WXO

Magic Memory: The Art of Memory as Experience Design
2026-01-21 09:55 - 11:30 (Europe/London) | Zoom
For millennia, people used the art of memory to remember what mattered.
During the Renaissance, it converged with the Hermetic tradition, an esoteric knowledge stream that braided memory with ritual practice, natural magic, astrology and alchemy, forming what is known as Magic Memory.
This session shows how we can translate principles of Magic Memory into a contemporary method of designing experiences that stay with audiences.
On this Campfire, London-based creative producer, strategist and storyteller Victor Lander will unpack the core techniques of Magic Memory, reveal how they work and understand how they can be used in experiences nowadays.
Who should attend:

Experience designers
Experience strategists
Spatial designers
Architects

What you’ll learn:

Nine techniques from Ancient Greece to Renaissance
Their adaptation into modern methods
Examples of contemporary applications of these methods from around the world
A design toolkit for memorable experiences

About Victor Lander:
Victor Lander is a London-based creative producer, strategist and storyteller with focus on all things immersive.
Researcher into creativity, narratives and memory structures, he is the founder of Secret Society, a visionary circle of creatives, and Landerlander, a family partnership specialising in cultural placemaking and destination marketing.

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)

Magic Moments: How to Intentionally Engineer Transformative Experiences
2026-01-21 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Every magic moment, every deeply positive experience, has psychological roots.

In this WXO Campfire, we explore how extraordinary experiences don’t happen by accident – they are intentionally designed.
Drawing from decades of expertise in Disney Imagineering and global UX leadership, authors Joe Lanzisero and Johannes Robier reveal how extraordinary moments can be crafted with intention and how anyone can apply these methods to business, leadership, customer relationships, and everyday life.
Grounded in scientifically proven research from psychology, behavioral science, and experience design, this session introduces the Magineering Framework, which brings all these insights together into one practical model.
You’ll discover the essential elements and dimensions to include in your stories, products, and experiences to intentionally create extraordinary, transformative moments with lasting emotional impact.
What you’ll learn:

Foundations to know before designing for a positive experience
The 5 Dimensions of Enthusiasm, a framework that helps you break down the complexity of human experience into practical levers you can use.
The 5 Experience Boosters, simple yet powerful tools to elevate ordinary interactions into extraordinary memories.

About Magic Moments:
Magic Moments: How to Intentionally Engineer Transformative Experiences is a groundbreaking book that blends storytelling, science, and strategy to show how unforgettable experiences can be designed – not left to chance.
Drawing from decades of expertise in Disney Imagineering and global UX leadership, authors Joe Lanzisero and Johannes Robier reveal how extraordinary moments are crafted with intention and how anyone can apply these methods to business, leadership, customer relationships, and everyday life.
Through a unique “two-sided” approach – magical narratives on one side, practical frameworks on the other – Magic Moments gives you the tools to transform ordinary days into memories that last a lifetime.

About Joe Lanzisero:
• 37 years at Walt Disney
• Started at Walt Disney Animation
• Grew to SVP of Walt Disney Imagineering
Joe’s creative career can simply be described as magical spectacular journey with 37 years at Disney, Joe began as an animator and worked his way up to the top of Imagineering. He’s served as creative lead on over $9B in marquis projects to date but more importantly his work inspires and brings joy to generations of guests around the globe.
Joe played a key role in bringing projects like Mickey’s Toontown, Toy Story Land, and Mystic Manor to life. Now retired, Joe continues his storytelling journey with Magic Moments and his new children’s book, Lemonade the Yellow Bear.

About Johannes Robier:
• Founder & CEO of youspi Consulting
• Organizer of the World Usability Congress
• 20+ years in UX/CX strategy & design
Johannes’s career is defined by his passion for human-centered design and innovation. As Founder of youspi Consulting and Organizer of the World Usability Congress, he’s spent over two decades helping global brands bridge creativity, business, and technology.
Johannes’s work unites leaders, designers, and thinkers to build more meaningful, inclusive experiences. Together with Joe Lanzisero, he co-authored Magic Moments, celebrating the power of empathy, creativity, and collaboration in shaping a better world.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Collaboration Campfire #1 (Jan 2026)
2026-02-04 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
Introducing WXO Collaboration Campfires

A confidential, member-led clinic to workshop live projects and share practical advice. Bring a challenge, leave with practical next steps.
Alongside toolkits, frameworks and case studies from the Experience Economy’s brightest minds, WXO Campfires are also valued for the quality of the attendees as much as the guest voices. Practitioners who are generous with their thinking and direct with their advice.
A community of creators coming together, sharing the air about their current projects before taking practical insights and inspiration from that week’s sessions away to solve the challenges they’re facing right now
We hear of so many collaborations born from our Campfires. Attendees going from a scribbled note in a breakout discussion to a post-Campfire partnership that simply would not have happened without that Campfire.
And so to Collaboration Campfires.
This week’s early Campfire session is a test of a brand-new format.
Think of it as a practical working session, led by attendees rather than guest speakers. The aim is simple: help each other move current projects forward.

How it works:
• No special guests – the expertise is in the room.
• Bring one challenge from a live project. Keep it specific: what you’re doing, what’s stuck, and the kind of help you’re asking for (ideas, references, critiques, introductions, etc.).
• Simply share your challenge and exactly what help you need.
• No deck required. A clear brief is enough.
• This is time-boxed, chaired discussion. Each challenge gets the time it needs, up to 15 minutes.
• We’ll go round the group until we reach the end of the list or the 90-minute limit.
• No challenge this week? Come anyway – the session only works if people bring their experience, judgement and candour. We’d love you to come along and contribute your expertise.

A note on confidentiality: Because we’ll be discussing live work that may need to stay behind closed doors, recordings will be shared only with attendees, not released to the wider WXO community.

That’s it. This is a pilot. If it works, we’ll make it a regular feature (without over-engineering it). If it doesn’t, we’ll revert to the standard Campfire format. Either way, we’d like to test it properly – by getting the right mix of challenges and contributors in the room.

We hope to see you there.

