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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261104T095500
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DTSTAMP:20261027T104533Z
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UID:50921-1793786100-1793790000@worldxo.org
SUMMARY:Something Isn’t Right: SXSWestworld\, Eight Years Later (Early)
DESCRIPTION:An inside look at SXSWestworld – HBO’s landmark immersive activation – eight years on.\nBranded live entertainment is everywhere now. But few activations have come close to SXSWestworld\, which is still cited as a benchmark eight years later. \nThis 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. \nThe goal: give creative directors and producers lessons they can apply to the worlds they build. \nThe 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. \nIn 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. \nIn 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”. \nDrawing 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. \nThe session will explore:\n\nHow SXSWestworld came together\, and what it took to build Sweetwater\nHow one narrative rule – “something isn’t right” – kept the world cohesive across many creative partners\nWhy immersive theatre was a natural fit for Westworld\, not a forced one\nWhy having the least central location at SXSW was the best thing that could have happened\nThe easter eggs you might have missed\nWhat SXSWestworld means for branded live entertainment in 2026\n\nWho is it for?\n\nCreative directors and producers\nImmersive theatre makers and companies\nBrand and entertainment marketers commissioning live activations\nAgencies building branded experiences\nExperience designers working with existing IP\nAnyone who wants to know what made SXSWestworld work\n\nAbout Jason Ferguson\nJason 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. \nSince 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. \nHe 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. \n\n \n\n  \nHow to watch this Experience Briefing:\n\nExperience Briefings are available for WXO members only\nTo join the WXO\, please head to our Application page\nThe WXO is a global home for the leaders\, shapers and doers in the Experience Economy\nAs a member\, you’ll get live access to Experience Briefings like this one plus unlock an on demand library of over 100 recordings\n\n  \n\n  \nTimings:\nCampfire #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: \n\nLondon: 9:55 – 11:00 (BST)\nParis: 10:55 – 12:00 (CEST)\nDubai: 12:55 – 14:00 (GST)\nMumbai: 14:25 – 15:00 (IST)\nShanghai / Singapore: 16:55 – 18:00 (CST/SGT)\nTokyo: 17:55 – 19:00 (JST)\nSydney: 18:55 – 20:00 (AEST)\nAuckland: 20:55 – 22:00 (NZST)
URL:https://worldxo.org/event/something-isnt-right-late/
CATEGORIES:WXO Campfire
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://worldxo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Jason-Ferguson-_-Late-1.png
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261104T175500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261104T190000
DTSTAMP:20261027T105023Z
CREATED:20261027T105023Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261027T105023Z
UID:50924-1793814900-1793818800@worldxo.org
SUMMARY:Something Isn’t Right: SXSWestworld\, Eight Years Later (Late)
DESCRIPTION:An inside look at SXSWestworld – HBO’s landmark immersive activation – eight years on.\nBranded live entertainment is everywhere now. But few activations have come close to SXSWestworld\, which is still cited as a benchmark eight years later. \nThis 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. \nThe goal: give creative directors and producers lessons they can apply to the worlds they build. \nThe 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. \nIn 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. \nIn 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”. \nDrawing 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. \nThe session will explore:\n\nHow SXSWestworld came together\, and what it took to build Sweetwater\nHow one narrative rule – “something isn’t right” – kept the world cohesive across many creative partners\nWhy immersive theatre was a natural fit for Westworld\, not a forced one\nWhy having the least central location at SXSW was the best thing that could have happened\nThe easter eggs you might have missed\nWhat SXSWestworld means for branded live entertainment in 2026\n\nWho is it for?\n\nCreative directors and producers\nImmersive theatre makers and companies\nBrand and entertainment marketers commissioning live activations\nAgencies building branded experiences\nExperience designers working with existing IP\nAnyone who wants to know what made SXSWestworld work\n\nAbout Jason Ferguson\nJason 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. \nSince 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. \nHe 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. \n\n \n\n  \nHow to watch this Experience Briefing:\n\nExperience Briefings are available for WXO members only\nTo join the WXO\, please head to our Application page\nThe WXO is a global home for the leaders\, shapers and doers in the Experience Economy\nAs a member\, you’ll get live access to Experience Briefings like this one plus unlock an on demand library of over 100 recordings\n\n  \n\n  \nTimings:\nSession #2 is suitable for those in the US or Europe\, but everyone is welcome! Here’s when we kick off in your time zone: \n\nLondon: 17:55 – 19:00\nParis: 18:55 – 20:00\nLos Angeles: 09:55 – 11:00\nSanta Fe: 10:55 – 12:00\nChicago: 11:55 – 13:00\nNew York: 12:55 – 14:00\nSão Paulo\, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:00
URL:https://worldxo.org/event/something-isnt-right-sxswestworld-eight-years-later-late/
CATEGORIES:WXO Campfire
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://worldxo.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Jason-Ferguson-_-Late-1.png
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