WXO

Inside The Story Codex: Introducing A New Framework for Narrative in Experiences (Early)
2026-07-01 09:55 - 11:30 (Europe/London) | Zoom
Why are immersive storytellers still using tools built for film and TV?
Designed by Professor of Dramatic Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Abigail Taylor-Sansom, The Story Codex is a new narrative framework designed specifically for immersive storytelling – equally suited to linear, branching, and open-world experiences. It is built to empower collaborators across disciplines, writers and non-writers alike, to shape the narrative design of an experience.
This Campfire will open your eyes to the urgent need for new narrative tools that are designed specifically for immersive storytelling.
Key takeaways:

A new definition of “story” as not a linear plot and cast of characters, but a collection of rules and why this shift changes how you approach narrative design.
A practical introduction to the Story Codex method of developing stories as rule sets, with ideas for how to adapt it to your own projects.

About Abigail Taylor-Sansom:
Abigail is a Professor of Dramatic Writing at SCAD and a writer with a passion for work that is immersive, inventive, and above all, entertaining. Her career spans an eclectic range of creative adventures – travelling cross-country by train as an Amtrak Writer in Residence, showrunning murder mystery games for Hunt A Killer, and crafting boundary-breaking XR experiences with UNSHUT.
She has also made magic as a Walt Disney Imagineer, bringing the craft and storytelling standards of one of the world’s most celebrated creative institutions to everything she does.
Today, she channels that expertise into the next generation of storytellers at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), teaching writing for immersive and interactive media on the SCADnow virtual campus. Her students have gone on to roles at Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, HBO Max, Amazon MGM, Lucasfilm, FX, Tyler Perry Studios, and beyond.

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)

Inside The Story Codex: Introducing A New Framework for Narrative in Experiences (Late)
2026-07-01 17:55 - 19:30
Why are immersive storytellers still using tools built for film and TV?
Designed by Professor of Dramatic Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Abigail Taylor-Sansom, The Story Codex is a new narrative framework designed specifically for immersive storytelling – equally suited to linear, branching, and open-world experiences. It is built to empower collaborators across disciplines, writers and non-writers alike, to shape the narrative design of an experience.
This Campfire will open your eyes to the urgent need for new narrative tools that are designed specifically for immersive storytelling.
Key takeaways:

A new definition of “story” as not a linear plot and cast of characters, but a collection of rules and why this shift changes how you approach narrative design.
A practical introduction to the Story Codex method of developing stories as rule sets, with ideas for how to adapt it to your own projects.

About Abigail Taylor-Sansom:
Abigail is a Professor of Dramatic Writing at SCAD and a writer with a passion for work that is immersive, inventive, and above all, entertaining. Her career spans an eclectic range of creative adventures – travelling cross-country by train as an Amtrak Writer in Residence, showrunning murder mystery games for Hunt A Killer, and crafting boundary-breaking XR experiences with UNSHUT.
She has also made magic as a Walt Disney Imagineer, bringing the craft and storytelling standards of one of the world’s most celebrated creative institutions to everything she does.
Today, she channels that expertise into the next generation of storytellers at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), teaching writing for immersive and interactive media on the SCADnow virtual campus. Her students have gone on to roles at Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Creative, HBO Max, Amazon MGM, Lucasfilm, FX, Tyler Perry Studios, and beyond.

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

Why PR Stunts Matter: How Forming a Roman Legion for the Launch of The Last Days of Pompeii Delivers Feelings and Tickets
2026-07-08 09:55 - 11:30
In a world of endless online campaigns and “Fever-style” messaging, how can cultural projects and live experiences still stand out?
Stage Magic’s Peter Monbailleu explores why PR stunts matter – not as gimmicks, but as strategic moments that create attention, emotion, conversation and sales.
Using such experience launches such as The Last Days of Pompeii as a starting point, he will unpack how bold real-world ideas are built: the relationships, permissions, logistics, timing, trust and last-minute decisions that turn a simple concept into something audiences and media want to share.
From Romans on the Brussels Grand Place to recreating Christmas in Summer, this session looks at how to compete for attention without simply adding more noise.
Sometimes the answer is not more “360”, more channels or another promise of immersion. Sometimes it is a clearer idea, a stronger network and the courage to make something real.
Read Peter’s deep dive into the launch event for the Last Days of Pompeii:
https://www.shakalaka.be/stories/the-substances-i-inhale
What you’ll take away