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)

The Future of Storytelling: How Immersive Experiences Are Transforming Our World
2026-02-04 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Storytelling is currently undergoing a radical revolution, from narratives that are passively consumed to stories that you live.
It’s a shift that is already revolutionizing entertainment, communication, marketing, and more.
How can creators adapt to this change? Join Charles Melcher, founder of The Future of Storytelling and author of a new book with the same title, as he explores the key qualities of these “living stories” and explains how they can be used create more immersive, memorable, and transformative experiences.

Who should attend:
• Storytellers of all stripes
• Creative directors
• Producers
• Experience designers
• Marketers & communicators across industries
In this session, you’ll learn:
• How “the people formerly known as the audience” are evolving into an “actience” of co-creators, and why it matters
• A framework for understanding the six qualities that elevate an experience to a “living story”
• Practical pointers on how to tap into these qualities in your work, derived from the most successful examples to date
• How creating living stories has the potential to change the actience’s lives – and our world – for the better”

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25
Auckland: 20:55 – 22:25 (NZST)

The Story Gap: Why Brilliant Experiences Fall Short and How to Fix Them (Early)
2026-02-11 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
Have you ever gone through a beautifully built experience—technically impressive and to all appearances flawlessly executed—that left you feeling nothing?
Drawing upon her experience pioneering narrative for global teams and experiences, writer and experience director Emma Oliver introduces a practical diagnostic tool to uncover why brilliant experiences fall short and how to fix them.
Designed for use across themed entertainment, live experiences, museums, and branded environments, her guide helps identify gaps between what an experience promises and delivers, arming creative stakeholders with narrative systems to close these gaps and create experiences not only immersive, but emotionally resonant, aligned, and repeatable.
Who should attend:

Creative Directors
Producers
Experience Designers
Marketing Strategists
Investors

What you’ll learn:

A diagnostic tool to identify story gaps undermining guest impact
Example narrative systems to help strengthen guest emotional engagement
Practical guidance for using story as a cost-effective design lever

About Emma Oliver:
Emma Oliver is a writer and director working at the intersection of story, space, and human experience. She creates narrative-driven entertainment designed to spark emotion, meaning, and memory—experiences that stay with audiences long after the lights go down.
With deep roots in themed entertainment and live experiences, Emma knows narrative is the system that makes moments unforgettable.

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)

The Story Gap: Why Brilliant Experiences Fall Short and How to Fix Them (Late)
2026-02-11 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Have you ever gone through a beautifully built experience—technically impressive and to all appearances flawlessly executed—that left you feeling nothing?
Drawing upon her experience pioneering narrative for global teams and experiences, writer and experience director Emma Oliver introduces a practical diagnostic tool to uncover why brilliant experiences fall short and how to fix them.
Designed for use across themed entertainment, live experiences, museums, and branded environments, her guide helps identify gaps between what an experience promises and delivers, arming creative stakeholders with narrative systems to close these gaps and create experiences not only immersive, but emotionally resonant, aligned, and repeatable.
Who should attend:

Creative Directors
Producers
Experience Designers
Marketing Strategists
Investors

What you’ll learn:

A diagnostic tool to identify story gaps undermining guest impact
Example narrative systems to help strengthen guest emotional engagement
Practical guidance for using story as a cost-effective design lever

About Emma Oliver:
Emma Oliver is a writer and director working at the intersection of story, space, and human experience. She creates narrative-driven entertainment designed to spark emotion, meaning, and memory—experiences that stay with audiences long after the lights go down.
With deep roots in themed entertainment and live experiences, Emma knows narrative is the system that makes moments unforgettable.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Behind the Mask: The Experience Strategy Behind a €260M Exit (Early)
2026-02-18 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
What makes a drinks brand go from “nice bottle on the back bar” to the name everyone is talking about?
Events designer, PR consultant and freelance journalist Patrick McAleenan spent 12 years doing exactly that with Don Papa Rum, building and leading the brand’s global events vision, turning its ‘Sugarlandia’ platform into a living, breathing universe.
From the create-your-own Mask Parties in 20+ markets to Dinner of the Dons and Paths to Sugarlandia, Patrick’s concepts became must attend moments on the global drinks calendar, helping transform a niche Filipino rum into a €260 million success story and a benchmark for how powerful experiential work can be when it’s done with story, daring and consistency.
Who should attend:

Experiential and events leads/designers
Brand and creative strategists
Storytellers
Anyone designing drinks experiences

What you’ll learn:

How bold experiential bets can pay off
The childhood creativity that inspired a global hit
Unlocking the magic of a singular brand platform
Untapped opportunities in the global drinks industry

About Patrick McAleenan
Patrick is an events designer, PR consultant and freelance journalist. He has spent more than 20 years helping brands and founders find their voice and claim space in the cultural and media conversation.
Through his consultancy, Jaw Dropping Ltd, Patrick blends events, PR and storytelling for drinks, luxury, fashion and culture brands while contributing regularly to national publications including The Times and The Telegraph.
Patrick is also Head of PR for the World Experience Organization.

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)

Behind the Mask: The Experience Strategy Behind a €260M Exit (Late)
2026-02-18 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
What makes a drinks brand go from “nice bottle on the back bar” to the name everyone is talking about?
Events designer, PR consultant and freelance journalist Patrick McAleenan spent 12 years doing exactly that with Don Papa Rum, building and leading the brand’s global events vision, turning its ‘Sugarlandia’ platform into a living, breathing universe.
From the create-your-own Mask Parties in 20+ markets to Dinner of the Dons and Paths to Sugarlandia, Patrick’s concepts became must attend moments on the global drinks calendar, helping transform a niche Filipino rum into a €260 million success story and a benchmark for how powerful experiential work can be when it’s done with story, daring and consistency.
Who should attend:

Experiential and events leads/designers
Brand and creative strategists
Storytellers
Anyone designing drinks experiences

What you’ll learn:

How bold experiential bets can pay off
The childhood creativity that inspired a global hit
Unlocking the magic of a singular brand platform
Untapped opportunities in the global drinks industry

About Patrick McAleenan
Patrick is an events designer, PR consultant and freelance journalist. He has spent more than 20 years helping brands and founders find their voice and claim space in the cultural and media conversation.
Through his consultancy, Jaw Dropping Ltd, Patrick blends events, PR and storytelling for drinks, luxury, fashion and culture brands while contributing regularly to national publications including The Times and The Telegraph.
Patrick is also Head of PR for the World Experience Organization.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

