of Coca-Cola

I told Sam that we remembered the drinks (especially the Beverly), the polar bear and his exceptional staff.  Overall, we had a great visit experience to the World of Coca-Cola.

Now, let’s scale this lesson. During your campus visit, what are the three things you want your visitors to remember about your institution?

We recently asked this of one of our clients.  The admissions office told us, “people, place and passion” while a professor on the enrollment management committee said, “A ‘mold’ that leads them to think about cost - it’s affordable, they know they’re not going to slip between the cracks- they will find their spot” and finally, “a spirit of intellectual curiosity.”

Ask the question of your staff, your students, your faculty, heck, even your president. What will they say?  You might be surprised of the overlap or the diverging view points.  Figure out what is authentic to you and get your team on the same page.

Three things could change your enrollment.  What are they?