Case Study: Engineering Desire — Virgin Galactic’s Luxury Sales Journey

Astronaut Colin Bennett

OVERVIEW
Virgin Galactic is a pioneer in commercial spaceflight, founded by Sir Richard Branson with a mission to democratize space travel for civilians. With a ticket price of USD $600,000 and an elite customer base of 600+ aspiring astronauts, this isn’t just a trip to space — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime odyssey. To generate product awareness and acquire high-quality leads in Asia, The Lumenere Group partnered with Virgin Galactic and Intriq Travels (Agency) to deliver an intimate, emotionally powerful, and deeply personalized experience in Singapore.

The brief was clear: no sales pitch, just soul-stirring storytelling. An experience that could stand out — even for ultra-wealthy individuals who’ve seen it all. Hosted for only 40 hand-selected UHNW individuals, the evening unfolded three levels beneath the sea at Ocean Restaurant, where the mysteries of the deep mirrored the awe of space. Through immersive storytelling, multisensory design, and live engagement with real astronauts — including a personal message from Sir Richard Branson himself — we anchored space travel not in science fiction, but in human connection.

This was not an event. It was a portal into the cosmos. And it worked.

INDUSTRY
Space Travel / Suborbital Space Flights

CLIENT
Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc
Partner: Intriq Travels
Website: https://www.virgingalactic.com

CUSTOMER PROFILE
Demographic:

• Age: 45–60
• Gender: Predominantly Male
• Profession: Entrepreneurs, Investors, Business Owners
• SES: Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (>$20M net worth)

Psychographic:

• Audacious, Curious, Purpose-driven
• Seek legacy-defining experiences
• Emotionally motivated by exclusivity, exploration, and the unknown
• Medically fit and intellectually inspired by science and human progress

OBJECTIVE / GOAL
Virgin Galactic’s objective was not mass-market hype but emotional conversion. The aim was to:

• Filter the right 40 clients into the room (ultra-targeted, not mass-invite).
• Deepen emotional connection with the brand and the concept of space travel.
• Educate and immerse prospects in the visceral experience of spaceflight.
• Create a memorable, intimate experience that anchors long-term brand loyalty.
• Qualify leads and create a high-conversion path to purchase — with zero “hard-sell.”

HOW TLG’S EXPERIENCE DESIGN INFLUENCED BEHAVIOR: A DEEPER DIVE

At The Lumenere Group, experience is a tool for influence. Every moment of our Virgin Galactic event was purposefully crafted to shape not just what guests saw or heard — but how they felt, thought, and behaved.

We don’t host events. We engineer behavior through psychology-backed design.

PRE-EXPERIENCE INFLUENCE: THE JOURNEY STARTS BEFORE ARRIVAL

1. Anchoring Value (Anchoring Effect)

• We introduced a ticket price of USD $1,250, not to earn revenue — but to create perceived value. Affluent customers may not be price-sensitive, but they are value-aware. By setting a price point, we established a mental benchmark: this isn’t a dinner — it’s an investment into the extraordinary.

2. Pre-Engagement = Co-Creation (IKEA Effect)

• Clients received customization engagement and organic touchpoints before the event — drink preferences, allergies, and seating. This simple act of co-creation heightened emotional investment, reducing churn and increasing anticipation. Behavior science has shown that Audiences are more likely to show up and stay emotionally engaged when they feel they’ve contributed to shaping the experience.
• Achieved 100% attendance rate with zero attrition, reflecting deep emotional commitment and precise audience targeting.

3. Social Proof Through Scarcity

• Strictly limited to only 40 seats available in Singapore — intentionally engineered to trigger the Scarcity Effect, increasing desirability, social status, and commitment. Being invited to this one-time-only event placed attendees in a rarefied group, increasing social status and motivation to attend.

THE INVITATION: A FUTURISTIC CALL TO ADVENTURE

4. Personalized Boarding Pass Invitations

• Futuristic “boarding passes” with name, seat, and mission badge transformed a simple invite into a story artifact — triggering anticipation and priming the brain for adventure. This is emotional priming in action.

THE ENVIRONMENT: MULTISENSORY IMMERSION THAT SHAPES PERCEPTION

5. Venue Choice — Ocean Depths = Cosmic Mirror

• We couldn’t take guests to space, so we took them underwater — a powerful metaphor for exploration. Deep sea and outer space are both vast, unknown, and awe-inspiring. This symbolic mirroring created an emotional link between the venue and Virgin Galactic’s mission.

6. Audio Cues — NASA Chatter (Schema Disruption)

• Playing real NASA mission audio (Control to Space Shuttle) during arrival disrupted expectations and shifted mental states into curiosity and openness. This novelty interrupts routine patterns and creates a neural gateway for influence.

THE OPENING MOMENTS: CREATING AWE TO OPEN THE MIND

7. “Ocean”-Only Lighting (Awe + Emotional Priming)

• Guests entered a darkened, glowing-blue restaurant bathed in aquarium light — replicating the stillness and wonder of space. Awe has been proven to expand perception of time and increase openness to learning — perfect for priming attendees for deeper storytelling.

