XP Op-Ed

The Heart of Experiential (and What’s Coming in 2026)

As the year winds down, I’ve been thinking a lot about where experiential is headed — and how we, as an industry, choose to shape it. THE HEART OF WHY WE GATHER Experiential is growing up. It’s no longer the scrappy cousin of advertising or a “fun” line item on a marketing budget. It’s a business — a global force built on creativity, commerce, and connection. But how we mature as an industry matters. Because if we lose the heart of why people gather, we lose the magic. The best experiences, whether a festival, a fan moment, or a cultural commemoration, start with a pure idea. Like any great piece of art, it begins with what the creator is trying to say, the medium they choose, and the feeling they want to evoke. That’s the value exchange.  When the goal is just to cash in, it shows. (For more on this, check out this op-ed by Lou Pizante.) When the goal is to move people and to make them feel, grow, or connect, it lasts.  A HIGH-STAKES YEAR AHEAD Which brings me to 2026, a year that will test what experiential really stands for.The U.S. will host the World Cup,...