The Immersive Experience Institute

NYC Immersive Industry Mixer: October 13, 7-10pm, Dead Letter No. 9 in Brooklyn. $10. 21+. Tickets on sale now: www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-immers...

Went to attend the showcase of an immersive hackathon last week, and wrote up some thoughts on the event. Also mentioned: Lost Horizon Night Market, Boxaroo's Four Doors, Night Mind's Candy Bowl, and the narrative hackathon I participated in almost 15 years ago.

Join us on July 28th for our first Next Stage Salon in Brooklyn. The topic: Finding Your Audience. Join the peer-to-peer discussion lead by those who have cracked the code to marketing immersive work in the modern era. The amazing Dead Letter No. 9. will be open exclusively for us that night.

Going to be on an Instagram Live in just a few minutes talking Miami Immersive Summit. www.instagram.com/juggerknot_t...

Due to incredible demand The L.A. Immersive Invitational has added an 8:15pm show on Sunday May 3rd! The teams are devising their pieces RIGHT NOW. www.eventbrite.com/e/los-angele...

We're kicking off our NYC programming with a Meetup in Brooklyn on 3/17. Come connect with other professionals in New York's immersive & experiential performing arts, marketing, XR, nightlife, and location based entertainment fields. www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-immers...

Monday’s event is now SOLD OUT. The wait list is active and there will be NO SALES AT THE DOOR. We are at capacity. It isn’t happening. Attendee arrival info and survey has gone out via email.

Lisa Spira of @roomescapeartist.bsky.social has released their annual US Escape Room Industry Report. roomescapeartist.com/2025/12/29/u...

Spinning out of The Next Stage Immersive Summit: an ongoing series of stand alone salons. This month the theme is “Immersive @ Play” and we’ve got guests from The 20-Sided Tavern, Hasbro, and more to help us kick things off. Two very special editions in LA & Pasadena. Learn more at the link!

The latest edition of our LinkedIn Newsletter is live with some not-great-news, Bob, out of Denver along with a fresh report from Immersive Arts UK, a LARP exploring a new financial model, and experiential building its own stage at Advertising Week in NYC. www.linkedin.com/pulse/good-b...

For more insights into the immersive art and entertainment industry, download this free report from the Gensler Research Institute and the The Immersive Experience Institute: www.gensler.com/gri/immersiv...

Thus making it easy for consumers to identify the "wish" being fulfilled and what the experience is going to be like.

So an immersive experience like Bridge Command can use the phrase "Ever wanted to fly a starship?" on their posters in the London tube while Phantom Peak entices customers with the tagline "step into a real life video game."

When I was taking classes from former Imagineers Joe Garlington and Larry Gertz, we often discussed the concept of "wish fulfillment": what is the promise you're making to your guests and how are you going to deliver on that promise?

And some survey respondents also mentioned their projects being audience-driven or described an experience which was happening “all around you.”

Some practitioners said they use phrases like “your chance to be the hero” and “be part of the story,” while other focused on the appeals of immersion itself with phrases like “it’s a movie you can walk around inside of.”

However, our survey respondents cautioned against using the word in isolation, without additional details. Additional specifics are needed, as just saying a project is “immersive” is too vague on its own.

Prospective audience members in the know will have their interest piqued when they see these phrases being used in marketing for immersive projects.

Why? The terms "immersive," "immersive experience," and "immersive theatre" — while being open to interpretation — remain effective because they are familiar to the intended audience.

Even if you believe the term "immersive" to be overused, the most common response from immersive art and entertainment professionals was that the word continues to be useful in marketing materials, with caveats.

In our survey of #immersive practitioners, we asked what “What words have you found to be *most* effective in marketing your work?” and “What words have you found to be *least* effective in marketing your work?” Link: www.gensler.com/gri/immersiv...

Immersive Experience Institute co-founder Noah Nelson (@noahjnelson.com) was recently on USA TODAY’s The Excerpt podcast, talking about the rise of immersive entertainment. Available now wherever you get your podcasts from and also on their YouTube channel! youtu.be/SBCZN5-Ecmc

#NextStage25 is so inspiring and it’s only the first day. Phenomenal insights into all aspects of immersive experience design, production, operation. And so many awesome sounding experiences I’d love to see one day!

Escape rooming in a box at Hatch Escapes in #NextStage25 @immersiveexperience.org @noproscenium.com

See you there?

First time in LA and having a blast checking out the local immersive experience & escape room scene! Here all weekend for #NextStage25.

In LA for The Next Stage @immersiveexperience.org. Two years ago I attended the first edition on a scholarship, which propelled my work and introduced me to so many amazing other people in the immersive realm. Glad to be back and hopefully pay it forward - plase come say hi if you’re here too!

In ONE WEEK, we'll be gathering 70+ leaders in the immersive entertainment industry at the Next Stage Immersive Summit. Folks from Disney, Gensler, Meow Wolf, Netflix, Niantic Spatial, Secret Cinema, Wasteland Weekend, and more. 2- and 3-Day badges on sale now:

INTENSIVE badge holders: Make sure you turn in your workshop preference surveys by 5pm Pacific today (July 24)!

A brand new issue of our LinkedIn newsletter just went out! Sign up here: www.linkedin.com/newsletters/...

Institute co-founders Noah Nelson and Kathryn Yu are quoted in this article about the best rides at Disneyland and why they are still delighting guests decades later: www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ju... @noahjnelson.com @kathrynyu.com