How to Pitch (Almost) Anything: Worldbuilding, Stakeholders, Audiences – and Everything Between (Early)
2026-02-25 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
Your concept is solid. So why isn’t it landing?
Kendra Valentine is a Story Strategist whose work lives between business and story: development, creative briefs, and translating brand into story that connects.
Her book How to Pitch (Almost) Anything (Pearson Business) introduces Strategic Story Design, Kendra’s methodology for helping stakeholders find their story and tell it clearly, whether you’re building a story world, pitching it to stakeholders, or reaching audiences.
Experience creators and entrepreneurs pitch constantly: to clients, to teams, to guests, even to yourself to test if an idea is solid.
She’ll share three tools: the brand one-pager uncovers what your world or brand authentically stands for, the Pocket Pitch explains any concept clearly in any situation, and the H.E.L.P. checklist works on everything from scripts and creative briefs to guest-facing content.

Who should attend:

Experience creators, designers, and storytellers
Brand and creative strategists
Entrepreneurs and product or service businesses
Creative and story development teams at studios, agencies, and entertainment companies
Creators and teams working with established IP or original worlds
Institutions, nonprofits, and organizations with a story worth telling
Anyone with something valuable to communicate

What you’ll learn:

How to distill any concept, company, product, or service into two sentences stakeholders or audiences actually understand
A one-page strategic tool that translates brand values into creative direction and aligns teams without lengthy back-and-forth
A four-point quality check for any communication, from scripts and creative briefs to guest-facing content
Why worldbuilding and pitching start in the same place, and the tools that serve both

About Kendra Valentine
Kendra Valentine is a Story Strategist who helps businesses, brands, and creative projects communicate their value clearly by translating complex ideas into authentic stories that resonate.
Her book How to Pitch (Almost) Anything (Pearson Business, 2025) introduces Strategic Story Design, the methodology behind her work across film and TV production (Warner Bros., Universal, Nickelodeon), theme park story development, brand strategy, and startup consulting. Clients have included Electrolux, EU institutions, and Techstars.
An American based in Berlin, she works internationally across industries and cultures. When she’s not working, she’s probably deep in research at the world’s latest immersive experience or food concept. Someone has to do it.

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)

How to Pitch (Almost) Anything: Worldbuilding, Stakeholders, Audiences – and Everything Between (Late)
2026-02-25 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Your concept is solid. So why isn’t it landing?
Kendra Valentine is a Story Strategist whose work lives between business and story: development, creative briefs, and translating brand into story that connects.
Her book How to Pitch (Almost) Anything (Pearson Business) introduces Strategic Story Design, Kendra’s methodology for helping stakeholders find their story and tell it clearly, whether you’re building a story world, pitching it to stakeholders, or reaching audiences.
Experience creators and entrepreneurs pitch constantly: to clients, to teams, to guests, even to yourself to test if an idea is solid.
She’ll share three tools: the brand one-pager uncovers what your world or brand authentically stands for, the Pocket Pitch explains any concept clearly in any situation, and the H.E.L.P. checklist works on everything from scripts and creative briefs to guest-facing content.

Who should attend:

Experience creators, designers, and storytellers
Brand and creative strategists
Entrepreneurs and product or service businesses
Creative and story development teams at studios, agencies, and entertainment companies
Creators and teams working with established IP or original worlds
Institutions, nonprofits, and organizations with a story worth telling
Anyone with something valuable to communicate

What you’ll learn:

How to distill any concept, company, product, or service into two sentences stakeholders or audiences actually understand
A one-page strategic tool that translates brand values into creative direction and aligns teams without lengthy back-and-forth
A four-point quality check for any communication, from scripts and creative briefs to guest-facing content
Why worldbuilding and pitching start in the same place, and the tools that serve both

About Kendra Valentine
Kendra Valentine is a Story Strategist who helps businesses, brands, and creative projects communicate their value clearly by translating complex ideas into authentic stories that resonate.
Her book How to Pitch (Almost) Anything (Pearson Business, 2025) introduces Strategic Story Design, the methodology behind her work across film and TV production (Warner Bros., Universal, Nickelodeon), theme park story development, brand strategy, and startup consulting. Clients have included Electrolux, EU institutions, and Techstars.
An American based in Berlin, she works internationally across industries and cultures. When she’s not working, she’s probably deep in research at the world’s latest immersive experience or food concept. Someone has to do it.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Making Memorable Measurable: A Practical Toolkit for Understanding Emotional Moments (Early)
2026-03-04 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
In the Experience Economy, we talk about creating…
🧠 “Memorable moments”
🤯 “Unforgettable experiences”
😍 “Making people feel something”
We know that the emotions we make people feel can drive memory. And memory drives future behaviour.
And that translates into repeat visits, recommendations, secondary spend, brand loyalty… Right?
Not necessarily so.
Simplified metrics and scoring systems can often flatten rich experiences into headline numbers, ultimately having a negative impact on what we design.
Enter Joe Timson, founder of CAVEA. After a career spent helping big brands and media companies understand their audiences and de-risk creative/investment decisions with data, Joe founded Cavea to address a clear problem:
😩 Live experiences are really hard to measure.
This week’s Campfire sessions take on that challenge. Joe will explore how human memory evolved… around emotion, narrative and a sense of place… and why that matters commercially.
He will then introduce Cavea’s approach to making memorable truly measurable: a practical toolkit for understanding emotional moments, arcs and spaces without reducing experience to a single score.
You’ll leave with an understanding of what actually drives value, helping you unforgettable experiences for your attendees and unstoppable growth for your business.

Who should attend:

Experience creators
Designers
Producers
Strategists

What you’ll learn:

How simplified scoring systems abstract reality and make us do the wrong thing
How human memory has evolved and the role of emotion, narrative and a sense of place
Cavea’s approach to Making Memorable Measureable

About Joe Timson
After a career spent helping big brands and media companies understand their audiences and de-risk creative/investment decisions with data, Joe founded Cavea to address a clear problem:
Live experiences are really hard to measure.
As media fragments and the experience economy becomes increasingly central to people’s lives, that lack of measurability throttles investment and encourages short-term thinking—often resulting in a worse experience for guests.
Cavea helps experience creators measure what actually drives value, so they can deliver unforgettable experiences for guests and unstoppable growth for their business.

