From conference to festival
The language of events is changing faster than ever. What used to be labelled a “conference” is now proudly branded by some as a “festival.” Traditional corporate gatherings are being reimagined with immersive activations, gamified experiences, digital worlds, and carefully engineered viral moments. This evolution isn’t just a shift in branding or marketing spin. It’s a fundamental response to what audiences actually want: not passive presentations, but memorable experiences that leave them talking long after the event ends.
“Take the Mobile World Congress for instance – they build a whole new world that’s fully interactive and immersive, not like your old school ‘traditional’ conference,” says Laura Sidhu, Senior Account Manager at Live Recruitment. Events like this don’t just deliver content; they transport attendees into an environment where learning, networking, and entertainment are seamlessly combined.
The power – and the risk – of experiential
When executed well, immersive and experiential events can be transformative. They create a buzz that spreads organically, strengthen brand loyalty, and often set new industry benchmarks. As Laura Sidhu points out: “The brands that are creating those moments that people are talking about are the ones leading the market forward.”
But the flip side is significant. When immersive experiences fall short, they don’t just fizzle out quietly – they implode loudly. The infamous failure of 2024 that was the Willy Wonka immersive experience in Scotland proved how quickly reputations can be damaged when there’s a gap between promise and delivery. Guests expecting magical chocolate rivers were greeted with cheap props and empty rooms, and the backlash went global in hours.
At Live Recruitment, we’ve seen first-hand how agencies wrestle with this reality. The demand for innovation is relentless – every event is expected to be bigger, smarter, and more engaging than the last. The creative bar keeps rising, but so too does the need for flawless execution. It’s not enough to dream big; you also must deliver perfectly.
A passing phase or the new normal?
So, the big question remains: is experiential a trend, or is it the future? From our perspective at Live Recruitment, the answer is becoming clearer every year. Experiential is not just sticking around – it’s embedding itself into every event format, from exhibitions to corporate launches, from sporting events to charity fundraisers. The very meaning of experiential is changing, it’s no longer just the Coca Cola van sampling outside of Westfield, it’s so much more.
It’s not simply an “add-on” feature anymore. It’s increasingly the backbone of how events achieve their purpose: driving engagement, sparking loyalty, and creating moments that genuinely matter. As budgets shift toward experience-led design, the expectation is that immersive will no longer be a niche but the industry-wide standard. In short, it’s not a phase – it’s the new normal.
What this means for talent
For event professionals, this industry-wide pivot means rethinking what their roles demand. It’s no longer enough to be excellent at logistics and project management. Creativity, design thinking, storytelling, and technical innovation are now core requirements.
As Laura Sidhu highlights: “Candidates often say ‘I want to be in a role that’s more creative’ – but what does that really mean? Do you want sport, immersive, creative design? It’s not always experiential. There are lots of avenues to explore within events.” This is where clarity matters. Not every creative role is experiential, but experiential always requires creativity at its core.
At Live Recruitment, we spend time helping candidates understand this landscape. We work with them to define their ambitions more precisely and then connect them with opportunities who are building teams that can truly deliver in this new era. Whilst the events industry on the whole will grow across the board, moving forward we see a particular need for people who don’t just say they’re creative, but who understand the nuances of experiential, and can translate vision into execution.
The takeaway
Immersive events aren’t a passing fad – they are actively reshaping the way our industry operates globally. But success in this space is never guaranteed. It relies on the right mix of imagination, strategy, and flawless delivery. Behind every spectacular “wow moment” is a team of skilled professionals who make it possible.
And that’s exactly where Live Recruitment fits in. We ensure agencies and organisations have the right people in the right roles – the talent that turns ambitious ideas into unforgettable experiences. Because in the age of experiential, it’s not just about what happens on stage or on screen – it’s about how it makes people feel, and the lasting impact it leaves behind.