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Something Isn’t Right: SXSWestworld, Eight Years Later (Late)

November 4 @ 5:55 pm - 7:00 pm

An inside look at SXSWestworld – HBO’s landmark immersive activation – eight years on.

Branded live entertainment is everywhere now. But few activations have come close to SXSWestworld, which is still cited as a benchmark eight years later.

This Experience Briefing goes behind the scenes of how it was actually built, why it worked, and what it means for immersive and branded experiences in 2026.

The goal: give creative directors and producers lessons they can apply to the worlds they build.

The brief may be big. The IP may be beloved. But building a world that stays true to a story – across dozens of creative partners and a live audience – is less straightforward.

In March 2018, the team built the town of Sweetwater on a field outside Austin to promote HBO’s Westworld: 90,000 square feet, 66 actors and 444 pages of script.

In this session, Jason Ferguson, independent creative director and co-creative director of SXSWestworld, will share how the project happened – and what it was like being brought in as “the theatre guy”.

Drawing on a career spanning Broadway, the West End, Punchdrunk and immersive worlds for HBO, FX and Prime Video, Jason will reveal the easter eggs you might have missed, his theories on why it was so successful, and what he has learned from immersive theatre since.

The session will explore:

  • How SXSWestworld came together, and what it took to build Sweetwater
  • How one narrative rule – “something isn’t right” – kept the world cohesive across many creative partners
  • Why immersive theatre was a natural fit for Westworld, not a forced one
  • Why having the least central location at SXSW was the best thing that could have happened
  • The easter eggs you might have missed
  • What SXSWestworld means for branded live entertainment in 2026

Who is it for?

  • Creative directors and producers
  • Immersive theatre makers and companies
  • Brand and entertainment marketers commissioning live activations
  • Agencies building branded experiences
  • Experience designers working with existing IP
  • Anyone who wants to know what made SXSWestworld work

About Jason Ferguson

Jason Ferguson is a creative director, writer and director who builds worlds. He came up through stage management and creative producing, including Broadway, the West End, and Punchdrunk’s Tunnel 228 in the tunnels beneath Waterloo.

Since then he has built immersive worlds for HBO, FX and Prime Video, including SXSWestworld, the immersive show built outside Austin, where he was co-creative director. He has won every major industry award.

He works independently through his company, I See What You Did There, and stays active in traditional theatre as a director and producer, with a decade on the board of Clubbed Thumb.

 

How to watch this Experience Briefing:

  • Experience Briefings 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 Experience Briefings like this one plus unlock an on demand library of over 100 recordings

 

 

Timings:

Session #2 is suitable for those in the US or Europe, but everyone is welcome! Here’s when we kick off in your time zone:

  • London: 17:55 – 19:00
  • Paris: 18:55 – 20:00
  • Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:00
  • Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:00
  • Chicago: 11:55 – 13:00
  • New York: 12:55 – 14:00
  • São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:00

Details