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)

Making Memorable Measurable: A Practical Toolkit for Understanding Emotional Moments (Late)
2026-03-04 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
In the Experience Economy, we talk about creating…
🧠 “Memorable moments”
🤯 “Unforgettable experiences”
😍 “Making people feel something”
We know that the emotions we make people feel can drive memory. And memory drives future behaviour.
And that translates into repeat visits, recommendations, secondary spend, brand loyalty… Right?
Not necessarily so.
Simplified metrics and scoring systems can often flatten rich experiences into headline numbers, ultimately having a negative impact on what we design.
Enter Joe Timson, founder of CAVEA. After a career spent helping big brands and media companies understand their audiences and de-risk creative/investment decisions with data, Joe founded Cavea to address a clear problem:
😩 Live experiences are really hard to measure.
This week’s Campfire sessions take on that challenge. Joe will explore how human memory evolved… around emotion, narrative and a sense of place… and why that matters commercially.
He will then introduce Cavea’s approach to making memorable truly measurable: a practical toolkit for understanding emotional moments, arcs and spaces without reducing experience to a single score.
You’ll leave with an understanding of what actually drives value, helping you unforgettable experiences for your attendees and unstoppable growth for your business.

Who should attend:

Experience creators
Designers
Producers
Strategists

What you’ll learn:

How simplified scoring systems abstract reality and make us do the wrong thing
How human memory has evolved and the role of emotion, narrative and a sense of place
Cavea’s approach to Making Memorable Measureable

About Joe Timson
After a career spent helping big brands and media companies understand their audiences and de-risk creative/investment decisions with data, Joe founded Cavea to address a clear problem:
Live experiences are really hard to measure.
As media fragments and the experience economy becomes increasingly central to people’s lives, that lack of measurability throttles investment and encourages short-term thinking—often resulting in a worse experience for guests.
Cavea helps experience creators measure what actually drives value, so they can deliver unforgettable experiences for guests and unstoppable growth for their business.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Inside Shiva Immersive: How the First Immersive Show on Indian Mythology Came to Life
2026-03-11 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
What makes an experience linger in memory long after the lights fade?

At this WXO Campfire, we unpack SHIVA – a 20,000 sq ft multisensory, 360-degree immersive environment that blends projection architecture, spatial sound, atmospheric effects and VR into a spiritually charged narrative journey.More than spectacle, it was designed as scalable cultural infrastructure – commercially operational, modular and export-ready.

This session explores how myth, technology and audience psychology converge to create strong emotional impact, and why the future of immersive storytelling lies not in scale alone, but in what stays with you once you step outside the door.

And above all, this is a story of collaboration, belief, and courage – of how conviction and faith can transcend international boundaries, unite diverse minds, and bring people together to create something that may not be culturally central to both, yet profoundly meaningful to one.

What you’ll learn:

How to design immersive experiences that create lasting emotional residue
How to merge cultural depth with cutting-edge technology seamlessly
How to structure scalable, commercially viable immersive IP
Practical frameworks to elevate your own large-format experience design

Who should attend:

Immersive creators & experience designers
Festival programmers & venue operators
Brand leaders building large-format experiential IP
Producers seeking location-based entertainment projects
Cultural and Heritage Enthusiasts
Production Partners for Global Expansion
Anyone shaping experiences that aim to move people, not just impress them

About Samit Garg:
Samit Garg is the Managing Director & Co-Founder of E-Factor Experiences Ltd, a global experiential firm known for crafting transformative, large-scale environments.
A pioneer in organizing India’s luxury events sector, he has helped shape it into a structured creative industry.He is the creator of distinctive IPs including Shiva Immersive, The Bridal Retreat, ICWF (International Congress For Wedding Futures), and I AM GAME, each reimagining culture, celebration, and sport through immersive design.
As President of EEMA and a member of the World Experience Organization, Samit champions sustainable heritage tourism and living cultural ecosystems that transform static spaces into dynamic experiential marketplaces.

About Ludovica Arci:
Ludovica Arci is the Co-Founder of SARAVÁ Immersive Content Studio, an award-winning creative and production studio developing cinematic heritage immersive exhibitions and large-scale cultural experiences presented internationally.
With a career at the forefront of global experiences, she has led landmark projects for Milan Design Week, Fashion Week, Art Basel, NFT Paris, Asia Now, and the 36th America’s Cup, where she directed Branding and Experiential Marketing.
She previously led the Strategy & Experiential division for the leading Luxury agency Karla Otto and collaborates with CEOs and Creative Directors of leading global brands including Bottega Veneta, Moncler, BMW, Maserati, Sky, Belmond, shaping culture-defining experiences at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and cultural events.

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)

Designing Anticipation: The Hidden Half of Experience Design
2026-03-11 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Most experience designers focus on what happens during the experience itself. But neuroscience and tourism research suggest that the emotional journey actually begins long before arrival.
In this Campfire, Joseph Franklyn McElroy (Galileo Tech Media) will explore how anticipation shapes memory, meaning, and loyalty – and how experience creators can intentionally design the before phase of an experience.
Drawing from research on Memorable Tourism Experiences (MTEs), destination marketing frameworks, and real-world experiments from my hospitality and tourism work, he will look at how storytelling, sensory cues, and digital discovery influence how guests imagine an experience before it happens.
Jospeh will also discuss how emerging AI-enabled operational systems — what he’s been experimenting with as a Sovereign Operational System — can help organizations listen to anticipation signals and adapt experiences in more responsive ways, while keeping the human story at the center.
Participants will leave with practical ideas for designing pre-arrival touchpoints that deepen engagement, strengthen loyalty, and make experiences more memorable.

