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Our take on all things experiential.

Ideas + Inspo
Luxury Brands: Experiential’s New Mavericks of Storytelling
The scene was spellbinding: ice skating through the steam of a frozen pond, country animals out to pasture, even tightrope walking in a circus big top. This spectacle wasn’t just another event, it was a master class in experiential marketing — without the marketing.…
Deep Dive
Montréal: A Global Nexus of Experiential and Creativity
Bonjour, hi! Home to the world’s coolest street and fifth coolest neighborhood, Montréal, Quebec, has been a hotbed of experiential innovation since the launch of Cirque du Soleil in 1984. There’s also a vibrant music, theater and dance scene with endless street art and…
New + Next
The XP Guide: April 2024
There’s plenty to keep us busy and inspired throughout the cruelest month, including an astronomical marvel. On April 8, during the total solar eclipse, the moon will completely cover the sun, making it look and feel like evening. Fingers crossed for cloudless skies for…
Deep Dive
Meet the Fire Behind the Fandom
How do you take an iconic doll with an anti-feminist reputation and turn her into a modern-day role model? For starters, says Lisa McKnight, Mattel’s EVP and Global Head of Barbie and Dolls, you think about your customers as fans. “We’ve always been very…
New + Next
SXSW 2024: The XP Recap
The XP Land team descended on Austin for SXSW 2024, and we immediately immersed ourselves in the controlled chaos. For us, it was an opportunity to connect with fellow experiential creatives, brands and experience makers. There was also more XP industry content on the…
Deep Dive
Meet the New Media Artists
Daniel Iregui, founder of the Montréal-based digital art studio Iregular, is a programmer who thinks in 0s and 1s, a coder who appreciates the order of algorithms, and a software designer who uses technology to create objects that exist in the real world. But…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Émilie F. Grenier
In a world constantly seeking innovation and unique experiences, Émilie F. Grenier stands as a pioneering force in experiential design. As Principal at TAIT / Thinkwell in Montréal, Émilie has honed a creative process that centers on the end user while questioning and exploring…
Deep Dive
Meet the Architects of Awe
From May 10 to October 1, 2023, more than 2.7 million fans donned their favorite sparkly silver looks and poured into open-air arenas around the world for the Renaissance World Tour experience. Attendees shared videos and touching moments from the show nonstop on Beyoncé’s…
New + Next
The XP Guide: March 2024
We’ve made it to the last stretch of cold weather, according to everyone’s favorite rodent meteorologists, Chuck and Phil, who both declared the early arrival of spring. The unofficial end of winter also means the unofficial end of awards season as we head into…
Deep Dive
Meet the Brand Builders
If you count the decade he spent throwing parties in his parents’ Detroit basement, Geoff Renaud has been organizing events of some kind for 30 years. And while his early career was focused on music — he toured with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir,…
New + Next
The Ultimate Experiential Guide to SXSW 2024
SXSW is calling all experiential creators to Austin starting on Friday, March 8. While XP pros will be behind the scenes activating everything from pop-ups and panels to film screenings and comedy shows, they’ll still find there’s a plethora of experiential festival content to…
Deep Dive
Meet the Placemakers
For many, a trip to Boston is a chance to take a real-life walk through American history, visiting monuments and architecture from the nation’s colonial past. But Ariel Foxman knows his city is also dynamic and future-focused. So when he became vice president of…
Ideas + Inspo
The Healing Power of Experiences
Music was always a part of Gen Cleary’s life. From attending live concerts with her family to her immersion in dance and choreography at an early age, Gen could feel the power of rhythm and music. But it wasn’t until later — after a…
Deep Dive
Meet the Storytellers
Debi Wong didn’t set out to disrupt Western opera. In fact, the classically trained mezzo-soprano was skeptical that the opera she knew, dominated by white male composers, was for her at all. “There are so many stereotypes,” she says. “The women always die; the…
Deep Dive
Las Vegas: Experiential Juggernaut
Last weekend reminded us XP pros that nowhere in the world compares to Las Vegas. The city buzzes nearly 24/7 with an atmosphere that blends glamour, excitement and a hint of debauchery (who are we kidding, more than a hint…). Where else can you…
New + Next
The Best Experiential Stadiums in the World: Winter 2024 Edition
Sports fans everywhere — and now Swifties, too — are busy supporting their beloved teams across all levels. With the amplification of stadium experiences (and prices), fans expect a whole lot more from a trip to the ballpark than a hot dog and a…
New + Next
The Apple Vision Pro and the Future of Experiences
Last week, Apple released its much-anticipated Vision Pro, a mixed-reality headset (the marketing blah-blah calls it “spatial computing”) that blends the digital and physical worlds. Early reviews are in, with a mix of awe around the immersiveness of the experience and cynicism around the…
Deep Dive
Meet the Tastemakers
It started with jelly. In 2007, childhood friends Sam Bompas and Harry Parr were inspired to reevaluate traditional British foods and flavors, especially those that time had forgotten. Combining their expertise in PR, real estate and architecture (just wait), Sam and Harry launched Jellymongers,…
