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Last month at Sundance, Chase Sapphire cardmembers rubbed shoulders with stars such as Alexander Skarsgård and Jenna Ortega; purchased early-access tickets to coveted premieres such as “The Moment;” and sat front row to intimate industry panels.
This past weekend, meanwhile, Hilton Honors members attended the 2026 Grammy Awards, where they saw performances from Justin Bieber, KATSEYE, Lola Young, Alex Warren and more live from the Crypto Arena. But members not only attended the start-studded awards show, they were also treated to a three-night stay at The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (a Hilton property) and an in-room glam appointment: the full VIP treatment.
These are just two recent examples of how loyalty programs – spanning credit cards to hotels – are focusing less on points alone, but access to exclusive, culture-driving events. The timing is no accident. According to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, one in five global travelers cite entertainment and sporting events as the primary reason behind their travel plans, while 86% say they value experiences more than material gifts. Brands are responding accordingly, reframing loyalty not as a discount mechanism, but as a way to anchor trips around moments that feel culturally consequential.
At Sundance, the Chase Sapphire Reserve served as the homebase for cardmembers, where they were able to able to step inside for complimentary food and drinks, priority seating for daily panels and a warm refuge between premieres — all without the need for additional credentials beyond their Reserve card.
Perhaps the best perk was the ability to skip the long lines and waitlists for buzzy events – in Park City’s freezing cold temperature, no less. Throughout the weekend, Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan (“Josephine”); Kiernan Shipka, Dave Franco and Nicholas Braun (“The Shitheads”) and Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega (“The Gallerist”) were just a few of the bold-faced names who strolled through Chase’s Reserve hub to celebrate their movies. Food, too, played a role in the strategy. Chase brought in Frasca Food and Wine for a pop-up residency in Park City, with reservations snapped up quickly via OpenTable.
These perks expand beyond awards season. Hilton has been scaling an access model across sports, wellness and culinary travel through its Hilton Honors Experiences platform, which allows members to redeem points for highly curated, passion-driven moments worldwide. Available offerings range from a McLaren Mastercard F1 Team VIP Experience in Shanghai and a VIP package for the 2026 Carabao Cup Final in London, to a Seychellois culinary immersion, a 110-minute signature treatment at the Waldorf Astoria Spa Los Cabos Pedregal and even an Aescape AI-powered massage in Salt Lake City.
Whether it’s Sundance, the Grammys or an F1 race, these companies are repositioning their rewards programs as a gateway to culturally and experientially significant moments.
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