——–
About Joseph Franklyn McElroy:
Joseph is a hospitality innovator, marketer, and storyteller whose career bridges data, tech, psychology, and art. As founder of Galileo Tech Media and owner of the Meadowlark Motel in the Great Smoky Mountains, he studies how anticipation shapes memorable experiences and deepens brand loyalty.
Joseph’s “Experience Architecture” framework combines SEO strategy, behavioral insight, and narrative design to help organizations craft journeys people revisit, re-buy, and retell. He speaks on how marketing, done consciously, can make memory itself the ultimate ROI.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Inspiration to Innovation: How China's Immersive Entertainment is Finding Its Own Voice
2026-03-18 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
Ever wondered how the world’s largest consumer market is reinventing immersive entertainment?
Starting her career in LA and working across Disney, AI companies, and her own studio in China, Changting Lu has witnessed an evolution few international creators understand.
From martial arts theme parks drawing millions visitors to AI companies building theatrical experiences, China isn’t following Western models – it’s writing entirely new rules.
Join us for insights on three game-changing trends, cautionary tales of cross-cultural collaborations, and why “foreign monks chant better” no longer holds true in China’s maturing immersive landscape.

Who should attend:

Anyone interested in Immersive Entertainment in China
Creative directors & producers seeking international collaboration opportunities
Immersive experience creators looking to understand or enter the Chinese market

What you’ll learn:

How China’s immersive market evolved from copying the Sleep No More model to creating entirely new formats — and what this means for international creators
Three breakthrough trends: heritage-at-scale, virtual-to-physical IPs, and bold tech adoption reshaping the industry
Why some international collaborations thrive while others spectacularly fail — through real case studies including a $100M+ project that closed in 6 months
The new rules for cross-cultural creative partnerships

About Changting Lu
As creative director and producer, Changting creates immersive worlds across media.
She was the creative director for Three Body Problem: Beyond Gravity, an experience that brings guests into the world of Three Body Problem with performance, interactive media and AI.
Her career began at Walt Disney Imagineering, where she was a bilingual show writer on Zootopia at Shanghai Disneyland.
Changting holds a B.Mgmt from Tsinghua University and an MFA in Creative Producing from California Institute of the Arts. In 2025 she founded Get Dreams Done Co., a Shanghai-based multidisciplinary design and production company that imagines transcendent worlds and build them into reality.

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)

How to Make Your Event More Accessible
2026-03-18 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Are you designing experiences that truly include everyone or unintentionally leaving audiences behind?
Join Christopher Morrison for a powerful online session that redefines what accessibility can (and should) look like in live and digital events. From the most accessible metaverse musical ever built to a paradigm-shifting new way of thinking about storytelling, this session will equip you with both practical tools and big-picture perspective.
You’ll discover:
✅ The bare minimum every event should offer for accessibility + how to go far beyond it
✅ A case study of Vita Nova: building the most inclusive digital experience on the web
✅ A rundown of tools to make live and digital events truly accessible
Who should attend?
🎟️ Experience designers & producers
🎟️ Marketers & brand leads
🎟️ Accessibility advocates
🎟️ Anyone committed to designing work that reaches everyone it should
Featuring:
🎤 Christopher Morrison – award-winning narrative designer (Cirque du Soleil, AAA games, Vita Nova), digital storytelling advocate, and recent UK Parliament speaker
Don’t miss this chance to expand your understanding of what access really means, and how to design for it with intention and imagination.
Note: This is an updated repeat of the July 2025 session that Christopher unfortunately was not able to make. Come along for new insights on this essential topic!
This later Campfire 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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Kinetic Power: Turning Motion Into Storytelling
2026-03-25 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
How do kinetic installations and immersive experiences create such lasting impressions?
Matteo Mosca, Leva’s CEO, explores how kinetic movement goes beyond decoration to become a powerful storytelling tool.
Drawing from projects ranging from exclusive Experience Briefing Centers to spectacular theme parks, he shows how physical motion can appeal to both reason and emotion.
The real impact?
Genuine participation: these installations invite people to explore and engage, disrupting passive observation and awakening curiosity. Join us for a journey inside what truly makes experiences memorable, in a world of constant distraction.
What you’ll learn:

What Matteo learned from 10+ years of creative engineering
All about kinetic technology as a language
Why you should stop selling and start storytelling
Takeaways for making spaces & experiences memorable

Who should attend?

Experience Briefing Center Managers & Program Leaders
Experience Designers
Strategy & Creative directors
Anyone shaping experiences that move people

About Matteo Mosca (he/him):
Matteo is a founder and media engineer obsessed with creative technologies, design and communication – and how they all work together to foster human connections.
As CEO of Leva, he leads an extraordinary team of explorers crafting kinetic and immersive experiences that blend mechanical movement, motion content and spatial storytelling – designed in Italy and deployed worldwide.
This unique blend of creativity, engineering and storytelling has earned the trust of global brands such as Aramco, Cartier, Puy du Fou, Seat and more.
Matteo’s focus is on building solid company foundations while leading business development, financial strategy, team growth, and marketing.

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)

How to Diagnose What Your Experience Is Actually Built to Produce
2026-03-25 17:55 - 19:30
“Transformational” has become the most overused word in experience design.
Immersive art walks use it. Brand activations use it. Festival websites use it. Certification courses use it. And almost none of them mean the same thing by it, because almost none of them have a structural definition for what transformation actually requires.
After fifteen years producing TEDxNaperville, testing, observing, and rebuilding what actually changes people versus what simply impresses them, Arthur Zards (Lab Z) developed a diagnostic framework that helps experience designers see exactly where their architecture has gaps, and what to do about it.
In this Campfire, you’ll walk away with a tool you can apply to your current work immediately: to name what your experience is actually built to produce, spot where the design falls short of your claims, and identify the structural changes that close that gap.

Three Questions:

Think about an experience you’ve designed that you called transformational. Using the two axes, where does it actually land? What was the real success condition you were designing for?
What is one element of your current or upcoming project you could redesign to transfer meaning-authorship from the system to the participant?
When a client asks you to “create a transformational experience,” what are they actually asking for? And how does your answer change after today?

