This shortlist brings together businesses showing just how far experiential has evolved as a commercial force.
Among the nominees are companies turning small teams into global delivery engines, scaling location-based formats across borders, building repeatable IP, and creating models that combine cultural value with serious revenue performance.
Taken together, they reflect a sector no longer defined only by standout creative work, but by organisations proving that experience can be structured, scaled, and sustained as powerful business in its own right.
Here are our shortlisted entries:
DONE + DUSTED X Ltd (UK / USA) | Scaling Fast, Delivering Globally
In 2025, Done + Dusted X (D+DX) scaled from 4 to 27 productions across 4 continents, delivering experiences for over 3 million guests. Revenue tripled year-on-year from $8.8M to $23.3M, while profits grew over 600% to $4.8M.
Projects included 22 shows at Expo 2025 Osaka for 3 million visitors, a 150,000-visitor Esports World Cup activation in Riyadh, and a 30,000-attendee Taylor Swift pop-up in Los Angeles.
Delivered by a six-person core team, the model combines high-margin global delivery with IP creation, demonstrating how a small, agile unit can operate at enterprise scale.
LUMINISCENCE (FRANCE / GLOBAL) | Scaling Heritage into a Global Product
Since launching in 2023, Luminiscence has delivered immersive shows in 23 churches across 8 countries, attracting over 1.5 million visitors with a 4.9/5 average rating.
Its model combines 360° projection mapping, live choirs, and site-specific storytelling, with each venue 3D-scanned to adapt content precisely. Productions run simultaneously in ~10 cities, with expansion from 1 to 8 countries in under 12 months.
Revenue is partially reinvested into venue preservation, aligning commercial success with heritage funding. With multi-city rollouts and repeat editions, Luminiscence operates as a scalable, location-based cultural product.
THE HANGING HOUSE EXPERIENTIAL EVENTS LLC (UAE – DUBAI) | Independent Growth Engine
Founded in a 200 sq ft garage, The Hanging House has grown into a 50+ person agency generating over AED 70 million in revenue in 2025, with 60% CAGR from 2017–2025.
The business operates a 100% in-house model across 600+ projects, achieving 50%+ year-on-year growth for three consecutive years and an 869% increase in client spend (Nissan).
Its structure includes profit-sharing (2% per project across teams), a 94% retention rate, and expansion into proprietary IP and AI systems. The model combines service revenue with future IP ownership, positioning it beyond traditional agency economics.
ECO RETREAT – KONARK (INDIA) | Temporary Infrastructure, Permanent Impact
Eco Retreat Konark generated approximately $3.5M in revenue over a 90-day seasonal operation, achieving 85.49% occupancy with 12,400 visitors.
Designed as a temporary luxury destination, it integrates accommodation, dining, and cultural programming into a repeatable tourism model. The project engaged 55+ local vendors, with 74.4% local employment, contributing to a 62.9% increase in regional tourism.
Built and dismantled on a greenfield site with minimal environmental impact, the model demonstrates how temporary experiential infrastructure can deliver both commercial returns and long-term economic development.
ORIGINAL X PRODUCTIONS (OGX) (USA / Global) | IP-Driven Global Expansion
Original X Productions operates 33 locations globally, expanding by five new sites in 2025 alone. Across its portfolio — including The FRIENDS™ Experience, The Office Experience, and Harry Potter™: Magic at Play — the company has welcomed over 2 million visitors from 127 countries.
The model combines ticketing, retail, F&B, licensing, and sponsorship, with experiences maintaining 70%+ NPS and 4.5/5 ratings.
In 2025, audiences travelled 123.3 million miles to attend OGX experiences. With partnerships including Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal, the business demonstrates how IP-led experiences can scale globally with consistent performance.
SHIVA IMMERSIVE (INDIA) | High-Frequency, Scalable IP
Shiva Immersive has delivered approximately 970 shows, operating at an average of 10 shows per day with a model designed for high-throughput ticketing.
The business has generated ₹4.94 crore in revenue, with average ticket prices around ₹1,100 and a 7.69% digital conversion rate. Audience reach stands at nearly 45,000 attendees, with an 87% satisfaction score and measurable repeat visitation.
Built as a portable IP rather than a fixed installation, the model enables replication across cities and markets. It demonstrates how cultural storytelling can be structured as a scalable, high-frequency entertainment business.
BECORE (USA) | Longevity and Commercial Scale
Founded over 25 years ago, BeCore has grown from a two-person startup into a $30M+ revenue experiential business, completing its highest-grossing year before being acquired in July 2025 by Under Business.
The company has maintained partnerships of over 20 years with brands including Nike, Red Bull, and Microsoft, while delivering campaigns that have set more than 10 world records.
Its model centres on experiential as a service layer for global brands, driven by repeat business and community-led activations. The 2025 acquisition reflects both the maturity of the model and its continued relevance in a consolidating market.
The WXO World Experience Awards 2026 take place on Tuesday 21 April at Ministry of Sound.
The ceremony marks the end of Day One of the World Experience Summit, a part of London Experience Week 2026.
Winners come decided by votes by members of the World Experience Organization – all leaders and practitioners shaping this industry – can vote. That is what gives these awards their unique weight.
Tickets are still available – click below for more.
