What the experience economy means for live events in 2026
- Eleanor Loveday
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
A recent article in The Mag titled ‘Why immersive brands will dominate in 2026’, explores our evolving Experience Economy. In what is dubbed ‘Experience Economy 2.0’, "consumers want brands to behave like worlds, not just businesses."
Of course, it got us thinking about what this means for live events and experiential.
Experience Economy 2.0 means "more advanced, more intelligent, and more immersive" than ever before. According to the article, it’s shaped by seven key consumer expectations:
So, where do live events fit into this new era of the Experience Economy?
Emotional design over transactional journeys
The Mag suggests brands start with emotion, and we couldn’t agree more. With emotional association sitting high on the benefit ladder, it’s something all brands should be thinking of.
In our own Experiential Edge series, ‘how we want customers to feel’ was mentioned almost instantly by every brand we spoke to. It’s also one of the first things we ask about when shaping a brief for our clients’ brand experiences.
That's because emotion is something events are uniquely equipped to deliver.
Through immersive environments – from lighting and spatial flow to messaging, interaction and material choices – we can deliberately design for feeling, not just function.
People amplify this further. At events, brand ambassadors are one of the strongest drivers of emotion.
Take Mielle, for example. At their pop-up brand activation at the O2, they wanted visitors to feel confident, empowered and uplifted. Those feelings were embedded in the messaging, vibrant colours, feel-good interactions and beautiful photo moments – but it was the high-energy team who truly brought it to life.
Multisensory branding brought to life
Sensory immersion and poly-sensory branding are powerful marketing tools. And experiential is the only channel in which all five senses can work together, making live events uniquely impactful.
Research from System1 and Tiktok found sonic brand assets have the biggest impact on brand awareness, compared to other brand assets, when present in the first 2 seconds of an ad. Scent marketing is widely used in physical retail, and often cited as the sense most connected to memory, perception and emotion.
Taste, sight, and texture matter too, all playing a role in how brands are experienced and remembered.
The Shoebox Experiences' immersive brand experience used subtle sensory cues to make sure visitors felt like they were stepping into a different world. For example, we scented the room with a whiskey and beer diffuser, connecting with The Shoebox's popular Tipsy Tavern tours.
Living brand worlds and spatial storytelling
It’s a no-brainer really. If consumers want brands to feel like worlds, experiential is where these worlds become real.
Whether it’s an gamified experience or a themed exhibition stand, live experiences allow brands to tell their stories spatially – and to do so in a way that is immersive and alive.
Hyper-personalisation, powered by data and people
One of the defining shifts in ‘Experience Economy 2.0’ is “more intelligence”, driven largely by advances in AI and technology. Hyper-personalisation across product discovery, loyalty and membership is now expected by consumers seeking relevance and convenience.
That intelligence can feed into events too. Pre-event communication can be tailored to specific interests (“Want to talk to us about X? Find us at…”), while customer insights can help guide conversations and meetings on the day.
And when you strip it back, nothing feels more personalised than real human interaction. Events create space for genuine conversations; for listening, problem-solving and connection, in a way few other channels can.
Phygital ecosystems: connection beyond the show floor
As digital and physical experiences continue to blur, events are increasingly part of ‘phygital’ ecosystems — a term originally coined by agency Momentum.
Live experiences can integrate digital layers like interactive games, digital lead capture, content creation and post-event journeys. That means emotional impact in the moment, supported by technology that extends engagement and sustains relationships beyond the show floor.
From membership to belonging
Community and belonging are at the basis of the Experience Economy. In fact, many of Campaign’s tips for community-first events tie in with what we’ve already discussed: personalisation, interactivity, engaging with people post-event...
And now more than ever, people want to feel connected.
Events offer a rare opportunity for brand communities to grow in real life. Brands with membership schemes might create exclusive spaces or run offers for members, while others use events to build a sense of shared identity from the ground up.
BFree Foods is a strong example. The brand prioritises community across its marketing by deeply understanding its gluten-intolerant audience. At the Allergy and Free From Show, that understanding translated into community-first experiences in the ‘Foodie Corner’ — from quizzes and merch to content creation and shared moments.
Value-driven immersion
Socio-cultural purpose sits at the top of the benefit ladder - and as The Mag puts it, brand values have become ‘core storytelling pillars’. Live experiences allow brands to move beyond telling values to showing them - through behaviour, partnerships, design choices and meaningful interaction.
So what does the experience economy mean for live events in 2026?
Experience Economy 2.0 isn’t a radical departure from the original concept introduced by Pine and Gilmore. It’s a subtle evolution. Consumers want brands to behave like worlds, not businesses, and experiential marketing is what makes those worlds real.
In the original piece, this new era is described as ‘more advanced, more intelligent, and more immersive. The same is true of experiential as a discipline: with more ambitious creative and productiton, and deeper intelligence through digital integration.
In a new phase for the Experience Economy, live events continue to thrive. Not despite that change, but because of it.
Planning your own brand's event, trade show or experiential campaign this year? Get in touch and tell us about your project today.
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