About Arthur Zards:
Arthur is an original Internet entrepreneur founding an Internet company before the web browser even existed. He wasn’t learning about digital marketing, branding, innovation, and development; he was creating it. He is a self-described TED fanatic and is the founder and executive director of TEDxNaperville.
Arthur founded Lab Z, an Innovation Experience Agency that focuses on a new approach to speaking and conference production. His speaker clients get standing ovations and his clients conferences transform into memorable and engaging experiences.
In his spare time he carves Tiki Moai, jumps off cliffs in his paraglider and grills a mean Picanha on his home-built 850 lb wood-fired grill.
His mantra is to “create an idea, get people excited, do it, repeat.”

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

The Transformation Code: 7 Years of Research Into What Makes Change Happen (Early)
2026-04-01 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
Transformation is strange: We naturally transform every day, yet when we plan it, it falls apart. Especially in organisations where change is mandated from the top, and quietly rejected by the people doing the job.
In this Campfire, Alain Thys introduces The Transformation Code: 𝚫 = S x R x F.
A formula shaped by 7 years of deep-dive research into what makes change actually happen. For customers, for organisations, and even for leaders themselves.
Story reframes what’s true. Resonance creates wanting. Flow removes friction.
It’s a session for anyone who wants to guide transformation for organisations or customers (as an economic offering). Once you see the code, you can even apply it to yourself.

What you’ll learn:
✅ Why transformation stalls even when the plan is “right”
✅ How to use Δ = S × R × F as a simple diagnostic for stuck change
✅ What shifts when you treat customer transformation as the real value you sell

About Alain Thys:
Alain Thys is an Experience & Transformation Architect who helps leaders build momentum: differentiate for premium profit and make transformation stick.
Over three decades he has worked internationally with organisations including Lexus, Grant Thornton and Generali, shaping experiences for 500+ million customers and enabling change across complex teams.
He developed The Transformation Code to diagnose why strategies stall and to design the conditions that create pull—with customers and internal teams.
As founder of The Transformation Architects, he joined forces with Joe Pine, Pigalle Tavakkoli, Katherine Templar-Lewis, Sheena Patel and others to help organisations profit from The Transformation 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 – 11:25 (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)

The Transformation Code: 7 Years of Research Into What Makes Change Happen (Late)
2026-04-01 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Transformation is strange: We naturally transform every day, yet when we plan it, it falls apart. Especially in organisations where change is mandated from the top, and quietly rejected by the people doing the job.
In this Campfire, Alain Thys introduces The Transformation Code: 𝚫 = S x R x F.
A formula shaped by 7 years of deep-dive research into what makes change actually happen. For customers, for organisations, and even for leaders themselves.
Story reframes what’s true. Resonance creates wanting. Flow removes friction.
It’s a session for anyone who wants to guide transformation for organisations or customers (as an economic offering). Once you see the code, you can even apply it to yourself.

What you’ll learn:
✅ Why transformation stalls even when the plan is “right”
✅ How to use Δ = S × R × F as a simple diagnostic for stuck change
✅ What shifts when you treat customer transformation as the real value you sell

About Alain Thys:
Alain Thys is an Experience & Transformation Architect who helps leaders build momentum: differentiate for premium profit and make transformation stick.
Over three decades he has worked internationally with organisations including Lexus, Grant Thornton and Generali, shaping experiences for 500+ million customers and enabling change across complex teams.
He developed The Transformation Code to diagnose why strategies stall and to design the conditions that create pull—with customers and internal teams.
As founder of The Transformation Architects, he joined forces with Joe Pine, Pigalle Tavakkoli, Katherine Templar-Lewis, Sheena Patel and others to help organisations profit from The Transformation 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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Beyond the Individual Experience: Mapping Experience Ecosystems (Early)
2026-05-06 09:55 - 11:25 | Zoom
From high streets to cultural districts, experiences are rarely created in isolation, yet the ecosystems that enable them are fragmented and invisible.
While micro high-street businesses are good at creating meaningful experiences, they often struggle to translate these strengths into growth, innovation or long-term resilience. Limited resources, time and funds are common challenges.
In this Campfire, Ilze introduces network analysis as a practical tool for mapping relationships among businesses and other actors, like place managers, funders. Ecosystem mapping reveals gaps and opportunities for collaborations.
Through a participatory mapping exercise, participants leave with a tool to apply ecosystem thinking in their own contexts.
What you’ll learn:

A simple ecosystem mapping approach to visualise relationships between businesses, support organisations and other stakeholders.
A practical way to identify gaps, under-used support and non-monetary value flows such as knowledge exchange within an experience ecosystem, supporting resilience and collaboration.
A clear entry point for applying ecosystem thinking when supporting experience-led businesses working in resource-constrained contexts.

About Ilze Mertena:
Ilze Mertena is a Senior Lecturer and researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in experience design and customer experience.
Her work focuses on how meaningful experiences are created in everyday contexts, particularly by small and micro independent businesses on high streets. Through in-depth, place-based research across multiple UK locations, she explores how creativity, local networks and resource constraints shape the experiences these businesses deliver.
Her work bridges research and practice, offering new ways to understand and design experiences in complex, place-based environments.

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)

Beyond the Individual Experience: Mapping Experience Ecosystems (Late)
2026-05-06 17:55 - 19:25 | Zoom
From high streets to cultural districts, experiences are rarely created in isolation, yet the ecosystems that enable them are fragmented and invisible.
While micro high-street businesses are good at creating meaningful experiences, they often struggle to translate these strengths into growth, innovation or long-term resilience. Limited resources, time and funds are common challenges.
In this Campfire, Ilze introduces network analysis as a practical tool for mapping relationships among businesses and other actors, like place managers, funders. Ecosystem mapping reveals gaps and opportunities for collaborations.
Through a participatory mapping exercise, participants leave with a tool to apply ecosystem thinking in their own contexts.
What you’ll learn:

A simple ecosystem mapping approach to visualise relationships between businesses, support organisations and other stakeholders.
A practical way to identify gaps, under-used support and non-monetary value flows such as knowledge exchange within an experience ecosystem, supporting resilience and collaboration.
A clear entry point for applying ecosystem thinking when supporting experience-led businesses working in resource-constrained contexts.

