WELCOME TO LONDON
“the land of ancient futures”
Here’s is a simple field guide to the world’s first, and currently only, experience week.
WHAT IS LONDON EXPERIENCE WEEK?
“What am I actually coming to?”
It’s a week of:
- Experiences across London
- A three-day summit
- A global community of people like you
Moments add up to lives.
This week is about making better ones.
WILL IT BE PERFECT?
Just like all the best experiences.
Or, as Francis Bacon put it, “There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.”
Things will shift.
Plans will change.
Some things will be full.
Some things will run late (we hope not and, if you have the app, we’ll alert you by a push notification)
That’s part of it.
This is a live, evolving, co-created week – not a perfect polished broadcast.
HOW SHOULD I PLAN MY WEEK?
“Do I need a full schedule?”
No.
Plan a little.
Not a lot.
Leave space.
The best moments are unplanned.
This is work, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. It’s somewhere between a conference and a festival.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
“What happens when?”
Monday + Friday
Explore experiences across the city
Tuesday – Thursday
Connect, learn, share at the Summit
Think:
Outside = inspiration
Inside = ideas + tools + people
WHAT SHOULD I FOCUS ON?
“What’s the goal here?”
Pick 1– 2:
Meet people
Learn things
See great experiences
You don’t need to do all three.
Don’t try to do everything all at once. That’s not how this works.
HOW SHOULD I STRUCTURE MY WEEK?
“Is there a right way to approach this?”
Yes.
There is a rhythm.
Start wide. Then focus. Then go deep.
EARLY WEEK – MONDAY
Explore
Go on experiences
Start conversations
Stay open.
MIDWEEK – TUES–WEDS–THURS
Anchor around key sessions.
Focus on:
- Story systems
- Tech
- Fandom
- Scale
- ROI
Or whatever suits your objectives for the week, and what’ll make the most difference to your work afterwards. Use sessions as fuel. Not the main event.
If you leave with notes but no conversations, you’ve missed the point.
BACK HALF – THURS–FRI
Follow up
Go deeper
Reconnect with people you met.
Most partnerships don’t start here. They get decided here.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I BOOK?
“How many things per day?”
2 – 3 things per day is enough.
More than that = stress.
Don’t try to do everything. That’s not how this works.
WILL I MISS THINGS?
Yes. That’s part of it.
The goal isn’t to see everything.
It’s to find the things that matter to you.
WILL YOU FILM TALKS SO I CAN SEE THE TALKS I MISS LATER?
The purpose of LXW is to connect, to be in the room.
We run Campfires every week online.
That’s where content lives.
We will run many of the talks online at Campfires too.
FOLLOW YOUR ENERGY
If something feels interesting – stay with it.
If a conversation is working – don’t leave just because something else is “next”.
Also, if a conversation is boring – it’s fine to move on.
The best moments don’t happen on schedule.
WHAT TOOLS SHOULD I USE?
Keep it simple. Use the platforms to their strengths
People + schedule
WhatsApp
What’s happening now, who wants to go to ABBA or Traitors or the Magicians Table etc
You don’t need anything else.
DO I NEED TO BOOK SESSIONS AT THE SUMMIT?
“Will I miss out if I don’t?”
No.
You don’t need to book sessions.
Just turn up.
If it matters to you – arrive early.
HOW DOES THE EXPERIENCE SAFARI WORK?
“What do I need to book?”
Some experiences are:
- Bookable
- Limited
- Or just turn up
Check the app.
But don’t overthink it. There’s very limited spaces at some tours. Don’t stress over what you didn’t go to. Focus on what you can go to.
WHERE DOES THE REAL VALUE COME FROM?
“Is it the content?”
Not really.
- The value is:
- Conversations after sessions
- People you meet
- Time between things
The value is in the conversations, not the content.
WHAT SHOULD I DO BETWEEN SESSIONS?
“There’s space… what’s it for?”
Use it. Not to check your email!
Instead:
- Talk to someone
- Reflect
- Follow a conversation
This is intentional.
Half the value of this week happens when nothing is scheduled.
WHAT IF I FEEL OVERWHELMED?
“There’s a lot going on…”
Good.
That means you’re in the right place.
Go outside.
Talk to one person.
Everyone else feels this too. They’re just hiding it better.
WHAT ARE COMMON MISTAKES?
“What should I avoid?”
- Booking everything
- Rushing between sessions
- Only talking to people you know
- Trying to “win” the week is the fastest way to lose it.
