For years, premium credit cards competed on points, perks, and airport lounge access. Now, the battleground is shifting toward something less tangible but arguably more powerful: experiences.
Chase Sapphire Reserve is leaning further into that strategy with its latest offering, a one-night-only “Dinner at the Opry with Ella Langley,” which will bring cardmembers directly onto the stage of Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on May 31.
Timed to the release of Langley’s sophomore album, Dandelion, the event blends live music, dining, and behind-the-scenes access in a way that reflects how the brand is trying to position itself at the center of culture.
The event is part of Chase’s “Dinner On…” series, which has staged similar experiences everywhere from Madison Square Garden to intimate venues across the country.
Turning culture into access
For Chase, the appeal of the Opry event lies in combining cultural relevance with a sense of place.
“I think what we thought was really cool about this event was to take the history of a venue like the Opry and then bring together an artist like Ella Langley, who’s obviously like so right in the center of the culture right now,” Paul Needham, CEO of The Infatuation at Chase tells Fast Company.
Chase acquired The Infatuation in 2021 to bring trusted restaurant recommendations, curated guides, and live dining events directly to cardmembers.
That mix of a cool space and buzzy artist is intentional. Langley represents a rising voice in country music, while the Opry carries nearly a century of history. Bringing the two together creates an experience that feels both timely and rooted.
The night itself is designed to feel immersive rather than performative. Guests will move from a cocktail reception into a multi-course dinner curated by Bastion, one of Nashville’s top restaurants, before settling in for an acoustic performance. A limited number will also meet Langley directly.
Exclusivity, scaled
Events like “Dinner at the Opry” are inherently limited, but Chase’s strategy isn’t about reaching everyone at once. It’s about building a portfolio of experiences that collectively extend the brand’s reach.
“So I think for us, first and foremost, we want to have a lot of different events that speak to a lot of different types of customers in a lot of different cities,” Needham says.
That includes everything from large-scale partnerships, like the PGA Championship, to restaurant-driven events tied to The Infatuation and OpenTable, as well as destination-based travel experiences.
Even when access is limited, the impact is not. Attendees share their experiences across social media and through word of mouth, creating a secondary audience that engages with the brand indirectly.
“What we have seen is that they really share about it and talk about it, and their excitement translates out to a really, you know, large audience,” he says.
From rewards to real-world moments
The shift toward experiences reflects a broader change in how premium cards have started to compete against each other. Traditional benefits like points and lounge access still matter, but they are increasingly table stakes.
What differentiates brands now is how they show up in customers’ lives outside of transactions.
“We definitely see that unique experiences attract new card members and deepen loyalty among existing card members,” says Needham.
These events also serve as one of the few physical touchpoints between a digital product and its users.
“These experiences may be the only time our card members have an in real life interaction with our products so it’s really important that we bring the value proposition of the cards to life in those instances,” he says.
That effect extends beyond attendees. Even cardmembers who never set foot on the Opry stage still feel the halo effect of access.
“The majority of our reserve card members say that access to exclusive events reinforces their decision to carry the card, and makes them view our brand as a really like premium brand. And that’s true even if they don’t attend the event.”
Building a brand, not just a card
For Chase, success is measured both in the room and beyond it.
Needham says that while the brand obviously cares about the experience guests who do attend the event have, it’s also great for people who aren’t at the event to see photos and read about the experience.
“All of that contributes to the feeling of Sapphire reserve being not just a card that I want to use, but a community that I want to be a part of,” he says.
It also allows Chase to connect those moments back to its broader ecosystem of benefits, from dining partnerships through The Infatuation to entertainment perks like complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions.
For one night in Nashville, that strategy takes a literal form. Dinner won’t just come with a view of the stage. It will take place directly on it.