Reading · The Experience Report

Hi friends,

For years, we’ve talked about the experience economy as if each sector operated in its own lane. But that’s no longer true.

The borders are gone.

Today, all experiences are competing with one another. Museums compete with entertainment venues. Trade shows compete with hospitality destinations. Theme parks compete with immersive dining.

When deciding how to spend their leisure time, audiences have more choices than ever.

The stories I’ve gathered below underscore this new reality. AI is reshaping the customer relationship. Live entertainment is being reimagined to stay relevant. Conferences are adapting for modern attendees. And Industry experts are expounding on the future of the guest experience.

The organizations that thrive will be the ones who recognize the competitive landscape isn’t what it used to be. It’s everywhere people choose to spend their time, money, and attention.

- Eric

How can your next experience truly compete for guests?
Grab a time on my calendar and let’s talk.

Museums aren’t just competing with other museums anymore. They’re competing with everything. In this conversation, Chris and John explore how every experience today is fighting for the same leisure dollar, from sports and theaters to immersive attractions and entertainment venues. That reality is pushing museums to evolve, designing experiences that are engaging enough to earn a spot among all the other ways people can spend their time.

What AI’s change from discovery to commerce means for attractions & experiences

AI is no longer just a way to discover information, it’s quickly evolving into a transactional tool. For experiences and attractions, that means your guests may soon be booking and buying directly with AI. And that poses big questions for experiential operators who could be missing out on visibility, recommendations, customer data, and more. How can your organization stay ahead of the AI curve? This piece is a great place to start.

Blooloop →

phantom of the opera masquerade — Image: Oscar Ouk

Masquerade shows what happens when a legacy title refuses to compete on nostalgia alone. The team reimagined Phantom of the Opera as an immersive, free roaming world, placing guests inches from the story. It is theater redesigned for an era when every night out competes with experiential dining, music, art, and entertainment. In a crowded field, reinvention is the smart path to staying relevant.

Attractions Magazine →

Top of the Rock lift — Image: Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center

What will the next generation of attractions require from experiential designers? Holovis and THG spell it out clearly and back it up with real examples. They talk about designing for guests who compare every outing to the digital worlds in their feed, why tech has to be invisible to work, encouraging repeat visits, and how to keep experiences from aging the moment they open.

Blooloop →

How conferences are evolving in 2026 – and what planners should prioritise to stay ahead Exterior

Conferences once competed only with other conferences. Not anymore. Attendees judge them against festivals, hospitality destinations, hybrid work, and the energy of live entertainment. This piece nails how planners are adapting, building formats that invite participation, designing flexible environments and treating production as brand reputation. To earn a spot on someone’s calendar, a conference has to feel like an experience worth choosing.

Event Industry News →

Experiential design isn’t just evolving to meet audience demands, it’s adapting to meet the needs of operators. InstaVR is the world’s first self-serve VR arena. A compact, autonomous attraction that removes the need for dedicated staff while still delivering free-roam gameplay and high throughput. It’s a glimpse of how immersive entertainment is meeting modern expectations, where convenience, accessibility, and operational efficiency matter just as much as the experience itself.