New + Next
The XP Guide: February Events & Experiences
We may be embarking on the shortest month of the year (sorry Leap Day, you can only do so much), but February is jam-packed with events, experiences, and art, with Frieze LA entering its fifth year and Fashion Month kicking off stateside. But, really,…
Deep Dive
Meet the Curators
Phoebe Greenberg’s story begins in the late 1980s in one of the best places to have a life-defining revelation: Paris. The Ottawa native spent the better part of her twenties living in the French capital, filling her days by admiring art and taking courses…
Pro to Pro
Announcing the 2024 XP Fronts
Many of you know that gathering people is in my heart and it’s in my soul. From my sister’s 8th birthday party to our renowned Boeke Bowl Thanksgiving weekends. From my legendary college fêtes to iconic gatherings at my home. (Remember the “Snakes on…
Deep Dive
Mercer Labs: NYC’s First (Truly) Immersive Museum
I’m sitting on a clear, swinging bench suspended in midair. All around me, grassy tunnels swirl and give way to millions of rocks — asteroids, or maybe grains of dirt? Could be either. Could be both. At Mercer Labs, the art is in the…
New + Next
The XP Guide: January Events & Experiences
January is always a jam-packed month for events and experiences. Even though we’ve barely recovered from the holidays and end-of-year celebrations, there’s no rest for the exhausted. Now, anticipation is in the air as awards season kicks off, conferences get underway, and major sporting…
Deep Dive
Meet the Activists
Benjamin Von Wong never considered himself an environmentalist growing up. He wasn’t even a fan of being outdoors, and forget about camping or hiking. But that changed in 2016 when he found himself craving more meaning. “I wanted my work to do more than…
Deep Dive
The Art of Experiential: Our Take on Miami Art Week 2023
Miami Art Week is a wrap. The XP Land team spent a few days immersed in art — from iconic works, like Art Basel’s showing of Ai Weiwei’s massive Washington Crossing the Delaware constructed totally in Legos, to a video installation by the artist…
New + Next
Change Can Be Invisible: How Experience Makers Can Positively Impact the Environment
More than 100 countries attending the COP28 UN Climate Summit — currently in its second week in Dubai — have committed $420 million to triple renewable energy capacity worldwide by 2030. It’s a salient reminder that the experiential industry has much to do to…
Pro to Pro
The YOLO Economy Is a Movement, Not a Moment
From as far back as I can remember, gathering people has been my thing. At 14, I was put in charge of (well, put myself in charge of) my eight-year-old sister’s birthday party — which, of course, I turned into a talent show, where…
Deep Dive
Meet the New Gatherers
There were a number of things working against Cassidy Davis on Valentine’s Day 2022. First off, she was, as she describes it, “tragically single.” And dating apps hadn’t unearthed anything approaching love. So she decided to throw a party. Unfortunately (for her), Valentine’s Day…
Pro to Pro
Reflecting on the Legacy of “Sleep No More”
Sleep No More, the theatrical experience that pioneered immersive theater and forever transformed New York City will close after a nearly 13-year run. Those who have yet to wander the haunted halls of the McKittrick Hotel to witness a Jazz Age spin on Macbeth…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Louisa St. Pierre
A gymnast, a poet and a talent agent walk into a tanning salon… No, it’s not the start of a bad joke, but a snapshot of the many lives and evolutions of Louisa St. Pierre, Global Director of Art at MA+Group and XLIST 2023…
New + Next
The 8 Most Innovative Cities for Experiential Right Now
When it comes to influential North American cities, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco have been the most prominent breeding grounds for innovation. However, monstrous living costs, increasingly demanding housing crises and coastal climate change have made these cities less desirable. With…
Deep Dive
Experiential Grows Up: 5 Brand-Side Takeaways For XP Creatives
Experiential is everything, and now it’s everywhere, too. Even taking up space at large-scale brand-first events like Advertising Week New York (AWNewYork for those in the biz). Last week, XP Land was on stage at Advertising Week New York presenting an “un-panel” called Experiential…
Pro to Pro
The Business of Being Together: Why Experiential Is More Powerful Than Ever
February 20, 1989, is forever burned in my memory. With my hair sky-high and my adrenaline even higher, I headed to the Forum in Inglewood, CA to see The Purple One, His Royal Badness, The High Priest of Pop… Prince. Obviously, the arena’s gold…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Jess Stacey
You don’t have to talk to Jess Stacey long before you know one thing for certain: when it comes to experiential, she is passion personified. Stoking passion — hers, her team’s, her community’s — is Stacey’s raison d’etre as the Senior Vice President of…
New + Next
Introducing the First-Ever XP Land XLIST
Welcome to the new XP Land. We’ve been counting down the days until we could share what we’ve been manifesting over the last few months. But first, a short history: XP Land was born in early 2021 as a resource for the experiential industry.…
Pro to Pro
The Future is Experiential: Seven Experts on What’s Next
In today’s experiential ecosystem, it’s getting harder to tell reality from imagination — and no one’s more excited to keep blurring those lines than the storytellers behind the scenes. Motivated by technology, creativity, and maybe just a sprinkle of masochism, we’re embarking on a…
