Creating Peaky Blinders: The Rise
Immersive Experience Summit 24
A gathering for creators of live immersive, interactive and playable experiences to meet, exchange knowledge and foster new collaborations and connections.
21st October 2024
The Summit
Join us at the Immersive Experience Network Summit 24, an event designed as a catalyst for growth within the live immersive sector by providing a space for our collaborative community to share knowledge and create new connections.
Following on from the success of our Immersive Design Symposium, we’re growing and doubling the size of the the venue to allow more creators to come join us.
We’ll be curating over 35 different speakers across four different content streams across the venue that cover the breath of the Creative, Operational and Commercial aspects of developing live immersive work across the immersive genres.
We are bringing together keynote speakers from across the UK, Europe and the US – with the majority of sessions being recorded with attendees getting priority access to the content post event.
The Venue
Woolwich Works
The Fireworks Factory
11 No. 1 Street
London
SE18 6HD
Doors open 9:00
Sessions start 10:00
Sessions finish 18:30
Networking drinks 18:30 – 22:00
Who is the Summit for?
The Summit is for everyone involved in creating live immersive, interactive and playable experiences.
We include contributions from a broad range of creators working with the subsidised arts sector through to large commercial themed attraction operators and brand agencies.
We have creators from across the immersive genres spanning theatre, escape rooms, larp, immersive art and location based VR/AR experiences – and all the grey areas in between.
We’re going to be exploring themes and hearing from people’s experience of the creative development of experiences, live operations, and marketing of immersive work.
Our goal is to provide a space where the cross pollination of ideas and experiences can help spark new collaborations and help fuel the growth of the immersive sector by sharing our successes and mistakes.
We’re creating this space for:
- Creative Instigators looking for inspiration for current & future projects
- Creative Entrepreneurs looking for case studies, contacts and potential new collaborators
- Creative Academics looking to deepen their understanding of the genre and practitioners creating outstanding work
- Creative Companies looking to build relationships with the creators making immersive work and build new partnerships
- Creative Agencies looking to discover some of the best experiences the immersive sector is producing to help identify trends and potential opportunities for their clients
Content Program
The content program will be spread between 4 different spaces across 6 different sessions throughout the day. Content in the main theatres will be recorded and made available to ticket holders post event.
We are expecting over 35 contributors across the day talking about projects ranging across the immersive genres. Confirmed so far are…
Sara Thacher is an executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, where she is responsible for the development of new attractions and experiences at Disney parks around the world.
As a prolific maker, writer and fan within the Immersive Entertainment space, Adrian has spent the past two years attending, assessing and discussing dozens of experiences around the world.
He will be sharing key trends that are resonating well with audiences within the sector, common pitfalls and traps that he has identified across immersive strands and areas of learning and opportunities that could be adopted to offer more relevant, resonant and sustainable experiences for a spectrum of emerging to seasoned immersive experience goers.
The talk will also draw upon his recent interviews with founders and leaders of the biggest immersive experience organisations in the world.
Former CEO and founder of Six to Start, co-creator of Zombies, Run!, the world’s most successful smartphone fitness game, and lead designer of Marvel Move. Currently writing a book about the rise of immersive experiences.
Specialises in designing and delivering immersive and experiential events with a food focus for well known brands across the UK and beyond.
With a background in marketing & events, Jenny is also a professionally trained chef and for the last 10 years has built a body of work within the immersive dining scene.
Parabolic / Clockwork Dog / Illusion / Entourage
Case study of the development and build of two unique interactive spaceships
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An in-depth dive with the creative and production teams from Parabolic Theatre, Illusion, Entourage and Clockwork Dog who created Bridge Command, a unique and pioneering interactive experience that allows players to be the bridge crew of their own star ship.
Michael Badelt
INTYA Creative
Horror & Trojan Horses: Hidden lessons learned from creating a theatrical scare experience
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Live experience designer from Germany. Scare attraction creator and professional nerd. Loves immersive theatre and is passionate about experience design in general.
‘Agency’ – the ability of an active participant in a story to make decisions that change the story in meaningful ways (and what that means for dramaturgy).
‘Alibi’ – the idea that the participant experience can be designed in such a way that they can act or behave in ways that they would not normally act.
‘Bleed’ as well – which is the transfer of experience from participant to character or from character to participant.
Simon Brind has been making larps since 1986 and has written for and produced events in the UK, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. His PhD research was on the tension between authorial intent and player agency in participatory fiction.
Ben Fredericks and Laura Wilkinson
Choosing Children
Innovative Digital Access: A Creative Case for Accessibility
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Choosing Children was a dramatic and interactive live spectacle for an intimate audience, which aims to be fully accessible and inclusive. Audiences can request British Sign Language, Audio Description, and/or Captioning in every performance through an integrated Access System.
In this session, Laura Wilkinson and Ben Fredericks will talk about the development process for incorporating accessibility in the show from the outset, lessons learned, and where accessibility in immersive can go from here.