About Ilze Mertena:
Ilze Mertena is a Senior Lecturer and researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University, specialising in experience design and customer experience.
Her work focuses on how meaningful experiences are created in everyday contexts, particularly by small and micro independent businesses on high streets. Through in-depth, place-based research across multiple UK locations, she explores how creativity, local networks and resource constraints shape the experiences these businesses deliver.
Her work bridges research and practice, offering new ways to understand and design experiences in complex, place-based environments.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

763 Artworks: How Google Empowered Its Community to Co-Create at Scale (Early)
2026-05-13 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
How do you prove a smartphone has the most powerful AI on the market?

You hand it to the public and ask them to remix history. To showcase the Google Pixel 10’s Nano Banana and Veo 3 engines, Artcrush.com partnered with the Rijksmuseum and KPN to launch a nationwide ARt remix competition.
They challenged digital creators on Instagram and X to reimagine classical masterpieces using the Pixel’s on-device AI.
The incentive? The ultimate exposure: a one-night exhibition at the Rijksmuseum itself, and a national showcase across 3,000 digital billboards.
By targeting the right creator communities and leveraging top-tier curation, the campaign exploded – generating 763 new artworks from over 300 diverse artists. Artcrush.com didn’t just tell consumers what the Pixel 10 could do; we let them plaster its capabilities across the entire country.
What you’ll learn:

How Artcrush turned an open call into a nationwide art campaign
What it takes to scale AI-generated art across 3,000 digital billboards
How Google, KPN, and the Rijksmuseum collaborated on a public cultural activation
The playbook behind reaching 7 million people through participatory art

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)

763 Artworks: How Google Empowered Its Community to Co-Create at Scale (Late)
2026-05-13 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
How do you prove a smartphone has the most powerful AI on the market?

You hand it to the public and ask them to remix history. To showcase the Google Pixel 10’s Nano Banana and Veo 3 engines, Artcrush.com partnered with the Rijksmuseum and KPN to launch a nationwide ARt remix competition.
They challenged digital creators on Instagram and X to reimagine classical masterpieces using the Pixel’s on-device AI.
The incentive? The ultimate exposure: a one-night exhibition at the Rijksmuseum itself, and a national showcase across 3,000 digital billboards.
By targeting the right creator communities and leveraging top-tier curation, the campaign exploded – generating 763 new artworks from over 300 diverse artists. Artcrush.com didn’t just tell consumers what the Pixel 10 could do; we let them plaster its capabilities across the entire country.
What you’ll learn:

How Artcrush turned an open call into a nationwide art campaign
What it takes to scale AI-generated art across 3,000 digital billboards
How Google, KPN, and the Rijksmuseum collaborated on a public cultural activation
The playbook behind reaching 7 million people through participatory art

About Mathieu France:
Mathieu France is the Founder & CEO of Artcrush.com, a platform working at the intersection of art, brands, and digital public space. After two decades creating visibility for global brands, he shifted his focus toward a larger mission: bringing art into everyday life through large-scale cultural activations. Through partnerships with institutions, cities, and technology platforms, Mathieu explores how digital billboards, AI, and public participation can turn urban spaces into accessible galleries reaching millions.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Using Audience Insight for Impact: A Barbican Immersive Case Study (Early)
2026-05-20 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
What if you could use audience insight to make better creative decisions, and see the results in visitor numbers, ticket sales, and funding?
This session draws on frameworks and research methods from Barbican Immersive, showing how insight shaped their digital arts strategy and fed directly into the development of Feel the Sound and the upcoming In Other Words immersive exhibitions.
What you’ll learn:

Ideas for how to use audience insight to create better experiences.
Confidence that insight delivers results: visitor numbers, ticket revenue, audience reach, funding and touring income.
Inspiration from seeing your work through the audiences eyes.

About Sonia Joao:
Sonia is a Research Director with over two decades of experience helping clients use consumer and audience insight to create brilliant products, brands, content and experiences. Her clients come from Media & Entertainment, FMCG, Arts & Culture and range from Paramount and General Mills, to Barbican and Barbie and everything in between. She is passionate about bringing together diverse insight collaborators to help clients understand their target audiences in eye-opening ways. From audience and brand strategy, to content and production development, to advertising and comms.
In this Campfire, Sonia will bring her experience running research and delivering tangible impact for the Barbican Immersive team over the last three years, delivering research to inform audience strategy, brand positioning, comms, and show development.

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)

Using Audience Insight for Impact: A Barbican Immersive Case Study (Late)
2026-05-20 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
What if you could use audience insight to make better creative decisions, and see the results in visitor numbers, ticket sales, and funding?
This session draws on frameworks and research methods from Barbican Immersive, showing how insight shaped their digital arts strategy and fed directly into the development of Feel the Sound and the upcoming In Other Words immersive exhibitions.
What you’ll learn:

Ideas for how to use audience insight to create better experiences.
Confidence that insight delivers results: visitor numbers, ticket revenue, audience reach, funding and touring income.
Inspiration from seeing your work through the audiences eyes.

About Sonia Joao:
Sonia is a Research Director with over two decades of experience helping clients use consumer and audience insight to create brilliant products, brands, content and experiences. Her clients come from Media & Entertainment, FMCG, Arts & Culture and range from Paramount and General Mills, to Barbican and Barbie and everything in between. She is passionate about bringing together diverse insight collaborators to help clients understand their target audiences in eye-opening ways. From audience and brand strategy, to content and production development, to advertising and comms.
In this Campfire, Sonia will bring her experience running research and delivering tangible impact for the Barbican Immersive team over the last three years, delivering research to inform audience strategy, brand positioning, comms, and show development.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

High Tech, Low Tech, No Tech: Lessons Learned From 900+ Immersive Experiences (Early)
2026-05-27 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
When we talk about immersive experiences, technology can sometimes dominate the conversation.
But after encountering 900+ immersive works across three continents in three years, Katrina noticed a recurring pattern: tech alone doesn’t determine quality.
In this Campfire, she introduces her AURA Framework (Agency, Universe, Resonance, Artistry) – a qualitative lens for thinking about how immersive experiences function and why they land. Rather than scoring or ranking work, AURA offers a shared vocabulary for reflecting on agency, world-building, resonance, and craft.
Whether built with cutting-edge tech or almost none at all, this session offers an experience-first perspective on designing work that holds together and connects with audiences.
Key takeaways:

The AURA Framework (Agency, Universe, Resonance, Artistry) – A practical qualitative lens participants can use to think more clearly about immersive design choices, regardless of scale, budget, or technology.
A clearer distinction between technology and experience quality – A sharper way to identify when tech is adding value versus when it’s compensating for weak design.
Patterns observed across 900+ immersive works – Recurring design strengths and common pitfalls drawn from extensive firsthand experience across formats and contexts.
Language to advocate for experience-led decisions – Clear vocabulary to help teams communicate why certain design choices matter, especially when navigating stakeholder pressure around technology.

