Multiple-Sensory Marketing -
Engaging Audiences Through the Senses

Date: 30th August 2025
Time: 09:30 – 13:00
Place: Novotel Jaipur Convention Center

12th INDIA ASSOCIATION CONGRESS

August 29 - 30, 2025

Purpose

The purpose of this workshop is to equip association leaders, marketers, and event organizers with the knowledge and tools to leverage multiple-sensory marketing strategies to enhance audience engagement, strengthen brand recall, and create memorable experiences. By exploring how sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste can be integrated into marketing and event strategies, participants will learn to craft immersive experiences that resonate emotionally and drive loyalty. This is particularly relevant for associations aiming to stand out in a competitive landscape and create impactful connections with members and stakeholders.

Expected Takeaways

Participants will leave the workshop with:

  • Understanding of Sensory Marketing: A clear grasp of how sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory) influence consumer behavior and decision-making.
  • Practical Strategies: Actionable techniques to incorporate multi-sensory elements into association events, campaigns, and member interactions.
  • Enhanced Engagement Tools: Methods to create immersive and memorable experiences that boost attendee satisfaction and brand loyalty.
  • Case Study Insights: Real-world examples of successful sensory marketing campaigns, including those tailored to the Indian market or association context.
  • Customized Plan: A personalized sensory marketing blueprint for their association or event, developed during interactive exercises.
  • Networking Opportunities: Connections with peers to share ideas and collaborate on sensory marketing initiatives.

Workshop Timetable

09:30–09:40 - Welcome and Introduction
  • Overview of sensory marketing and its relevance to associations.
  • Brief icebreaker: Participants share a memorable sensory experience (e.g., a smell or sound tied to an event).
  • Presentation on the five senses and their impact on consumer psychology.
  • Examples of sensory marketing in events (e.g., music at conferences, branded scents, or tactile materials).
  • Highlight Indian cultural elements (e.g., traditional aromas, music) for context.
  • Showcase successful sensory marketing campaigns
  • Group discussion: Participants analyze how these strategies could apply to their associations.
  • Hands-on activity: Participants engage with sensory stimuli (e.g., sample scents, textures, or sounds) and brainstorm how to incorporate them into events
  • Example: Create a sensory “mood board” for an upcoming event.
  • Tea/Coffee break
  • Guided workshop: Participants draft a sensory marketing strategy for their association or event.
  • Template provided to outline sensory elements, budget considerations, and implementation steps.
  • Participants present their sensory marketing plans in small groups.
  • Facilitator provides feedback and suggestions for refinement.
  • Key takeaways summarized.
  • Open floor for questions and distribution of resource handouts (e.g., sensory marketing checklist).

Workshop Approach

The workshop will adopt an interactive, experiential, and participant-centric approach to maximize engagement and practical application. Key elements include:

Blended Learning: Presentation: Concise slides with visuals and data to explain sensory marketing concepts and case studies.

Real-World Examples: Focus on relatable examples, including Indian cultural festivals (e.g., Diwali’s use of lights and sweets) and global association events.

Cultural Relevance: Incorporate India-specific sensory elements (e.g., jasmine scents, traditional music, or regional flavors) to resonate with the audience.

Hands-On Activities: Participants will engage in sensory exercises, such as sampling scents or textures, to understand their emotional impact. Group discussions and brainstorming sessions encourage peer learning and idea exchange.

Collaborative Planning: Participants will work in small groups to apply concepts to their own associations, ensuring practical outcomes. A provided template will guide them in creating a sensory marketing plan tailored to their needs.

Adaptability: The workshop will be tailored to the audience’s needs, with flexibility to focus on specific senses or strategies based on participant feedback during the session.

Workshop Instructor
Prof Anuj Kapoor, Associate Dean, IIT Jodhpur

AI and Association Roundtable

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now being used across many industries in various ways, from drafting emails to writing code. Breakthroughs in the science behind AI have enabled a remarkable surge of new capabilities and use cases for associations and nonprofits, as well as in the for-profit space.

Associations gather and store large amounts of member and event data, feedback, legal documentation, and more. Associations can use generative AI to summarize documents and ask the system to present the data in new ways.

Generative AI can save organizations countless hours of work daily by automating processes, summarizing documents, visualizing datasets, and more. AI systems can perform tasks difficult for humans to accomplish and produce consistent results.

With AI tools aiding in data analytics and visualization, associations can save time and effort and generate more accurate and consistent analyses. In some cases, these AI tools can perform tasks that would tax even the most dedicated human given large amounts of data. However, like with all output from an AI system, analyses need to be validated by a human. Indeed, all text should be fact-checked to ensure accuracy.

Medical Association Roundtable

Medical associations share many common characteristics. They typically depend on the voluntary professional activity of individuals to drive a not-for-profit business model. Their business is to represent the interests of the profession, to use collective knowledge to define standards, to define policy and to be a trusted voice for the public. Yet, beyond those similarities, medical associations are hugely diverse in terms of business model, geography, community, size and of course budget – the mix of challenges they are facing will therefore vary from group to group as well.

Medical Associations must communicate their value proposition, benefits, and services to potential members. Young medical professionals are tech-savvy – over 98% have the latest technology and spend nearly 4 hours daily on the Internet. Since the pandemic, video chatting and social media apps have been the most popular communication methods.

For today’s associations, the challenge of recruiting and engaging young professionals is never-ending. For medical associations and societies, it can seem utterly impossible. Young medical professionals keep rigorous schedules. Therefore, the challenge of competing for their time typically surpasses that of other associations.

The Power of Storytelling: Crafting Compelling Narratives

Storytelling is a powerful tool. This art can help associations effectively convey important messages. Storytelling also allows organisations to connect to target audiences. The art of storytelling remains a veritable sales tool. Salespersons regularly look for ways to better connect with audiences. Hence, this theme will resonate well among marketers and content creators. The session teaches how to craft relatable narratives and also highlight, how to drive action with storytelling.

Women in Leadership: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Change

In recent years, we have recorded great progress toward gender equality. Yet, it is still difficult for women to get leadership positions. Hence, women remain underrepresented in leadership positions in many industries. This subject matter deals with the challenges women face in leadership. Session will discuss how to break down the gender barrier in the workplace. The session will provide the tools and support for women to advance their careers.

The Future of Work: Adapting to a Changing Landscape

The way we work is changing. We must evolve with the trend to survive in any industry. This conference theme explores the techniques for adapting to this new landscape. Participants will learn about the latest technologies, business models, and strategies for success. This session will expose participants to the demands of modern work. More importantly, it will help attendees to better adapt to the new realities.

Building Connections in a Crowded World

Branding and marketing are two sides of a coin. Associations engages their members through marketing. Meanwhile, branding allows association to distinguish their products or services. With many associations competing for attention, it becomes necessary to stand out. Hence, this session is all about building connections. The theme will help Association Leaders find ways to connect members to their brands.