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.

Kicking Off The Immersive Experience Institute's Spotlight Series Yannick Trapman-O'Brien (Undersigned, The Telelibrary) joins us for a unique format that puts him in conversation with some of the most dynamic figures in the LA immersive scene.

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

We have a handful of tickets left for tonight's Salon on "Immersive @ Play" at the Pasadena Playhouse and there will be NO SALES AT THE DOOR. Ticket sales END AT 6PM. Doors at 6:30. $35 and comes with two complimentary drinks (beer, wine, soda).

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?

Excited to be speaking at #NextStage25 — the best Immersive conference around! Pasadena, CA August 1-3 - I’ll be on a panel talking about Location Based Experiences, and how they work in immersive with my #CultureHouseImmersive crew! #NextStage25 www.immersiveexperience.org/the-next-sta...

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

👀 Wondering just what the schedule looks like for The Next Stage Immersive Summit? Well… wonder no more! Dates and times for sessions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are now available on our site! 👀 www.immersiveexperience.org/the-next-sta...

Happy 70th birthday, Disneyland! Anybody else always take a photo of this plaque when entering? "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy"

Excited to announce that I'm joining a panel at #NextStage2025 discussing How LBE Narrative Immersive + Its Creators Become the Center of the Media Flywheel (and the hard work it takes to get there) with @mikhaeltaragarver.bsky.social and some other folks from #CultureHouseImmersive !

Just added to the Next Stage Immersive Summit: a session with Stephen Smith of Meow Wolf and Mike Stein of Niantic Spatial to talk about the newly announced collab between the two companies! It's happening August 1-3 in Pasadena & badges are on sale now: www.immersiveexperience.org/the-next-sta...

Two of our co-founders will be Host Team members at The Next Stage, Aug 1–3 in Pasadena! We’ll talk immersive VR theatre, help with intros, and share tips. New to Next Stage? Come find us—you’ll have friends in no time. Details: www.immersiveexperience.org/the-next-sta... #NextStage25

Jay and Alexis will be on the main stage to discuss the ground-breaking new cinematic experience, The Matrix in Shared Reality. Badges on sale now: www.immersiveexperience.org

We've added Alexis Scalice, VP of Business Development & Entertainment at Cosm, and Jay Rinsky, Founder & Creative Director of Little Cinema, to the Next Stage Immersive Summit lineup!

They will join speakers from Disney Live Entertainment, Meow Wolf, PHI, Third Rail Projects, Albany Theater Project, Mighty Coconut, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Wasteland Weekend, Secret City Studio, Phantom Peak, and more TBA. Hope to see you there!

Just announced: Mallory Gracenin (John Wick Experience, The Burnt City, Sleep No More) & Jack Aldisert (The Manikins) will join the speaker lineup at the 2025 Next Stage Immersive Summit taking place August 1-3 in Pasadena, CA. 2- and 3-Day badges are on sale now.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/discov... The Immersive Experience Institute now has a LinkedIn newsletter! Follow the link to subscribe.

I’m excited to be speaking at the (now rescheduled) Next Stage Immersive Summit, Aug 1-3, 2025 in Pasadena, CA! 🌟 I'll be on a panel with other independent creators on how to create meaningful audience experiences. 👋 immersiveexperience.org/the-next-stage-2025 @immersiveexperience.org #NextStage25

Who’s coming to Next Stage 2025? www.immersiveexperience.org/the-next-sta...

Badges on sale NOW! Join us. August 1-3, 2025 in Pasadena. www.immersiveexperience.org/the-next-sta...

Meow Wolf has dropped an email with an ARG-esque trailhead, pointing to their Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ4e-N5NbCP/ "Hidden messages, cryptic symbols, and unexpected surprises are waiting to be unraveled. 🔮 Think you can piece it together? Follow along and see if you can crack the c

Immersive Experience Institute co-founders Noah Nelson and Kathryn Yu are quoted in this piece by Scott Stein of CNET about the opening of Epic Universe in Orlando: www.cnet.com/tech/feature...

Get ready for the most anticipated #immersive entertainment and culture industry event of the year! The Immersive Experience Institute is proud to announce The Next Stage Immersive Summit, happening from August 1st to 3rd in Pasadena, California.

The 2025 Los Angeles Immersive Invitational was a rousing success and we'd like to take a moment to congratulate all the teams that participated this year: Cherry Poppins Dream Logik Last Call Theatre Meanwhile...netprov studio The Queen's Fools Spectacular Disaster Factory 1/10

www.latimes.com/travel/story... “[At] the Immersive Invitational, where productions ranged from goofy to heavy, there was an underlying common denominator, and that is that immersive play can inspire radical joy.”

And now this 🧵reveals the final four teams participating in this year's LA Immersive Invitational Showcase It all goes down on May the 4th with EIGHT teams creating all new original #immersive work at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's The Village at Ed Gould Plaza. ci.ovationtix.com/36684/produc...

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We asked attendees of immersive experiences what qualities were most important to them; the top answers were: a high level of interactivity, overall uniqueness, interacting with a purpose-built environment, encountering live actors, overall emotional impact. Source: www.gensler.com/gri/immersiv...

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