Functional Experiences: The Next Growth Opportunity for the Experience Economy

What changes when an experience promises a result?

Most experiences are sold around enjoyment, memory, identity or status. But another category is emerging: experiences designed to produce a specific benefit that people can feel, observe or measure.

Functional food has already made this idea familiar. Products now promise better energy, sleep, digestion, focus or physical performance alongside taste and convenience. Similar thinking is spreading into travel, leisure, socialising, education, healthcare and the home.

Sleep retreats, longevity tourism, circadian lighting, social fitness, AI tutors and sensory experiences designed to support mental wellbeing all point towards the same shift. The experience is not simply enjoyable. It is expected to do something.

At this Campfire, WXO Chief Content Officer Mike Goldsmith will explore the rise of functional experiences and why they could become a major growth area for the Experience Economy.

Mike will introduce a simple way to assess emerging concepts through two lenses:

The seed — the experience itself

Is it better than the alternative, easy to try, compatible with existing behaviour, observable and simple to explain?

The soil — the world around it

Are cultural, technological, economic, scientific, demographic and regulatory conditions helping the idea move towards the mainstream?

Using examples including functional food, Chromasonic, Submersive, Dreamachine, Time Echoes and Room to Breathe, the session will examine how outcome-led experiences are developing across different sectors — and where creators, operators and brands might find new opportunities.

Attendees will explore:

• What makes an experience genuinely functional
• How functional experiences differ from ordinary leisure or wellness
• Why measurable outcomes are becoming part of the value proposition
• How to judge whether an emerging idea is ready to grow
• Where functional models could appear within their own sector
• How to apply the seed-and-soil framework to an existing concept

The Campfire will conclude with a collaborative discussion: what could your next experience help people do, feel or become?

Who is it for?

Experience designers, strategists, operators, venue owners, brand leaders and anyone developing new experience formats or looking for future areas of growth.

About Mike Goldsmith

Mike Goldsmith is Head of Content at the World Experience Organization, where he leads content for its global community and curates London Experience Week.

He has a background in publishing strategy, content creation and live events across music, film, videogames and other creative sectors, alongside agency experience with brands including O2, PlayStation, Sky and the BBC. His work brings the rigour of publishing together with the creativity and cross-sector thinking of the Experience Economy.

How to watch this Campfire:

• Campfires are available for WXO members only
• To join the WXO, please head to our Application page
• The WXO is a global home for the leaders, shapers and doers in the Experience Economy
• As a member, you’ll get live access to Campfires like this one plus unlock an on demand library of over 100 Campfire recordings

Timings:

Campfire #1 is suitable for those in the APAC region or Europe, but everyone is welcome! Here’s when we kick off in your time zone:

• London: 9:55 – 11:00 (BST)
• Paris: 10:55 – 12:00 (CEST)
• Dubai: 12:55 – 14:00 (GST)
• Mumbai: 14:25 – 15:00 (IST)
• Shanghai / Singapore: 16:55 – 18:00 (CST/SGT)
• Tokyo: 17:55 – 19:00 (JST)
• Sydney: 18:55 – 20:00 (AEST)
• Auckland: 20:55 – 22:00 (NZST)