2025 POMS College of Service Operations Mini-Conference: Thursday, May 8, 2025, 8:30am – 5:30pm. Atlanta, GA

Theme: Create a Memory Through Experiential Services

In 1987 Disney launched the “What’s Next?” campaign (you may have seen the commercials after the Super Bowl). After reaching the pinnacle of their profession a star player is asked “What’s next?”. The answer is always the same, “I’m going to Disney World!”. Experiential services (like Disney World) focus on the experience of the customer while interacting with the organization, rather than the functional benefits of the service delivered[i]. Experiential services are most often measured by the emotions that they invoke[ii] or the impressions they make on our memories[iii]. Join us this year as we go behind the scene with a few experiential services and learn how to design and execute these types of services successfully. Who knows, you may even make a few lasting memories in the process.

Tentative Agenda

8:30am – 9:30am           Breakfast: Meet colleagues and PhD students for breakfast at the hotel and a brief discussion about the theme of the min-conference.

10:00am – 12:00am       Georgia Aquarium Tour. We will walk over together from the hotel (0.4 miles). If you would like to meet us there, please be there just before 10:00am (225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313). 

12:30pm – 3:30pm.        Fox Theatre. Lunch and a behind the scene tour of the historic 4,600 seat theatre which hosts more than 150 performances a year. The theatre is a 25 minute walk from the aquarium (660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308).

3:30pm – 5:30pm.          Fun with friends…

6:00pm                            We will join other colleges for a dinner at the conference hotel.

Participation requires registration for the mini-conference, which can be obtained via the POMS conference website (at the same time or separately at a later time from the registration to the main conference). Prepare to be outside and wear comfortable clothes and shoes as we will walk several blocks between venues.

Registration link: https://pomsmembers.org/members/SelectConference.aspx

We look forward to seeing you all in Atlanta!

 

[i] Voss, C., & Zomerdijk, L. (2007). Innovation in experiential services: an empirical view. Hockessin: AIM Research.

[ii] Chase, R. B., & Dasu, S. (2001). Want to perfect your company's service? Use behavioral science. Harvard business review, 79(6), 78-84.

[iii] Dixon, M. J., Victorino, L., Kwortnik, R. J., & Verma, R. (2017). Surprise, anticipation, and sequence effects in the design of experiential services. Production and Operations Management, 26(5), 945-960.