Invitation to Play: How Gaming Experiences Drive Fandom (Early)

Today’s guests don’t just want to be entertained – they want to play with the worlds they love.

From Netflix House to year-round horror attractions, the most talked‑about brands are borrowing straight from gaming: multi-level engagement, shared missions, and communities that feel more like squads than audiences.

In this Campfire, Ashley shows how gaming principles – honed in live experiences like Brawl Stars: Welcome To Starr Park – can transform any attraction, pop‑up, or touring experience into a living fandom engine.

You’ll learn how to design moments that invite guests to play together, not just pass through, and how to measure success in terms of belonging, not just bodies through the door.

Come ready to steal from gaming in the best way possible.

Key takeaways:

• A Multi‑Level Engagement Map: A plug‑and‑play framework to design for casual guests, engaged fans, and super-fans in the same experience – so there’s always a next level to climb.
• A Shared Experiences Toolkit: Practical prompts to answer “What do our guests actually do together?” and turn passive scenes into memorable, co-created moments people talk about later.
• An Actionable Pilot Plan: A clear first step for testing these ideas in your next event, pop‑up, or touring experience—without needing a blockbuster budget or a total redesign.

WXO members: This session will not be recorded. One you probably won’t want to miss!

About Ashley Jex Wagner:

With over 20 years in brand marketing and live entertainment, Ashley has guided teams crafting award-winning experiences for beloved franchises like Rick and Morty, Powerpuff Girls, Steven Universe, League of Legends, VALORANT, and more.

Ashley is thrilled to be at Supercell Games translating the worlds of Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, and more into real world adventures. She specializes in connecting fans to the stories they love through unexpected moments that foster community and drive new revenue.

From founding the Adult Swim Festival to launching viral campaigns for the legendary Beatles and indie acts like LCD Soundsystem, her work pushes the boundaries of creativity and executional excellence.

Ashley is always curious about what’s next. By leveraging emerging technologies, she enhances immersive storytelling to maximize impact. Ashley inspires teams with a clear vision, driving collective success while uplifting one another.

As she says: “Let’s create the impossible together.”

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