'Shared moments in a digital world': the rise of immersive experiences

Immersive experiences are all the rage as we head into 2023. Here, Lisa Lernoux-Dock, group sales director at Iconic Luxury Hotels and winner of Personality of the Year at the M&IT Awards 2022, reveals why immersive experiences and corporate messaging go hand in hand...

There has been a dramatic increase in the appeal of immersive experiences. It’s hard to miss all the options - from the sublime to the ridiculously over-the-top.

The surge in popularity has been attributed to a need for shared moments in a digital world. So much of life is spent looking at individual screens ruled by algorithms, we may all be in danger of losing our ability to be surprised.

During the pandemic most of us spent a lot of time apart from others, so now there’s a strong desire to enjoy communal events that take us out of ourselves and let us escape into something completely unexpected.

The immersive trend has extended to incentive and reward events as a genuine vehicle for corporate engagement - involving guests in compelling stories that offer unique shared experiences with partners and colleagues, while highlighting brand values in a subtle and truly memorable way.

But not everything deemed ‘immersive’ is created equal: a successful immersive experience holds theatre and authenticity at its heart, creating a magical environment rich in storytelling captivating to an audience. Guests enter into a narrative guided by engaging actors until, without realising it, they become part of the story.

By working with brilliant talent you can create really special events that are an ideal vehicle for corporate messaging. That’s why I think 2023 will be the year of the immersive experience.