Pro to Pro
10 Industry Leaders on the Best Experiences of Their Lives
Some experiences just stay with you forever. The first stamp in your passport. Being moved to tears in a dark theater. Or that electric, out-of-body feeling while dancing and scream-singing at a sold-out concert. The gift of working in experiential is having these experiences…
New + Next
Welcome to the Live Music Renaissance (Now Pay Up)
This past summer, everyone you know either posted Aperol Spritz pics from Europe or meticulously curated outfit pics from their idol’s concert (not that Idol, please). They return with a sun-kissed glow from the Amalfi Coast or an XXXXL t-shirt from the two-hour wait…
Pro to Pro
XP Land XLIST 2023: Meet the Council
Over the past three challenging years, what was the single thing we all missed the most? The experience of being together. We missed concerts and festivals and sporting events and every single form of gathering. But during that time, the visionaries of the experiential…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Lesly Simmons
Many of us didn’t dream of becoming experiential pros. Maybe we knew, growing up, that we had a knack for throwing birthday parties, or we discovered that our favorite part of working at a tech start-up was preparing for industry events and trade shows.…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Harry Julmice
For many, a walk in the woods is a way to connect with nature. But for Harry Julmice it is also a chance to strengthen community and help people tap into their power. This focus on uplifting people — and the ability to design…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Azamit
Like Cher, Madonna and Beyoncé, Azamit is a singular name with an indelible point of view. The Eritrean-Canadian creative director and curator recently moved to Milan with her husband and dogs, from their longtime home in Montréal. You’d think uprooting her life to move…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Joe Killian
Before Burning Man, before Coachella, there was (and still is!) SummerStage. Since 1986, New York City’s Central Park has hosted the performance series, which has welcomed musicians, poets, and dancers including Patti Smith, Celia Cruz, and Jason Moran in shows that are usually free…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Charlie Melcher
It’s hard not to be riveted when Charles Melcher speaks. He doesn’t simply tell stories — he weaves them, tucking the sights, sounds, smells and all the feels into the open spaces, creating a tapestry so inviting and tight that you couldn’t escape even…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Dan Pelson
In the surreal, hurried hyperreality of Las Vegas, AREA15 fits right in. To attempt to describe the experience inside is futile — though the website calls it “a wondrous mash-up of experiences, art and entertainment with axe throwing, art galleries, virtual reality and so…
Deep Dive
The Funflation Economy: Rising Experiential Spending is Here to Stay
The first truly maskless summer in four years had consumers ready to see and do it all, baby. Expensive dinners! Flights to Europe! Concerts! Music festivals! Money is just energy and capitalism is king! With post-pandemic inflation only slowing slightly, its impact is reaching…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Johan Vakidis
Johan Vakidis — an award-winning global creative professional who has worked across communications, technology, entertainment and gaming — was born curious. Not only does he have 25 years of experience under his belt, but he continues his obsession with education. “I’m a firm believer…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Alexa Carr
Alexa Carr is just one of those people who is always ahead of the curve. She’s an IYKYK person. Oh, and she knows. Trust us. A seasoned pro with over a decade of experience in XP, editorial, PR and marketing roles, Carr has worked…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Jordan Fogle
In his mid-twenties, Jordan Fogle created a five-day/night pop-up lounge during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). While the city he calls home hosted screenings all day, Fogle negotiated deals with Hollywood studios to host their after-parties at night and worked with brands to…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Lou Murray
The next time you attend a Cirque du Soleil show, I highly recommend you sit next to Louise Murray. With an impressive background in the experiential industry, Murray has held key leadership positions in renowned organizations such as Thinkwell Group, the Walt Disney Company,…
Pro to Pro
XLIST Council Spotlight: Ana De Archuleta
The best curators of creativity are often creatives themselves. And no one fits the center of that Venn diagram quite like Ana De Archuleta. Throughout her life, she has been involved in many facets of the performing arts world. As an instrumentalist, dancer, operatic…
Ideas + Inspo
23 Experiential Stats for Your 2023 Events
We don’t want to jinx it, but… Could 2023 be the first year of maskless, full-capacity events without vaccine checks since 2019? Since the onslaught of the (unprecedented!) COVID-19 pandemic and through its ups and downs, the experiential industry has responded with admirable creativity…
Deep Dive
It’s an OddKnock Life: Denver’s Immersive, Participatory Storytellers
When thinking about what an immersive production can and should be, OddKnock Productions is leading the way. The Denver-based theatrical troupe was formed by Brendan Duggan, Parker Murphy, and Zach Martens — New York actors who met working at Sleep No More (the OG…
Deep Dive
What Could the Future of Austin Events Look Like?
