The ‘Oscars of the Experience Economy’ are back and bigger than ever for 2025!
The WXO World Experience Awards are the first-ever global awards dedicated to the Experience Economy, recognising the world’s most innovative and impactful experiences.
This year, the WXO World Experience Awards have been expanded to 12 separate awards over four categories – Experience, Business, People and Technology.
✍️ Nominations are open NOW and close on Thursday, 27 March 2025
📃 Shortlists will be announced the week commencing Monday 7 April 2025
🗳️ Voting will then be open for two weeks until the week commencing Monday 21 April 2025
🏆 The Awards will take place from 7-9pm on Tuesday 29 April 2025 after Day One of the World Experience Summit. Tickets for the Summit are available via the WXO website.
How to enter
The WXO World Experience Awards are split into four categories: Experience, Business, People and Technology.
Experience: Celebrating the very best in immersive and innovative creativity, delighting audiences big and small with pioneering design, beguiling storytelling and the purest imagination.
Business: Whether big budget marketing campaign or striving start-up smashing its KPIs, we shine a light on the financial rigour that puts the Economy into the Experience Economy
People: From fast rising stars to background heroes to those pioneers still preaching the experience gospel, we put faces to the names that are rewriting the Experience Economy narrative.
Technology: We celebrate the new and emerging technologies that are powering the Experience Economy, whether it’s elevating the audience’s delight or a backroom engine enabling the experience.
Entries are open to anyone in the experience industry. With a predicted 200+ entries, initial shortlists are produced by a panel of judging experts drawn from WXO’s World Experience Council, all representing the various sectors of the Experience Economy. Council members include such luminaries as Ida Benedetto, Mat Duerden, Heather Gallagher, Aya Guise, Laura Hess, Joe Pine, Lou Pizante, Julian Rad and Dr Paul J. Zak.
Shortlists are then opened up to the whole WXO community for voting and to decide the eventual winners.
One additional award is debuting this year. The WXO World Experience Grand Prix Award closes a glittering awards evening. Nominated by the World Experience Council, the WXO team and our Summit event partners, this award recognises the pioneering individual or organisation that has exhibited true excellence and moved the needle for the Experience Economy.
Why you should enter
Dubbed “The Oscars of the Experience Economy,” these awards recognize world-class experiences across entertainment, hospitality, culture, travel, and immersive innovation—without the barriers of high entry fees or pay-to-play politics.
In an era where experiences shape our most powerful memories and define modern business success, the WXO World Experience Awards shine a spotlight on those leading the charge in creativity, impact, and excellence. Open to experience creators worldwide, the awards are judged by a panel of esteemed industry experts, ensuring a 100% merit-based evaluation.
“Great experiences should be celebrated for their innovation, emotional impact, and ability to transform audiences—not just for their marketing budgets,” says James Wallman, CEO at World Experience Organization. “By making the WXO World Experience Awards free to enter and purely merit-based, we’re ensuring that true excellence is recognized, whether it comes from a global entertainment brand or an emerging independent creator.”
🎭 Global Recognition – Join the ranks of the world’s most groundbreaking experience creators
💰 Free to Enter – No costly submission fees, just a chance to prove your experience is world-class
🏆 Judged on Merit – No pay-to-win nonsense. Just expert-led, transparent evaluation
🚀 A Platform for Innovation – Show the world how your experience is pushing boundaries.
