As live shows return, the health and safety of artists and fans are top of mind. Tours and shows are often canceled or set to limited capacity in the name of COVID—and the more risky add-ons, like VIP meet & greets, are often the first to go. But our survey of 4,000 live music fans showed how badly fans crave these intimate experiences with their favorite artists. From the study, 82% want to spend extra on perks—and what was one of the most desired perks cited again and again? The ability to access virtual meet and greets. So, how do you continue to delight and engage your superfans when you’re facing constraints beyond your control?
Introducing VIP: One & VIP: Party—Mandolin’s ultimate virtual meet and greet solutions
Mandolin launches the first-of-its-kind virtual VIP products—now offering both one-to-one and one-to-many meet and greets for artists, venues and festivals.
VIP: One & VIP: Party offer artists a safe & flexible opportunity to connect with fans directly through the Mandolin mobile app. Whether you’re in the venue, on the couch, or anywhere in-between, Mandolin’s intuitive user interface makes every VIP experience seamless, so artists and fans can get back to what really matters—making relationships real. For artists, venues and festivals, this means you can sell VIP access to fans at the show, or uncap the room and open up the offer to global audiences.
This changes the game for how artists engage fans, as you no longer need to be on tour to get to know your fans & earn some extra cash. And if a show needs a revenue bump, adding a virtual perk like a meet & greet can make up for lost ground (all in the same platform where fans access the livestream).
VIP: One
VIP: One is ideal for artists wanting to host one-on-one events with superfans. Perfect for getting to know your fans more intimately, it’s just like Facetime, but with a host to help manage a queue of those waiting to meet you. And, at the end of it all, each fan walks away with a photo of them and their favorite artists; commemorating the experience.
VIP: Party
VIP: Party is great if you want to conduct VIP experiences with large groups and don’t have time to meet with each fan individually. It’s perfect for hosting exclusive soundchecks, cocktail hours, and larger Q&As—the possibilities are endless.
Here, you can create video rooms with up to 475 fans—where attendees can raise their hands to chat personally with the artist.
Your meet & greets are best in class on Mandolin
In the past year we’ve helped thousands of fans meet their idols—and have used our experience to build the ultimate solutions for what fans and artists actually care about.
Enjoy seamless audio & visuals
In addition to offering the best audio and visual quality around, with Mandolin, your meet & greets include A/V checkpoints to ensure both fans and artists have an unforgettable experience from end-to-end—without any annoying tech hiccups.
Self-host your events on an easy-to-use interface
The user-friendly platform is quick to learn and easy to use, so anyone can host the event. The host controls the flow of the meet & greet: they decide when to open and close VIP access, re-order and remove fans from the semi-automated queue, and take photos straight from their control panel.
Don’t have a host? Not a problem. Mandolin’s here to help, and always ready to step in to ensure your event runs smoothly.
Brand your VIP experience
Make your VIP experience an extension of your brand or your sponsors. With Mandolin, you can customize colors and logos and even sell merch in the waiting room to make your event truly yours.
Virtual meet & greets help artists, venues and festivals create unique fan experiences to increase event revenue.
For artists.
For touring artists, it can be difficult to fit VIP experiences into the schedule, and it’s just another thing they’ve gotta make time for. Luckily, Mandolin removes some of the friction from the process. With Mandolin VIPs, artists can jump into the meet and greet from their hotel room, the tour bus, or wherever is most convenient—while the host (venue staff, artist manager, team member or Mandolin) manages the event and fan queue.
For venues & festivals.
Selling tickets and booking amazing artists ultimately comes down to the fan experience you have to offer. Fans want to connect with their favorite artists in new and exciting ways, and artists want to sell more tickets while giving their fans an unforgettable experience.
With virtual meet and greets, ticket holders no longer need to wait in lines to meet their favorite artists. They could be enjoying a drink at the bar, or ubering home when the Mandolin app tells them it’s time to meet the artist. And by offering artists a more flexible VIP solution, suited to their preferences, your venue can make more appealing offers to bring in those that are larger or harder to book.
For brands & sponsors.
The nice thing about Mandolin VIPs? The look and feel of the experience is totally up to you! Brands can now get more out of virtual event sponsorships through full brand takeovers and products sold directly from the fan waiting room.
Why go virtual with your meet & greets?
Engage with fans off tour
Have an album ready for release? Want to get the band together for a reunion? Or just miss the energy from your superfans? Use Mandolin’s virtual VIP capabilities to engage fans and make money even when you’re not on the road. The beauty of going digital? Everyone’s invited! Get the band together, even when they’re on different continents, and delight fans from all over the world.
Enhance fan experience.
Does my outfit look right? Do I have something in my teeth? Meeting their favorite artist can be absolutely nerve racking for fans. So, we’ve made the fan experience simple and self-guided—with clear instructions for when and how to join the event, dynamically updated estimated wait times, and opportunities to purchase exclusive content and merch while they wait their turn.
Mandolin offers a suite of products to support your VIP strategy
Whether your meet and greet is a standalone event or part of a broader hybrid event offering, Mandolin Fan Experiences provides VIP solutions to support your fan engagement strategy and drive more revenue on and off tour.
Want to level up your VIP strategy? Reach out via the form below. A member of our Industry Relations team will be more than happy to share best practices and build an experience that works for you.
This blog is part of a larger collection of educational content about hybrid concerts.