How PR stunts can help cultural projects compete for attention in a crowded market
Why strong relationships are often the hidden engine behind successful marketing and PR
How to turn a live idea into a moment that media, audiences and partners can understand quickly
What it takes practically to work with cities, public spaces, officials, suppliers and creative teams
Why “real-life” experiences can be more powerful than over-designed “immersive” promises
How to think beyond virality and build moments that create feeling, sharing and ticket sales
Why respect – for audiences, partners, places and collaborators – is central to making bold ideas work

About Peter Monbailleu:
“I have been running and promoting events as long as I can remember. My mother was the one who put me (quite to my disliking) on stage at a very early age. I travelled the world with Up With People when I was 18 and that is something I can recommend to anyone. I still benefit from that one year every single day. In everything I do I want to blow minds. Time and time again. I listen. I respect. I take a different look. I share and I give it all I’ve got to create events and campaigns that rock.”

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)

REMARKABLE’s Evolution: What an ROX Framework Reveals About Experience Design
2026-07-08 17:55 - 19:30
The old playbook of evaluation metrics no longer applies.
The experiential industry has been honing in on how we capture Return on Experience. ROX informs everything from event goals and design, to marketing and financing, but are the current fixations with data, automation, and optimization getting in the way? ROX is ultimately a metric about emotional resonance. It requires human intelligence and interpretation; it is both process and product.
In this Campfire, Laura expands on her work with the REMARKABLE™ framework and her latest experience report to unpack a multilayered approach for understanding ROX, the tools it requires, and how it applies to every stage of experience design.
You’ll learn what’s beyond KPIs and how REMARKABLE supports the ROX ecosystem to design impactful, resonant experiences.
Key takeaways:

Which elements inform ROX and how they work together
How to develop emotional fluency and build a shared language
REMARKABLE’s role as both a diagnostic and evaluative tool

Download REMARKABLE and the 2026 update here: https://www.remarkable-experiences.com/
About Laura Hess:
Laura is an award-winning strategist and ROX specialist (Return on Experience), helping brands, agencies, entertainment studios, and cultural institutions transform their vision into impactful, memorable moments for guests and audiences.
As the founder of Reuleaux, an experiential consultancy in Los Angeles, her interdisciplinary portfolio includes experiential marketing, themed entertainment, participatory theatre, film, VR, and installation art across physical, digital, and hybrid environments.
She’s also the creator of the REMARKABLE™ framework, a diagnostic and evaluative tool that offers deeper, specific insight into event sentiment and emotional resonance. It quantifies ROX alongside traditional evaluation metrics and emergent biometric data. Now, with two reports and an industry index of 800+ productions, it has become an essential asset for all stages: ideation, development, testing, and postmortem evaluation.
Laura is a founding member of the WXO, the former arts editor of No Proscenium, and was named a “Power 10” in Blooloop’s 2025 Immersive Influencer List.

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

Functional Experiences: The Next Growth Opportunity for the Experience Economy
2026-07-15 09:55 - 11:00
What changes when an experience promises a result?
Most experiences are sold around enjoyment, memory, identity or status. But another category is emerging: experiences designed to produce a specific benefit that people can feel, observe or measure.
Functional food has already made this idea familiar. Products now promise better energy, sleep, digestion, focus or physical performance alongside taste and convenience. Similar thinking is spreading into travel, leisure, socialising, education, healthcare and the home.
Sleep retreats, longevity tourism, circadian lighting, social fitness, AI tutors and sensory experiences designed to support mental wellbeing all point towards the same shift. The experience is not simply enjoyable. It is expected to do something.
At this Campfire, WXO Chief Content Officer Mike Goldsmith will explore the rise of functional experiences and why they could become a major growth area for the Experience Economy.
Mike will introduce a simple way to assess emerging concepts through two lenses:
The seed — the experience itself
Is it better than the alternative, easy to try, compatible with existing behaviour, observable and simple to explain?
The soil — the world around it
Are cultural, technological, economic, scientific, demographic and regulatory conditions helping the idea move towards the mainstream?
Using examples including functional food, Chromasonic, Submersive, Dreamachine, Time Echoes and Room to Breathe, the session will examine how outcome-led experiences are developing across different sectors — and where creators, operators and brands might find new opportunities.
Attendees will explore:

