Are You Experienced?

I’m joined by Alicia Yaffe, founder of The Living Album Experience, for a brilliant conversation about music, fandom, IP and the future of immersive entertainment. Alicia has spent her career working with some of the most iconic artists and catalogues in the world, from The Doors and Janis Joplin to Otis Redding and Michael Jackson. Now she’s focused on creating experiences that let fans step insi...

In this episode, I speak to Christian Lachel, Chief Creative Officer and partner at BRC Imagination Arts, one of the world’s most respected experience design firms. Christian has spent nearly three decades creating brand homes, cultural attractions and destination experiences around the world. We talk about BRC’s roots in EPCOT and World Expos, what makes a great brand home work, and why the best...

In this episode, I sit down with Wendy Heimann-Nunes. Wendy is co-founder and co-managing partner, leading the Location-Based (LBE), Immersive, and Experiential Entertainment group at specialist IP/Entertainment law firm Nolan Heimann. We talk about what sparked her passion for experiential and track how it’s moved from the sidelines of entertainment to the strategic core of brand and community bu...

My guest this week is Veronica Hart, Chief Growth Officer at RWS Global and Chair of the Board of Directors at Licensing International.  Veronica has spent her career leading teams responsible for some of the world’s biggest entertainment brands and now masterminding the growth of RWS Global to help live experience producers create memorable moments at scale. In this conversation, we dig into the...

In this episode of Are You Experienced? , I sit down with Mel McGowan , the founder of Storyland Studios , to discuss the art of "spatial storytelling" and the future of the experience economy. The Disney Foundation: Mel reflects on his ten years at Disney, emphasizing that "walking in the guest's shoes" (and even cleaning toilets in operations) is vital for any designer. True magic requires empat...

My guest this week is Damian Norman, founder of Immerse LDN, about the business realities behind immersive entertainment. We unpack why immersive shows succeed or fail commercially: infrastructure costs, operational risk, location strategy, and the brutal power of reviews in a young category. Damian explains how the ImmerseLDN project aims to remove friction for producers, protect margins, and all...

I'm joined this time by a man who needs no introduction. As head of the World Experience Organisation (WXO) and author of "Stuffocation" (superb title) and "Time and How To Spend It", James Wallman will be well known to many listeners. We cover his journey to the forefront of the experience economy, the incredible, mission-driven growth of the WXO and their recently announced venture builder. Enjo...

My guest this time is Dawn Farrow and we're talking about the art and science of SELLING TICKETS. Dawn has had an incredible journey from dancer to marketer and now as the founder of On Sale Group, a community dedicated to setting and improving standards in marketing within the experience economy. Enjoy! https://www.onsale.live/ https://www.thegiem.com/

My guest this time is Brendan Brown, Global SVP of Strategy at GPJ. We cover Brendan’s journey from actual rockstar to strategy rockstar, deep-dive what makes experiential such a potent marketing channel and explore how technology should and shouldn’t be used in the service of creating experiences that drive impact. A great conversation packed with actionable insights for any experience business!

My guest this time is Matt Ferguson, Chief Innovation Officer at Storyland Studios. On my short journey through the experience economy so far it's become clearer and clearer how influential theme park design and, in particular, the legacy of Walt Disney has been on the best thinking in the world of experiences. Matt's comments on why that is stopped me in my tracks. This episode is an absolute tre...

My guest this time is George Wood is Founder and MD of Luna Entertainment Group. Starting out as The Luna Cinema in 2008, George takes us through the highs, lows, pivots and breakthroughs of building a leading producer/operator in immersive entertainment. We discuss the opportunity and risk associated with handling major IP and how to manage it.

My first guest on "Are You Experienced?" is the incredible Heather McGill. We dive into the secrets of planning mega events, the changing landscape of guest expectations, and how to the fundamental principles of guest experience that apply regardless of scale. Tune in and get ready to be inspired! www.unifyexp.com

COMING SOON!