On Tuesday 29 April, hundreds of experientialists will gather at Phantom Peak in London to celebrate the WXO World Experience Awards 2025.
The WXO World Experience Awards are all about shining a light on experience excellence, showcasing the good, great, and innovative in five categories:
- Experience of the Year (Small Budget)
- Experience of the Year (Mid to Large Budget)
- Experientialist of the Year
- Experience Business of the Year
- Experiential Technology of the Year
Anyone was able to enter – either their own experience or someone else’s – before a jury of WXO Council members whittled down hundreds of individual entries to our shortlist of just 26 nominated finalists below.
Now, WXO Expert Members have until Monday 21 April to vote for their winner in each category, before we reveal our winners at a glittering ceremony during the first ever London Experience Week.
“I think these are the most objective awards out there,” says WXO founder, James Wallman. “We’ve modelled them on the Academy Awards. Their awards are voted for by members of the academy. And only expert members of the WXO can vote on these shortlists. Since 72% of WXO members have ten or more years of experience, we think these are the ultimate, objective, expert-judged awards for excellence in experience. So huge congratulations to everyone who’s been nominated!”
And the finalists are…
Experience of the Year (Small Budget)
Lennox Mutual
Lennox Mutual is a globally accessible, one-on-one phone-based theatrical experience. Each 20–25-minute call is uniquely tailored via a memory-driven system, offering deeply personal storytelling and emotional connection. Hailed by The New Yorker as “heart-clutching,” it redefines accessibility and intimacy in immersive theatre, transforming simple phone calls into profound encounters.
>> VISIT SITE
Goose x Luna Luna Everything Must Go Experience
The Goose x Luna Luna Everything Must Go Experience redefined album releases as immersive art. Led by Justin Bolognino of META, it fused live music, performance, and interactive installations inside Luna Luna’s surreal carnival world. The result: a boundary-breaking, multi-sensory journey where fans became part of the storytelling itself.
>> VISIT SITE
The College of Extraordinary Experiences
The College of Extraordinary Experiences is a tiny-but-bright lighthouse in the Experience Economy World, and it’s one of the few places where experience designers have been meeting each other since 2016 in a way that is (according to those who go) unlike any other.
>> VISIT SITE
Rebirthing in the Womb of the Earth: A Multisensory Journey Beyond the Self
The Rebirthing Ceremony in a Sacred Mayan Cenote blends ancient Mayan ritual with sound healing, breathwork, and neuroscience-backed practices. This multi-sensory, soul-stirring experience activates deep transformation through water, frequency, and intention. Scalable and globally adaptable, it offers a sacred rite of passage that redefines immersive wellness and elevates human consciousness.
>> VISIT SITE
The Alchemist
The Alchemist reimagines the escape room as immersive art. Crafted over four years by a multidisciplinary team, it blends mechanical magic, handcrafted beauty, and emotional storytelling. Constantly evolving, it now includes player likeness via generative AI. One couple even got married inside—testament to its unforgettable, heart-filled impact.
>> VISIT SITE
Experience of the Year (Mid to Large Budget)
Carnival Currents
Carnival Currents is the world’s first 24/7 immersive experience at sea—an evolving digital environment blending real-time interactivity, storytelling, and cutting-edge tech. Touching over 500,000 guests annually, it redefines cruise entertainment with narrative shows, ambient worlds, and guest-driven content. Currents transforms travel into a living, ever-changing, co-created journey.
>> VISIT SITE
Village Parallèle
Village Parallèle transforms Village Québécois d’Antan into a surreal nighttime playground of immersive light, sound, and storytelling. Created with Moment Factory, this free-roam experience reinvents heritage tourism, attracting new audiences with its whimsical fusion of history and fantasy. It’s a bold, multi-sensory response to modern museum engagement challenges.
>> VISIT SITE
Hulaween’s Spirit Lake 2024
Hulaween’s Spirit Lake 2024 redefined immersive festival art through its “ESCAPED!” theme—an enchanting narrative world of digital, interactive, and performance installations. Led by Justin Bolognino, the experience blended psychedelic visuals, lakefront projections, and 45+ art pieces into a living, story-driven environment, pushing the boundaries of festival storytelling and audience immersion.
>> VISIT SITE
Yuwell – From Hospital to Home
Yuwell and VAVE transformed clinical medical tech into emotionally resonant, lifestyle-integrated experiences with their Nanjing showroom. Designed as a sensory journey “From Hospital to Home,” the 1,100 m² space blends immersive storytelling, adaptive tech, and human-centered design to reframe healthcare as healing—redefining how we connect with medical innovation.
>> VISIT SITE
Balloon Museum – Euphoria | Art is in the Air
The Balloon Museum’s touring exhibition format has captivated over 7 million visitors globally, proving both artistic impact and business scalability. Its Rome edition, Euphoяia, exemplifies the fusion of immersive technology and monumental art, redefining how audiences interact with creative spaces and setting a new benchmark for experiential exhibition models.
>> VISIT SITE
YOU:MATTER by Marshmallow Laser Feast
YOU:MATTER, by Marshmallow Laser Feast for the National Science and Media Museum and Bradford 2025, is a groundbreaking digital experience fusing art, science, and immersive storytelling. It reveals the invisible forces connecting us to the universe—inviting emotional reflection, sparking curiosity, and inspiring profound personal and collective reimagination of our place in the world.