Post-Covid, what do people want from experiential events now, and what are the trends we’ll see more of in the next few years? This summer, the headlines about Austin, Texas, covered more heat waves than Covid waves. So Austinites (and millions of visitors) said…
Deep Dive
Sticking It to the Man for 75 Years: The Best and Worst of My First Edinburgh Fringe Festival
On a stage in Scotland’s capital city, a Cockney-accented actress playing a parody version of Ariel from The Little Mermaid stands next to a statue of Prince Eric with one *large* difference from the film (yeah, it’s exactly what you think). This is just…
Ideas + Inspo
The Magic of the Minor Leagues
Major League Baseball gets all the attention. Sure, there are World Series games on the line, but with the average ticket to an MLB game going for $35 (and that’s before $18 beers, $10 hotdogs and $30 merch to look the part), where do…
Deep Dive
High Seas and Higher Demands: Post-COVID Cruising Culture
The first rule of cruising culture, I learned last week, is that you always talk about cruising culture. It was all anyone would ask on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady — my first cruise since I boarded a rickety Carnival ship to various Señor Frog…
Deep Dive
A Tale of Two SXSWs: An Austin Transplant Reflects on the Festival’s Return
When writer Jillian Anthony visited Austin, Texas, for her first SXSW in 2019, she loved it so much she eventually moved there. In 2022, she tells us what SXSW — back in person after three long years — looks like from the eyes of…
New + Next
Horizon Worlds Isn’t the Metaverse, but Its a Start
Facebook, er, Meta’s first version of its VR-based software, “Horizon Worlds,” feels more like a rough draft. The platform shows incredible potential with sandbox tools for users to create VR experiences like hangout spaces, games and immersive art. But in actual reality, Horizon Worlds…
Deep Dive
Art Basel Miami? More Like Art Basel Silicon Valley
In December 2021, Art Basel Miami was a spectacle unlike any other art fair, Because it’s not really an art fair anymore. The week-long event celebrated the intersection of art, design and fashion. And, especially notable this year, technology. Miami’s growing startup scene was…
Ideas + Inspo
Reading the Book Tour Revolution Through the XP Lens
Is this a book tour or a rock concert? Or wait, is this a virtual conference? One could be forgiven for not quite knowing the difference. Book tours, a publisher-funded promotional mechanism for new releases, are a bit all over the place these days.…
Pro to Pro
Meet the Audacious Mind Behind Meow Wolf: Vince Kadlubek
Meow Wolf is incredibly difficult to describe, and perhaps that’s part of the point. The art collective has made a name for itself over the past decade-plus creating destination-specific, immersive installations that truly elevate the very definition of experiential. There are certainly comparisons that…
Ideas + Inspo
MLB’s ‘Field of Dreams’: Is This Hybrid Heaven?
Finally, the first truly great hybrid event of the pandemic In 2019, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of “Field of Dreams” (Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, “If you build it…,” you know the rest), the MLB announced…
Pro to Pro
The Art of Being Together Apart With Priya Parker
At the beginning of Covid, XP Land Erica Boeke and Priya Parker, the author of “The Art of Gathering” and host of the New York Times podcast, “Together Apart,” had a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to “guest,” the ubiquity of Zoom amid…

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