Campfire 77: Field Data From The Front Lines

When it comes to measuring the impact of our experiences, we’re often limited to the qualitative data that comes from asking people what they thought.

But this approach has its limitations. Firstly, people lie! And secondly, our conscious answers don’t always reflect our unconscious emotional state.

We believe that having quantitative data that tells a compelling story about our experiences is one of the key things that will help people take the Experience Economy seriously. It’s why we invited neuroscientist Paul Zak – who’ll be hosting a new Campfire on 28 September – to share his groundbreaking system for measuring immersion.

And it’s why we’re delighted to announce performer and director Leah Ableson as our Firestarter for 21 September, with another bold approach to capturing feedback.

Ableson has worked as a performer and director in the immersive theatre space for nearly a decade, leading audiences through highly intimate experiential performances like Bottom of the Ocean and Whisperlodge. 

She’ll draw on this experience and her academic work in behavioral study to discuss how performers can collect field data on audience interaction and leverage it to meet your guests’ needs – without them ever having to ask. 

We’ll also explore how effective knowledge shares between performers and creative teams can up the efficacy of your playtesting.

In anticipation, think about these 3 questions:

1. How can we better facilitate conversations between the “front end” and “back end” members of a creative team?
   
   
2. In what ways in the past have you, as an audience member/consumer, provided feedback via your behaviour to a performer of an experience?
   
   
3. What questions about an experience can an audience member answer that the creator of the experience can’t?

*NB: This event is for WXO Members ONLY. To attend Campfires, click here to apply to join the WXO.*