8. Welcome Letter — Reflective Prompt (Behavioral Activation)

• A handwritten letter from Colin Bennett asked each guest to reflect: “What do you feel about space?”
  This reflection activates internal narrative construction, deepens emotional ties, and helps TLG qualify emotional readiness for purchase.

THE EXPERIENCE ARC: COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL CONDITIONING

9. Storytelling by an Astronaut (Mirror Neurons + Authority Bias)

• When Colin Bennett shared his space stories and photos, it humanized the unreachable. Guests imagined themselves in his shoes. This activated mirror neurons, making spaceflight feel not only possible — but personal.

10. Overview Effect (Cognitive Reframing)

• Colin’s keynote on the “Overview Effect” created a perspective shift. Described by astronauts as a life-changing cognitive awakening, we distilled this powerful moment into an experience that guests could feel vicariously — strengthening their internal belief: I want this too.

11. Theta Wave Music (Subconscious Suggestion)

• By curating theta wave frequencies music (Non-Binaural) (frequency range of 4–8 Hertz — curated from Hans Zimmer’s portfolio), we nudged guests into a deeper learning state. This reduced resistance, increased empathy, and enhanced memory formation. It wasn’t just ambience — it was brain-state engineering.

ENGINEERING THE PEAK & END (BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE REMEMBER)

12. Peak Moment: Richard Branson’s Personal Video

• When Sir Richard appeared with a direct video message, we created a surprise dopamine spike — a peak moment of joy and credibility that hardwired the event into memory.

13. Table Chats with Colin (Parasocial Bonding)

• Having Colin speak personally with each table created intimate, authentic micro-moments. These informal chats converted awe into connection, and curiosity into trust — key precursors to sales conversion.

14. Public Toast = Public Commitment

• Ending with a celebratory toast led by Colin, honoring those who will journey to space, created a moment of public affirmation. Social pressure + exclusivity = behavior reinforcement. The “I want to be part of this tribe” effect.

Immersive Venue Experience

• Underwater Space Launch: Hosted at Ocean Restaurant, Resorts World, beneath the sea. A symbolic blend of two uncharted territories: deep oceans and space.
• Galactic Boarding Pass Invitations: Personalized and futuristic, setting the tone for a space journey.
• Arrival Experience: Guests greeted by “futuristic flight stewardesses,” mission badges, and ambient NASA space chatter. Emotional state: curious, slightly elevated heartbeat.

Emotional Arc (Experience Flow)

1. Opening: Restaurant lights off. Aquarium illuminated. Awe begins. Guests guided to seats, handwritten letters asked: “What do you feel about space?”
2. Main: Michelin-star meal inspired by space phases, interspersed with astronaut Colin Bennett’s storytelling.
3. Peak Moment: Live video message from Sir Richard Branson. Emotional contagion spreads.
4. Personal Touches: Colin engages each table individually — storytelling becomes intimate, human, and unforgettable.
5. Closing: Public toast celebrating future astronauts — anchoring the “commitment” through social proof and emotional closure.

PSYCHOLOGY INSIGHTS

1. Anchoring Effect: A USD $1,250 ticket placed perceived value and commitment early in the journey. Even when waived, the value was psychologically imprinted.
2. Co-Creation Principle: Personalizing seating and cocktails created ownership and emotional investment pre-event, reducing churn and elevating anticipation.
3. Overview Effect: The psychological phenomenon described by astronauts was shared firsthand by Colin, creating emotional resonance and mental clarity about one’s place in the universe.
4. Theta Brainwave Music: Curated from Hans Zimmer scores, inducing reflective states for better absorption of Colin’s stories and technical information.
5. Peak-End Rule: The highlight (Richard Branson’s video) and Colin’s closing toast crafted a lasting memory, improving post-event evaluation and desire to share.
6. Social Proof & Exclusivity: Only 40 guests. Personalized. One-night-only. This created both urgency and elite word-of-mouth.
7. Sensory Immersion: Sight (ocean), sound (NASA radio + music), taste (space-themed courses), and personal touchpoints (badges, letters) engaged all modalities.

TLG’S EXPERIENCE DESIGN DIFFERENCE

✅ We don’t just design moments. We influence minds.
✅ Every sensory detail is backed by behavior science.
✅ Every touchpoint is crafted to shift customer emotion and action.

By the time our guests left Ocean Restaurant, they weren’t just interested in spaceflight.

They were emotionally committed.|

They didn’t just attend an event.

They began a journey.

CONCLUSION

At The Lumenere Group, we don’t create events. We design emotional ecosystems engineered for ROI and resonance. Unlike traditional event companies who focus on logistics, we begin with behavioral science and customer psychology, then build experiences that guide decision-making subtly but powerfully. Our work with Virgin Galactic transformed space travel from fantasy into future reality — for the world’s most discerning clients.

We increased not just awareness — but awe. Not just interest — but intimacy. And we engineered an experience so rare, it lives on long after the night ended. That’s not chance. That’s by design.

Experience is the new currency. We help brands like Virgin Galactic spend it wisely.

Learn More: https://lumenere.com