Immersive Theatre Reimagined – Using augmented reality to transform the traditional stage into an immersive experience tailored for children.
Rematch reimagine the greatest stories in sport as live immersive events, putting audiences back in the heart of the action. Rematch have two award winning productions Wimbledon Rematch 1980 and The Rumble in the Jungle Rematch that are ready to tour globally.
Both Les Enfants Terribles & SWAMP have a long legacy of delivering award-winning, innovative Immersive Entertainment experiences, leading to their signature styles and expertise being sought out by brands for experiential campaigns.
Join them to learn more about their journey from entertainment providers to established brand collaborators as they share how they made a meaningful transition, what they wish they had known in the early days and the benefits, opportunities and challenges of the brand engagement and immersive entertainment worlds coming together.
SWAMP is a full-service brand experience agency dedicated to increasing the quality of storytelling for brands, businesses and entertainment audiences. Founded from a creative core of immersive theatre makers, they have created award-winning, critically acclaimed immersive and experiential work for global brands all over the world.
Through their creative and production teams’ rich history working at the pinnacle of immersive entertainment, SWAMP has forged a path of innovation and daring backed up by watertight results. SWAMP is also the only brand experience agency with its own Originals department – creating unique, ticketed experiences for the general public.
James Seager
Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company
Immersive Entertainment to Brand Experiences
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Both Les Enfants Terribles & SWAMP have a long legacy of delivering award-winning, innovative Immersive Entertainment experiences, leading to their signature styles and expertise being sought out by brands for experiential campaigns.
Join them to learn more about their journey from entertainment providers to established brand collaborators as they share how they made a meaningful transition, what they wish they had known in the early days and the benefits, opportunities and challenges of the brand engagement and immersive entertainment worlds coming together.
Les Enfants Terribles is dedicated to creating original and engaging theatre that puts the audience at the centre of the story. Known for their striking visual aesthetic and innovative use of props, puppetry and live music, they explore unique ways of telling stories and immersing audiences in new, weird and wonderful worlds.
DaDa is an award winning and pioneering disability arts organisation based in Liverpool. Founded in 1984, we were one of the first disability-led arts organisations in the UK and an integral part of the campaign for greater equality and accessibility across the arts sector.
CULTVR Lab has emerged as Europe’s first immersive cross-disciplinary space, focusing on digital arts, XR live performance, and fulldome cinema.
This session explores the complexities of producing and touring Shared Reality content that blends virtual and physical environments, through learnings from the show “Arka Kinari: Artivism at Sea,” showcasing how immersive arts can forge new pathways for human connection, spotlight global issues, and inspire tangible action.
** More To Be Announced **
We are hugely excited to announce a content partnership with the Escape Room Industry Conference, last held in 2019, who are going to be curating a content stream specifically aimed at Escape Room creators.
Laura Langrish
Lemon Difficult
The Key of Dreams, a twenty four hour occult mystery investigation. Lessons learned, pros and cons.
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Co-founder and lead writer for the company Lemon Difficult, specialising in 24-hour interactive experiences in the worlds of horror and weird-fiction, blending immersive theatre, deconstructed narratives, puzzles and hospitality in a 17th century, creepy, historic house.
Gijs Geers, founder of DarkPark, is a pioneering force in the escape room industry. In an inspiring presentation, he unveils the secret ingredient behind DarkPark’s unforgettable experiences, revealing for the first time how an invisible layer leaves a lasting impact on players.
Eric Spring in't Veld
Mama Bazooka
The journey of creating The Dome - Interview with Sarah Dodd
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Founded in 2013, Mama Bazooka pioneered real-life escape experiences in the Netherlands. Their 2018 creation, THE DOME, has garnered international acclaim, achieving a top ranking on Terpeca’s prestigious list. Eric Spring in ‘t Veld, the CEO and creative director of Mama Bazooka, will be interviewed by Sarah Dodd, one of the world’s most renowned escape enthusiasts. In this interview, Eric will share his insights on escape room design, the journey of creating The Dome, and much more.
Jeroen van Hasselt
Entered
Landing core beats and world building in a long-form, information dense experience
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Jeroen van Hasselt is an award-winning game designer across multiple industries including videogames, reality game tv-shows & escape experiences.
** More To Be Announced **
Please note: Session titles and program contributors may be subject to changes before the Summit.
Bonus Tickets Offer
As part of our mission to grow audiences for live immersive work, the producers of these selected experiences are offering exclusive discounts to all Summit ticket holders. Discounts will be emailed to all ticket holders in September.
Key of Dreams
thekeyofdreams.co.uk20% off tickets
Valid for bookings in September, October and December
Show Info
A 24-hour interactive experience in the worlds of horror and weird-fiction, blending immersive theatre, deconstructed narratives, puzzles and hospitality in a 17th century, creepy, historic house.
Have you ever dreamed of commanding your own Starship?
In Bridge Command, you can do just that. As the bridge crew of your own vessel, you and your team will boldly go where no immersive theatre audience has gone before.