I WANT TO MEET PEOPLE — WHAT SHOULD I DO?
- Book a few meetings in MeetToMatch
- Stay flexible
- Talk to people after sessions
There are ‘reflection pools’ designed to enable people to discuss a talk / workshop afterwards.
I WANT TO LEARN — WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Follow themes
Not sessions
Give yourself time to think
I WANT OPPORTUNITIES — WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Be clear what you want
Say it out loud
Ask for introductions
FOR THE SAFARI, HOW DO I GET AROUND?
“How long does it take?”
Allow ~45 minutes between locations that look close. An hour or more for long distances.
Everything takes longer than you think.
WHAT ABOUT THE TUBE STRIKE?
“Is this going to be a problem?”
Yeah, we’ve been tracking it.
It won’t be perfect.
But it will be fine.
The tube strike is planned:
From midday Tuesday – midday Wednesday.
From midday Thursday – midday Friday.
The impact is mostly during rush hour.
- We’ve done what we can to mitigate the impact:
- Tuesday, the Summit venue opens at 11am – arrive before the strike starts
- Tuesday, awards finish at 9pm – avoiding the rush hour
- Thursday party runs late – avoiding the rush hour
- Friday is a late start – after the party, avoiding rush hour
Most key moments are unaffected:
- Monday
- Wednesday evening
- Friday from lunchtime – though the tubes can get a little while to get going
Give yourself a bit more time.
Avoid rush hour (always a good idea).
But it’s London. It does keep moving.
WHAT ABOUT FOOD & DRINK?
“Do I need to plan this?”
No.
Buy as you go.
Eat when you need to.
There’s a (great) coffee stand onsite. And food-truck type food on sale.
WHAT ABOUT PHOTOS & VIDEO?
Photos = fine
Recording talks = not allowed
(Some sessions are private)
WHAT ABOUT THE PARTY?
The LXW Experience Disco with Hawkmoon Immersive is:
- Supported by Nic and his team at Hawkmoon Immersive
(You could tell by the name, right? - Thursday night, 8pm–1am
- Ministry of Sound
- Dress code! Come as: your favourite music / nightclub era or scene
eg, Studio 54, K-Pop, J-Pop, Mandopop, Ibiza, Fifties rockabilly, Seventies disco, Nineties rave, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Baile Funk, Bollywood, Dancehall…
WHAT ABOUT THE AWARDS?
The WXO World Experience Awards are:
A celebration of the best work in the experience economy
(And the people behind it)
WXO World Experience Awards Night is brought you with Immerse LDN
(And the people who run it, Damian Norman and Alona Fogel)
- Tuesday night
- Ministry of Sound
- There’ll be a ‘Class of 2026’ photocall moment for all those who’ve been shortlisted
Expect:
- Big ideas
- Brilliant work
- A few surprises
- And a room full of people who care about this stuff
Come along to:
See what “great” looks like
Meet the people behind it
And maybe spot what’s coming next…
It’s part inspiration, part recognition, part community moment.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?
“What should I leave London Experience Week with?”
Not just notes.
Not just contacts.
If you leave with better conversations, you’ve done it right.
THE WXO RULES
How we do things here.
YOU’RE WELCOME HERE AS YOU ARE
You know things others don’t.
Bring your knowledge.
Bring your questions.
Bring your curiosity.
SHARE THE AIR
This isn’t just about speakers.
- Ask questions
- Join in
- Make space for others
Make space for others – that repetition is so that the people who forget to, do actually give way for others to speak
GIVE AND TAKE — YOU GET MORE OUT WHEN YOU PUT MORE IN
If something sparks:
- Say it
- Build on it
- Bring something back
DON’T JUST STAY WITH YOUR PEOPLE
You already know them.
Talk to someone new.
That’s the point.
TAKE A RISK – BAD IDEAS CAN TURN OUT TO BE GOOD IDEAS
We’re not here for polished answers.
We’re here for:
- Half-formed ideas
- Experiments
- Things that might not work
PHONES DOWN. HEADS UP
Taking photos? Fine.
Checking email? Nah.
This week is about being here.
IRL. In the room. In real conversations.
DON’T STEAL
Be inspired. Not extractive.
If you like something:
- Credit it
- Build on it
- Collaborate
DISAGREEING IS GOOD
Have a point of view.
But hold it lightly.
“I might be right. I might be missing something.”
ONE LAST THING
This only works if you lean in.
So lean in.
You are not here to consume.
You are here to participate.
HEY YOU
Moments add up to lives.
Better moments make better lives.