“It’s truly just the vibes,” Luker said.
Stafford agreed, offering a simple gut-check: Would you tell a friend to meet you there if you had nothing to do with the brand?
“If the answer is no, then it probably sucks,” he said.
Van Sickle put it similarly. Starwood ran 13,000 events across 16 properties last year, and the clearest signal of success is whether people come back.
“Are they going to seek out the next event the next time?” Van Sickle added. “Yes, because it was great.”
Thomas-Cox pushed for a broader view, arguing that metrics such as earned social conversation, audience growth, and foot traffic can build the case that elevates experiential from a “nice to have” to a “necessity in the integrated mix.”
What’s next
As the session wrapped, Lee flagged a tension worth watching: Consumer expectations for personalization are at an all-time high, but Gen Z, having grown up under surveillance culture, is simultaneously more guarded.
Music festivals, Lee said, remain “one of the last bastions where you can just be your most self.”
Thomas-Cox closed with a pointed observation about AI agents now capable of planning full consumer itineraries end-to-end, potentially bypassing loyalty programs and brand touchpoints entirely.
“No longer am I the one making the decision anymore,” Thomas-Cox said. “My agent now is making the decision for me.”
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