We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christine Rogerson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christine, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?
In tandem with U2’s historic, first-of-its kind live music experience at the opening of Sphere in Las Vegas, our team at Vibee provided a unique opportunity for the band’s dedicated global fanbase to interact with their iconic artistic legacy. Collaborating directly with the band members themselves and their longtime creative director Gavin Friday, we created “Zoo Station: A U2:UV Experience” – an immersive, centralized fan portal and destination – that was completely free and open to the public through the full run of shows. This ultimate hub allowed visitors to congregate, shop, view exclusive content, and immerse themselves in the group’s incredible history – from their roots in Ireland to becoming one of the greatest acts of all time. This was also the first fan experience exhibit Vibee launched, so it was particularly special for all of us to see it come to life.
“Zoo Station” was truly a ‘love letter’ from U2 to their fans. The details and ‘easter eggs’ throughout were so bespoke and thoughtful. The Edge (U2’s lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist) curated the films that were played daily at Zoo TV Cinema, and the band’s legendary photographer Anton Corbijn created a retrospective exhibit of photos and videos across their five decades of collaboration. Over 250,000 fans from all corners of the globe came through Zoo Station’s doors by the time the band wrapped their Sphere shows in February 2024. In addition to creating “Zoo Station,” Vibee also served as the VIP package provider for the U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere shows.
Vibee endeavors to create bucket list-worthy, memory making experiences for our fans, and it was so incredibly rewarding to connect them with the band in this way. Whether it was honoring our 100,000th guest through “Zoo Station” with fanfare and gifts, or the couple celebrating their anniversary with a special toast and anniversary card, we appreciated and valued each of them.
Christine, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
When looking to pinpoint the start of my work in the music industry, it’s exceedingly difficult, as it’s almost like I was always in this work! My mom had friends who were musicians, or musically adjacent, and I have early memories of attending music events and festivals (such as our annual gathering for the Edmonton Folk Music Festival). This evolved organically throughout grade school where I was always involved in student activities and eventually, student government. With the support of our teacher advisors, I even secured a multi-year contract for our school dances when I was a high school student. I continued this throughout University, where I worked at the Students’ Union, as well as joined student associations and Alpha Gamma Delta women’s fraternity. I found incredible mentors along the way that provided me with opportunities to volunteer, and eventually get paid, to work on concerts and events. I originally thought that I was going to be a lawyer, then I realized that I had found my calling many years before!
I have truly worked from the ground up in this industry. Before landing at my current role as SVP of Business Operations at Vibee – a music-led destination experience company creating unforgettable moments for fans – I tested my mettle at nearly every different task or role. This makes me acutely aware of the nuances of each position and respective projects, what the struggles can be, and how success is measured. The knowledge I’ve accrued helps me guide my team and be a good operations partner in the various alliances we have at Vibee – whether that be with resorts, artists, managers, promoters, and beyond. This also speaks to one of my management philosophies in that I won’t ask something of my team that I wouldn’t or haven’t done myself. It helps inform my leadership and team coaching as well, as I have been in their shoes and can help them to navigate the challenges that they may encounter.
While many people enjoy the glamour of this business, I am very much a “behind the scenes” leader. I often joke that my work creates the foundation of the house: the form and structure, plumbing, electrical. Other people are responsible for the decor. My output encompasses systems and processes, organizational leadership, structure and hierarchies, as well as coaching and culture. I might not be on the stage, but I still get to look out at the smiling faces of the fans and feel connected to that success.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
In my career, I have sought to invest in others in the way that others invested in me, whether through volunteerism, advocacy, or mentorship. Intentionally, I have sought to share knowledge and resources through my career rather than gatekeep that expertise. This is why I have prioritized working on various boards of directors and committees, invested in not-for-profit organizations, and welcomed the opportunity to connect with young professionals. I would venture to say that I built my own reputation by building others!
With Vibee, I have worked to continue that ethos and there are a few ways our company stands apart from competitors. First, our mission is to deepen the artist-to-fan connection and create indelible memories in incredible locations around the world. When creating destination experiences and engaging fan portal spaces like U2’s “Zoo Station,” Dead & Co.’s “Dead Forever Experience,” the Eagles “Third Encore,” and most recently, Kenny Chesney’s “Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love,” we always start from the fans’ perspective. We hone in on what would make the experience most special for them, and build creatively from there.
Vibee guests are also treated with white-glove service from the moment they arrive. Our various packages offer luxurious accommodations at some of the most picturesque hotels in the world, transportation to-and-from the airport, top-tier dining experiences, fan collectibles, prime seating at the venue itself, an on-site concierge, and even more. From the minute you step off the plane to the moment you depart, Vibee makes sure everything is covered.
Our reputations, both in terms of the company and our own, are iterative and it is important to keep pushing to improve.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
While we all have moments where we feel discouraged, I truly try to center myself in a place of opportunity and embrace a growth mindset. That sounds completely trite sometimes, but this perspective has helped me to weather so many storms!
As none of us are infallible, we are each going to experience hurdles in our careers and our lives. The differentiator is how you respond and react to those roadblocks. I am naturally inquisitive and use questions to help find shared understanding of the root of issues, then to move towards solutions. One team member had commented that I often answer questions with questions! I do this intentionally though, so that we can uncover the root of the issue and avoid it in the future. Sometimes this investigation happens after we have solved the problem at hand, especially in a time of urgency, but we always have to go back to discover the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Then we tackle the changes that need to be made or explore new approaches to avoid recurrence.
Settling into the perspective of opportunity, versus a “sky is falling” mentality, has helped me to tackle challenges and move on from them. They don’t haunt me in the way that they might have previously because I know that I have taken steps to avoid the same mistakes happening again.
Another part of this is that I care deeply about the work that I do and the people that I lead. Given that, I have trust in myself that I have made the best decision possible with the information and knowledge that I had at that time. As I learn and grow further, I may re-evaluate my previous perspectives and adapt, but it isn’t because I was necessarily wrong, it is because now I know more or know better. To come back to the question, my resilience is illustrated by that growth mindset, self-awareness, and willingness to own a mistake and move forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vibee.com
- Instagram: @vibeepresents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VibeePresents
- Twitter: @vibeepresents
- Other: TikTok: @VibeePresents
Image Credits
Christine Rogerson Headshot 1: Photo Credit Bryan Reid
Christine Rogerson Headshot 2: Photo Credit Jessie McCall
“Zoo Station” + “Guitars, Tiki Bars and a Whole Lotta Love” Images: Photos Courtesy of Vibee