>> VISIT SITE
Experientialist of the Year
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith is redefining event storytelling through cinematic craft, emotional resonance, and strategic structure. In 2024, he launched BCD M&E’s Films and delivered global keynotes on audience engagement. With a focus on data-driven creativity, neuroscience, and mentorship, Taylor is shaping storytelling that doesn’t just inform—it transforms and inspires lasting change.
>> VISIT SITE
Chris Luebke
As Director of Experiences at Unbridled, Chris Luebke leads immersive, multi-sensory productions—from jungle awakenings and blindfolded global dinners to riverboat murder mysteries. Through narrative-driven design and sensory storytelling, Chris has redefined corporate events, launching a new team that creates unforgettable experiences that spark emotion, challenge expectations, and leave lasting impact.
>> VISIT SITE
Thibaut Duverneix
Thibaut Duverneix, a French-born multimedia artist, blends fine art with cutting-edge technology to create immersive experiences across various environments. As the Founder and Executive Creative Director of Gentilhomme, he has garnered acclaim for large-scale, interactive productions for artists like Nine Inch Nails and brands like Disney. His recent work includes airport installations and the acclaimed interactive experience OPAL, which won multiple awards in 2024.
>> VISIT SITE
Lucy Keeler
Lucy Keeler was tasked with transforming Luna Park Sydney into Australia’s #1 experience destination by blending its historic 1930s identity with cutting-edge technology. The strategy involved reviving vintage carnival performances and design, while introducing immersive, digital experiences. Innovations included multi-tech venues, immersive audio, and partnerships with global experiences like Squid Game and Stranger Things.
>> VISIT SITE
Kevin M. Dulle
Kevin M. Dulle is an author, visual translator, and experience designer with 30+ years in strategic planning and design. He helps organizations turn complex ideas into clear visuals that drive innovation and customer engagement. His books offer practical frameworks for experience design and personal transformation through visual thinking.
>> VISIT SITE
Experience Business of the Year
Luna Park Sydney
Luna Park Sydney transformed from a fading heritage site into Asia-Pacific’s #1 immersive experiences destination. By fusing 1930s carnival artistry with cutting-edge tech, the park launched 7 large-scale immersive shows in 17 months, doubled visitation, and redefined what a cultural icon can be in the Experience Economy.
>> VISIT SITE
Mance Communications
Mance Communications is the UK’s leading voice for the immersive and experience industry. Since 2015, they’ve championed 60+ pioneering clients—from Netflix and BBC to breakout start-ups—transforming bold concepts into ticketed successes. Their unrivalled advocacy, industry insight, and infectious energy have shaped the sector’s growth and public recognition nationwide.
>> VISIT SITE
Charcoalblue
For 20 years, Charcoalblue has redefined how we experience space—blending theatre-led creativity with technical precision across venues, workplaces, and immersive environments. From La Mama to Google, their projects spark culture, community, and innovation. This visionary, values-driven team sets the global standard in experiential design, shaping the future with every space.
>> VISIT SITE
Original X Productions
Original X Productions (OGX) is redefining location-based entertainment with hit experiences like The FRIENDS™ Experience and Harry Potter™: Magic at Play. Combining beloved IP with smart, scalable business models, OGX creates unforgettable destinations that drive emotional engagement, global fan loyalty, and long-term commercial success in the Experience Economy.
>> VISIT SITE
Minecraft Experience
Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue is an epic interactive experience where the most popular elements of Minecraft are brought to life before your eyes! Journey through the world of Minecraft where you will explore iconic biomes and dimensions, interact with mobs, and use your wits and creativity to save the villagers from a grim fate.
>> VISIT SITE
Experiential Technology of the Year
XRoam
XRoam revolutionizes free-roaming VR with the first all-in-one, no-code solution for creating, deploying, and managing multi-user LBVR experiences. With 3 million sessions globally, XRoam empowers creators and operators to scale immersive content with ease—democratizing access, boosting profitability, and pushing the boundaries of innovation across the LBVR industry.
>> VISIT SITE
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Diversified created a cutting-edge, IP-based broadcast facility with dual 4K studios, 1,200 sq ft of LED displays, and five advanced control rooms. This future-ready media hub enhances fan engagement, enables seamless multi-platform delivery, and sets a new standard for immersive, scalable sports broadcasting experiences.
>> VISIT SITE
Disguise’s EX Range
Disguise’s EX Range brings high-performance media playback to a broader creative community—from museums to mega-festivals. With groundbreaking speed, durability, and real-time capability, these powerful yet accessible servers democratize world-class visuals. Trusted for projects from NYC to Singapore, EX empowers creators to deliver breathtaking immersive experiences at any scale.
>> VISIT SITE
TELUS Health
TELUS Health redefines clinical care with a patient-first, immersive experience. From an LED welcome wall to interactive Visualization Hubs and projection-mapped MRI rooms, the Calgary Care Centre eases anxiety and boosts engagement. This thoughtful fusion of design and tech delivers more personalized care and sets a new benchmark for healthcare innovation.
>> VISIT SITE
Museum of Art + Light
MoA+L is the first museum purpose-built to fuse immersive digital storytelling with traditional art. Powered by over 100 projectors and Modulo Pi servers, this permanent Kansas-based venue redefines the cultural experience. Through seamless tech and creative precision, it delivers emotionally resonant exhibitions designed to evolve with future generations.
>> VISIT SITE
If you’re an expert member of the World Experience Organization, click here to cast your votes.