What makes an experience genuinely functional
How functional experiences differ from ordinary leisure or wellness
Why measurable outcomes are becoming part of the value proposition
How to judge whether an emerging idea is ready to grow
Where functional models could appear within their own sector
How to apply the seed-and-soil framework to an existing concept

The Campfire will conclude with a collaborative discussion: what could your next experience help people do, feel or become?
Who is it for?
Experience designers, strategists, operators, venue owners, brand leaders and anyone developing new experience formats or looking for future areas of growth.
About Mike Goldsmith
Mike Goldsmith is Head of Content at the World Experience Organization, where he leads content for its global community and curates London Experience Week.
He has a background in publishing strategy, content creation and live events across music, film, videogames and other creative sectors, alongside agency experience with brands including O2, PlayStation, Sky and the BBC. His work brings the rigour of publishing together with the creativity and cross-sector thinking of the Experience 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 – 11:00 (BST)
Paris: 10:55 – 12:00 (CEST)
Dubai: 12:55 – 14:00 (GST)
Mumbai: 14:25 – 15:00 (IST)
Shanghai / Singapore: 16:55 – 18:00 (CST/SGT)
Tokyo: 17:55 – 19:00 (JST)
Sydney: 18:55 – 20:00 (AEST)
Auckland: 20:55 – 22:00 (NZST)

After The Launch: How Competitive Socialising Venues Keep Guests Returning
2026-07-15 17:55 - 19:00
A practical Campfire on increasing repeat visits, refreshing the guest experience and protecting revenue after launch excitement fades.
The problem. Competitive socialising and immersive venues often open strongly. The harder task is sustaining demand once the novelty wears off. Concepts can be difficult to retrofit, menus can become overcomplicated, and discounting can train guests to wait for offers rather than pay full price.
In this 60-minute WXO Campfire – TJ Schier, CEO and founder of SmashSwing and a veteran of BigShots Golf and Chuck E. Cheese – will share practical lessons from his lived experience building and advising gamified entertainment venues. The Campfire session will focus on the operational choices that help venues keep guests returning in Year Two and beyond.
The session will cover how to:

Serve two types of guest
Increase repeat visits and visit frequency
Improve perceived value without relying on discounts
Build concepts that can be refreshed rather than rebuilt
Choose the right food-and-beverage mix
Avoid common causes of the Year Two sales drop
Use the team to deliver more consistent guest experiences

You’ll learn how to build a venue that can adapt, give guests reasons to return and sustain sales beyond its first year.
Competitive socialising is one of the smartest, agile sectors in the experience economy, solving problems before they arise while staying true to the heart of the experience. Come and learn from one of the sector’s most experienced heads, bringing TJ’s learnings into your business – whatever the sector.
Read more about SmashSwing Golf: https://www.smashswing.golf
Read a case study: https://sozolabs.com/smashswing
About TJ Schier
TJ Schier is CEO and founder of SmashSwing. He spent 18 years at Chuck E. Cheese, part of CEC Entertainment. He has also spent two decades consulting in the competitive socialising sector, and 2.5 years helping grow BigShots Golf before its sale. He now speaks, consults and develops attractions for gamified golf and competitive-socialising concepts.

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

Running On Magic: How To Build Responsive Interactive Experiences Without Heavy Engineering (Early)
2026-07-22 09:55 - 11:00
A practical Campfire on using responsive technology to create interactive experiences that are faster to build, easier to update and more useful after launch.
Technology should support the experience you want to create – not force you to redesign the experience around its limitations.
Yet integrating responsive technology can interrupt the creative process, introduce technical complexity, slow down production and increase costs. It can also leave creative teams dependent on specialist engineers whenever they want to change or improve an interaction.
In this WXO Campfire, IF Magic co-founders Lance Chantiles and Isaac Shelanski will share a practical framework for integrating responsive technology without heavy engineering.
The session will explore how experience teams can use technology to:

Prototype and deploy interactive ideas more quickly
Keep technology aligned with the creative concept
Build responsive interactions without extensive technical expertise
Collect data on how audiences are using an experience
Make informed creative and operational decisions
Update and refine an experience after it has launched
Reduce the time and complexity involved in making changes

Lance and Isaac will share the technical detail while keeping it accessible to people from all technical backgrounds. They will demonstrate real examples and examine what happens when responsive technology is treated as a flexible creative tool rather than a fixed piece of infrastructure.
Experiences already “running on magic” include a life-sized video game at the Museum of Ice Cream, award-winning architectural installations in New York City, classes and design studios at Stanford University, activations at SXSW and the Sundance Film Festival, sculptures at the Whitney ISP and performances at The Getty in Los Angeles.
Lance and Isaac first joined the WXO at London Experience Week 2025, where they activated the event’s welcome tunnel and demonstrated their technology to attendees. They returned in 2026 to lead a hands-on workshop on making interactive technology more accessible to experience creators.
You’ll leave with a clearer way to plan technology-supported experiences that can be built faster, measured more effectively and continually improved.
Who is it for?

