2026 Programme
Main Stage
Main Stage
10:00
Opening
10:00 - 10:10
Introductions, house-keeping and why we're here.
10:10
REVIEWING THE HERE AND NOW:
WHAT’S CHANGED, WHAT’S HOLDING AND WHAT COMES NEXT
10:10 - 10:50
Panel, 40 mins
The experience economy continues to evolve at pace, shaped by shifting audience behaviour, economic pressure and rising expectations around value, relevance and connection. In this opening Main Stage panel, leaders from across attractions, consumer events, comedy, theatre, immersive experiences and music will take an unfiltered look at the reality of selling live experiences right now.
This session will explore what has genuinely changed over the last year across sales, communications and marketing, what assumptions are no longer holding, and where there is unexpected stability. From audience decision-making and pricing sensitivity to channel performance, content fatigue and team capability, the panel will surface the patterns that are emerging across very different experience types.
Building on the ground-breaking honesty shared in 2025, this conversation will focus on the common threads that bind the sector together, even as formats and audiences diverge. Expect practical insight, candid reflection and a clear-eyed assessment of what feels certain, what doesn’t, and how marketers can respond with confidence in an ever-changing market.
Jon Warren
Commercial Director, Buyagift & Red Letter Days
10:50
COFFEE BREAK
Sponsored by Dewynters
11:05
MARKETING AT THE CENTRE OF EVERY DECISION AND DOUBLE YOU REVENUE
11:05 - 11:35
Keynote, 30 mins
Join Stuart Beare, as he shares the journey of transforming a traditional pick-your-own farm into a powerhouse of seasonal entertainment. Discover how Tulleys became home to Europe’s largest scream park, award-winning events, and world-class experiences, all while staying true to its rural roots. A candid look at risk, creativity, and reinvention.
Founder of Tulleys as he shares how his business has grown from £9m to £21m in just two years all by putting marketing, customer insight and audience behaviour at the heart of every strategic choice. From Shocktober Fest to Tulip Festivals on sites across the country, Stuart will unpack how understanding demand, emotion and timing has shaped everything from product development and pricing to communications and channel strategy.
This session explores the mindset behind the numbers. How marketing insight informs investment decisions. Why staying relentlessly close to the customer enables faster adaptation. And how continuing to innovate, even during periods of strong performance, has been critical to sustained growth. A practical, honest look at what happens when marketing is not an afterthought, but the driving force behind revenue growth.
11:40
CAPITALISING ON FANDOM:
HOW MARKETING TURNS AUDIENCES INTO Advocates
11:40 - 12:20
Panel, 40 mins
Fandom doesn’t happen by accident. It is built through storytelling, consistency, community and smart distribution. For marketers, fandom represents one of the most powerful levers for growth, loyalty and long-term revenue in the experience economy.
This panel explores how marketing and communications teams can actively cultivate fandom, from building cult followings around IP and brands to activating merchandise, creators, influencers and platforms like TikTok Shop. How do social content, creator partnerships and commerce-led storytelling work together? What role does identity and belonging play in campaign strategy? And how do you monetise passion without eroding trust?
Panellists will share insight into how fandom-driven marketing works in practice, what turns casual audiences into repeat bookers and advocates, and how marketers can design campaigns that extend far beyond the ticket sale.
Blue Bookhard
Founder & Editor in Chief, No Skips
Arishekola Adeyemi,
Co-Founder, Tickxts
12:20
Lunch
13:05
Selling the invisible: Why Live experiences are harder to market & More valuable than ever
13:05 - 13:35
Keynote, 30 mins
Live experiences ask more of the marketer than almost any other product. You are asking someone to buy something they cannot fully see, trial or return. The decision is driven by anticipation, trust and emotion rather than certainty.
That makes marketing both harder and more powerful.
In this keynote, Kelly Estrella explores what it really takes to convert audiences in the experience economy. Why traditional marketing approaches fall short when applied to live. And how the most effective campaigns go beyond promotion to actively build confidence, reduce perceived risk and create a compelling reason to show up.
Drawing on her global experience across entertainment, lifestyle and location-based experiences, Kelly will unpack the emotional and commercial drivers behind ticket sales. From messaging and creative through to channel strategy and operational delivery, this session will highlight what makes live experience marketing different and why those who understand it hold a significant advantage.
A practical and insightful look at how to market what cannot be seen, and why mastering that challenge makes live experiences one of the most valuable sectors in the world.
Kelly Estrella
Chief Operating Officer, Allied Global Marketing
13:45
THE FUTURE IS INTERACTIVE:
WHY AUDIENCES WANT TO PARTICIPATE, NOT JUST WATCH
13:45 - 14:25
Panel, 40 mins
From VR experiences on the high street and live esports events to immersive treasure hunts, escape rooms and fitness-led entertainment, interactive experiences are reshaping what audiences expect from live. The question is no longer whether people will attend, but whether the experience invites them to participate.