About Katrina Lat:
Katrina is a Toronto-based Experience Designer, producer, and client strategist operating at the intersection of creativity + commerce across events, immersive experiences, and cultural programming. She holds an HBA from Ivey Business School.

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)

High Tech, Low Tech, No Tech: Lessons Learned From 900+ Immersive Experiences (Late)
2026-05-27 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
When we talk about immersive experiences, technology can sometimes dominate the conversation.
But after encountering 900+ immersive works across three continents in three years, Katrina noticed a recurring pattern: tech alone doesn’t determine quality.
In this Campfire, she introduces her AURA Framework (Agency, Universe, Resonance, Artistry) – a qualitative lens for thinking about how immersive experiences function and why they land. Rather than scoring or ranking work, AURA offers a shared vocabulary for reflecting on agency, world-building, resonance, and craft.
Whether built with cutting-edge tech or almost none at all, this session offers an experience-first perspective on designing work that holds together and connects with audiences.
Key takeaways:

The AURA Framework (Agency, Universe, Resonance, Artistry) – A practical qualitative lens participants can use to think more clearly about immersive design choices, regardless of scale, budget, or technology.
A clearer distinction between technology and experience quality – A sharper way to identify when tech is adding value versus when it’s compensating for weak design.
Patterns observed across 900+ immersive works – Recurring design strengths and common pitfalls drawn from extensive firsthand experience across formats and contexts.
Language to advocate for experience-led decisions – Clear vocabulary to help teams communicate why certain design choices matter, especially when navigating stakeholder pressure around technology.

About Katrina Lat:
Katrina is a Toronto-based Experience Designer, producer, and client strategist operating at the intersection of creativity + commerce across events, immersive experiences, and cultural programming. She holds an HBA from Ivey Business School.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25

Human Tech Under Martial Law: Lightsticks, Flags, Prepayment & BARAM
2026-06-03 09:55 - 11:30 | Zoom
What do moments of crisis reveal about how people really connect, and how can experience designers learn from it?
On 3 December 2024, South Korea lived through a surreal night: martial law declared, then overturned within hours. What emerged in the streets wasn’t violence – it was K-pop lightsticks, hand-drawn meme flags, and prepaid cups of warm coffee left for strangers.
Drawing on decades of experience research and his own witness of Korea’s recent political upheaval, Jooseok explores these fragile, powerful “human technologies” and what they teach us about designing experiences that make room for people to become the protagonists.
Key takeaways:

A backstage context-mapping method for any audience.
A reusable way to map the “hidden layers” behind behaviour – from 1980–90s democracy movements to 2002 World Cup streets, 2016 candlelight protests and the 2024–25 “revolution of light”. You’ll leave with questions you can use to surface your own city’s historical layers before you design.
A lens for reading symbols as human tech, not props.
How to treat K-pop lightsticks, meme flags, and prepaid cups of warm coffee as serious interfaces for emotion, identity and care – and how to run the same analysis on the objects, memes, and habits your audiences already bring from home.
Design prompts for when people refuse to follow the script.
Concrete prompts to redesign one current project so it anticipates where people will really move: from staying home to coming out, from standing still to studying under streetlights, from consuming to organising heated buses and late-night snacks for strangers.
A pattern library for bottom-up solidarity hacks.
Transferable patterns from Korea’s winter nights – from foil-blanket “Kisses” cheering squads to anonymous donors sending heated buses – that you can adapt to festivals, museums, cities and brands without copying the politics.
A sharper definition of “human tech” for experience makers.
A way to distinguish between digital tools and the human technologies of time, risk and shared belief – plus a closing question set you can use with your team: “Where will we let people become the protagonists here?”

About Jooseok Oh:
Jooseok Oh is a Seoul-based Experience Orchestrator, self-described Neo Polymath, and founder of BARAM Experience. With thirty years across branding and organisational consulting, he has built his practice around a single conviction: that connecting Brand Experience, Customer Experience, and Employee Experience requires not just strategy, but orchestration.
He holds two doctoral degrees but stays firmly in the field, working as a Fractional CXO partner across tech, luxury, content, education, and public sectors – using data to set direction and humanities to move people. His work helps leaders translate brand purpose into designed encounters that last.

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)

From TikTok to Toyota: How Measurement Can Grow & Protect Event Budgets
2026-06-03 17:55 - 19:30 | Zoom
Events are always at risk when marketing budgets are under scrutiny.
In this Campfire, event strategist Dax Callner will reveal how global brands from Toyota to TikTok use data to defend and grow their investment in events.
You’ll get actionable tools and insights to help you establish measurable goals, collect credible data and present compelling event reports.
Key takeaways:
• Clear insight on the metrics that matter most
• How to work with stakeholders to establish measurable objective
• Actionable strategies for collecting credible data
• Approaches to build compelling event reports
Who should attend:
• Marketers
• Strategists
About Dax Callner:
Dax Callner is an event and experiential marketing strategist with over 25 years experience, supporting clients like Amazon, TikTok, Vodafone, Google, Toyota, HSBC, Meta, KPMG, Bayer, P&G and many others.
He is also the founder and president of the Event Marketing Measurement Association, a nonprofit focused on helping our industry thrive through measurement standards and education.
In his spare time, Dax also makes music.

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 #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 – 19:25
Paris: 18:55 – 20:25
Los Angeles: 09:55 – 11:25
Santa Fe: 10:55 – 12:25
Chicago: 11:55 – 13:25
New York: 12:55 – 14:25
São Paulo, Santiago & Buenos Aires: 13:55 – 15:25