Experience designers and creative directors
Producers and production teams
Interactive and spatial designers
Innovation and technology leads
Museum, attraction and cultural experience teams
Brand experience and experiential marketing agencies
Artists and creative practitioners working with physical spaces
Anyone who wants to create responsive experiences without becoming a specialist engineer

About Lance Chantiles
Lance Chantiles is co-founder and CEO of Indistinguishable From Magic, a venture-backed physical computing platform that enables artists, designers, engineers and educators to create interactive experiences quickly and efficiently.
About Isaac Shelanski
Isaac Shelanski is co-founder of Indistinguishable From Magic.
He works with artists, designers, engineers and educators to make physical computing and responsive technology more accessible, helping creative teams develop interactive experiences without the cost and complexity traditionally associated with custom engineering.

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 – 11:00 (BST)
Paris: 10:55 – 12:00 (CEST)
Dubai: 12:55 – 14:00 (GST)
Mumbai: 14:25 – 15:00 (IST)
Shanghai / Singapore: 16:55 – 18:00 (CST/SGT)
Tokyo: 17:55 – 19:00 (JST)
Sydney: 18:55 – 20:00 (AEST)
Auckland: 20:55 – 22:00 (NZST)

Running On Magic: How To Build Responsive Interactive Experiences Without Heavy Engineering (Late)
2026-07-22 17:55 - 19:00
A practical Campfire on using responsive technology to create interactive experiences that are faster to build, easier to update and more useful after launch.
Technology should support the experience you want to create – not force you to redesign the experience around its limitations.
Yet integrating responsive technology can interrupt the creative process, introduce technical complexity, slow down production and increase costs. It can also leave creative teams dependent on specialist engineers whenever they want to change or improve an interaction.
In this WXO Campfire, IF Magic co-founders Lance Chantiles and Isaac Shelanski will share a practical framework for integrating responsive technology without heavy engineering.
The session will explore how experience teams can use technology to:

Prototype and deploy interactive ideas more quickly
Keep technology aligned with the creative concept
Build responsive interactions without extensive technical expertise
Collect data on how audiences are using an experience
Make informed creative and operational decisions
Update and refine an experience after it has launched
Reduce the time and complexity involved in making changes

Lance and Isaac will share the technical detail while keeping it accessible to people from all technical backgrounds. They will demonstrate real examples and examine what happens when responsive technology is treated as a flexible creative tool rather than a fixed piece of infrastructure.
Experiences already “running on magic” include a life-sized video game at the Museum of Ice Cream, award-winning architectural installations in New York City, classes and design studios at Stanford University, activations at SXSW and the Sundance Film Festival, sculptures at the Whitney ISP and performances at The Getty in Los Angeles.
Lance and Isaac first joined the WXO at London Experience Week 2025, where they activated the event’s welcome tunnel and demonstrated their technology to attendees. They returned in 2026 to lead a hands-on workshop on making interactive technology more accessible to experience creators.
You’ll leave with a clearer way to plan technology-supported experiences that can be built faster, measured more effectively and continually improved.
Who is it for?

Experience designers and creative directors
Producers and production teams
Interactive and spatial designers
Innovation and technology leads
Museum, attraction and cultural experience teams
Brand experience and experiential marketing agencies
Artists and creative practitioners working with physical spaces
Anyone who wants to create responsive experiences without becoming a specialist engineer

About Lance Chantiles
Lance Chantiles is co-founder and CEO of Indistinguishable From Magic, a venture-backed physical computing platform that enables artists, designers, engineers and educators to create interactive experiences quickly and efficiently.
About Isaac Shelanski
Isaac Shelanski is co-founder of Indistinguishable From Magic.
He works with artists, designers, engineers and educators to make physical computing and responsive technology more accessible, helping creative teams develop interactive experiences without the cost and complexity traditionally associated with custom engineering.

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