This panel explores the rapid rise of interactivity within the experience economy and what it reveals about changing audience behaviour. Why do audiences increasingly value agency, choice and involvement? How does participation deepen emotional connection and memory-making? And what does this shift mean for how experiences are designed, marketed and sold?
Our panelists will examine where interactive formats are succeeding, what they understand about attention, play and identity, and how brands and producers can build meaningful interaction without gimmicks. The discussion will focus on the balance between technology and human connection, and how interactivity can create loyalty, advocacy and long-term value when done well.
14:30
Tourism and the experience economy:
Are You leaving money on the table?
14:30 - 15:10
Panel, 40 mins
UK and European tourism is growing rapidly, driven by international and domestic visitors who increasingly prioritise experiences as a core part of their cultural trips. From theatre and attractions to immersive events and cultural venues, tourists are actively seeking memorable things to do while they are here.
But how seriously are marketing teams within the experience economy targeting this opportunity? Are tourism audiences already part of your campaign strategy, or are you unintentionally leaving revenue on the table?
Led by leading tourism experts Made, this panel explores how experience brands can better connect with visitors before and during their time in their trip. The discussion will examine how international tourist behaviour may differ from domestic audiences, where the key marketing channels sit, and how partnerships, timing and messaging can unlock new ticket sales.
And for any organisations not yet actively targeting the tourism market, the session will also explore where to begin. Expect practical insight into how to position your experience within the visitor economy and how to convert cultural curiosity into ticket sales.
Jonathan Mountford
Managing Director, MADE
Louise Bryce
Director of Partnerships, VisitBritain
Joss Croft
CEO, UKinbound
Shannan Hodgson
Head of Brand, Battersea Power Station
Simon McCaugherty
Director, Experience Economy, London & Partners
Jon Kissack
Senior Sales Manager, Travelzoo
15:15
fresh tea & biscuits served
15:30
15:30 - 16:10
Panel, 40 mins
FROM THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:
WHAT OTHER SECTORS SEE THAT WE MIGHT MISS
Sometimes the most valuable insight comes from those not operating inside the bubble. In this panel, marketing leaders from outside the experience economy share the trends, behaviours and shifts they are seeing across other sectors and how they are adapting their strategies in response.
The discussion will explore how audience expectations, emotional drivers and decision-making are evolving beyond live experiences, and what that means for brands competing for attention, trust and spend. From data use and personalisation to community-building, brand purpose and content fatigue, panellists will reflect on what feels different, what feels universal, and what the experience economy may be slow to notice.
This session invites attendees to step back, challenge assumptions and see their own work through a wider lens. Expect practical takeaways, fresh perspective and uncomfortable but useful truths about where opportunity might lie when we look beyond our own sector.
Luís Coutinho
Global Marketing Manager, Silent Pool Gin
Kelly Mackenzie
Founder & Executive Creative Director, White Bear
16:15
THE FASHION OF EXPERIENCES:
WHAT AUDIENCES CHOOSE, VALUE AND SHOW UP FOR
16:15 - 16:55
Panel, 40 mins
Why do some live experiences sell out instantly while others struggle to find momentum? Why do certain formats thrive in Europe but barely break even in the UK? And how do cultural taste, emotional connection and social signalling influence what audiences choose to spend their time and money on?
This closing panel explores the idea of “cultural fashion” within the experience economy – the shifting behaviours, emotional needs and social drivers that determine what feels relevant, desirable and worth attending right now. From ballet and sport to immersive experiences, gifting and memory-led consumption, our panellists will unpack where growth is happening in uncertain times and why.
The discussion will examine how successful experiences are aligning with audience emotion, identity and values, what their marketing strategies reveal about changing behaviour, and how marketers can respond without chasing trends for the sake of it. Expect practical insight into how cultural relevance is built, how emotional resonance drives demand, and what today’s audience behaviour can teach us about designing and marketing experiences that truly connect.
17:00
Building audiences from the ground up:
Why local communities matter more than ever
17:00 - 17:30
Fireside chat, 30 mins
In an era of rising costs, commercial pressure and audience fragmentation, the future of theatre may lie closer to home than we think. As society feels increasingly fractured, the question for marketers and producers is not just how to sell tickets, but how to create spaces people feel invited into.
In this 30-minute fireside chat, award-winning actor Tom Burke joins Dawn Farrow, Founder of On Sale Group, to explore an alternative vision for audience development. Drawing on his work as founder of Wheelwrights, Tom will share why building work based on what communities are actively seeking, and being “boldly other” rather than commercially conformist, may be the way forward.
The conversation will examine the marketing implications of that philosophy. Does sharing backstage content build access or erode magic? How do you give audiences permission to enter spaces they may have previously felt were not created for them? And what role does local storytelling, ownership and representation play in rebuilding connection and trust?
Together, Tom and Dawn will unpack how community-first thinking can shape programming, messaging and distribution strategy. A thoughtful and timely discussion about relevance, identity and how experiences can grow by rooting itself more deeply in the people it serves.
Tom Burke
Actor & Founder, Wheelwrights
17:30