Fusing gaming technology with theatrical performance, Bridge Command offers a variety of scenarios testing your collective competence in problem solving, diplomacy, investigation and space combat as you strive to keep your ship operational through a range of trying circumstances and moral issues designed to keep the whole team fully engaged.
Our Starships accommodate crews of up to 14 people – you can book a private show for just you and your friends, or join a crew alongside other players you’ve never met before, and take on the challenges of space together.
Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds - The Immersive Experience
thewaroftheworldsimmersive.com10% OFF TICKETS
Valid 21st October - 24th November
Show Info
Experience a real Martian invasion in London at Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds Immersive. Explore 24 breathtaking scenes and see 300-foot Martian Fighting Machines brought to life – all set to Jeff Wayne’s iconic score! With live actors, 3D immersive sound, holographic projections, virtual reality and realistic physical sensations – you’re not just watching, you’re right inside the action.
Highlights
🛸 Experience the Martian invasion as cutting-edge technology and live actors merge with Jeff Wayne’s iconic score
🎞️ Take part in 24 interactive scenes that bring the story to life like never before with a maximum of 12 attendees per performance
✨ Witness stunning visual and sensory effects, from volumetric holograms to binaural sound, rumbles, scents and temperature simulations
🤩 Dive into immersive 360º virtual reality experiences as you sail out to sea for battle with HMS Thunder Child and witness Martian Fighting Machines attacking Parliament
🥂 Enjoy delicious food and drink, and mind-blowing cocktails in a themed bar before and after the experience
Embark on a thrilling journey through time as you step into the heart of historic London at Tower Vaults, at the Tower of London. Through authentically recreated sets and state-of-the-art virtual reality, immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and secrets of 1605 London’s perilous streets.
Feel the adrenaline rush as you become a part of Gunpowder Plot’s daring missions, guided by skilled actors who will lead you through clandestine meetings and spine-tingling encounters. Prepare for an adventure like no other, where history springs to life before your eyes, filling you with excitement!
Highlights:
✨ Enjoy a one-of-a-kind immersive experience that combines live theatre, virtual reality, multisensory technology and historical storytelling to take you back in time
🤫 Step into the dark & dangerous streets of London in 1605 and become a co-conspirator in the thrilling Gunpowder Plot
🔎 Meet mysterious figures, go on undercover missions and embark on daring escapes, all guided by talented actors
🥂 Enjoy delicious food and drink , and mind-blowing cocktails in a themed bar before and after the experience
⭐ A top-rated exclusive event in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces
Phantom Peak is a unique immersive open-world adventure – a fully realised town inhabited by quirky characters and full to the brim with mysteries and stories to discover. Spend 4+ hours exploring the town, enjoying food and drink in our wild-west themed Thirsty Frontier Saloon, and interacting with immersive sets, technology, and live actors.
Exhibitors
Want to Join us as an exhibitor or sponsor?
Support the work of the Immersive Experience Network and come and make new connections within the Immersive creator community by sponsoring the event, becoming an industry partner or exhibiting at the event.
Tickets
All ticket sales subject to our terms and conditions of sale.
Concession Tickets
The Immersive Experience Network has always sought to ensure that tickets are affordable and accessible to creators at all stages of their professional journey. We have to balance this with the significant costs of putting on events of this size and ambition.
As always, we are offering concession tickets for ‘anyone for whom the full price would otherwise be a barrier’. We want these tickets to enable early career creatives, students or anyone else for whom funds are tight at the moment to come and be part of the community at the Summit.
Concession tickets are limited in number so please help us ensure they are used well.
Mentorship Tickets
Applications for mentorship tickets are now open.
Mentorship tickets are made possible by our event partners who will select a number of candidates each to the program.
Successful application will receive free passes to the event (or refunds if they have already paid for a ticket. Applications need to be received by September 20th.
The Immersive Experience Network and our Industry Partners know that diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to encouraging diversity within the emerging immersive sector.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in the creative sectors, candidates who are early stage career or independent artists.
Download our Immersive Audience report 24
A deep dive into immersive audiences in the UK
A deep dive into immersive audiences in the UK
Summit FAQs
Who are these events for?
Our Huddle events are opportunities for creators of immersive work to come together to network and learn from one another’s experience. They are open to everyone and we usually have a mix of people at different career stages, working across the commercial, academic and subsidised sectors.
Is the venue accessible?
Yes, Woolwich works is a fully accessible venue. Find out more on the venue website or please get in contact with us if you have accessibility needs at contact@immersiveexperience.network.
Who are concession tickets for?
The Immersive Experience Network’s purpose is encourage and share knowledge with creators at all stages of their career, from all backgrounds and during whatever life is currently throwing at you.
Thanks to our supporters helping underwrite our Huddles, the concession rate tickets are for anyone for whom the full price might be a barrier for them to participate. If that’s you then just choose the concession ticket at check out and we’ll look forward to seeing you at the Huddle.
Will you be offering an online ticket?
We don’t have the funding to offer an online ticket this year, however we are planning to record and release through our channels as many of the sessions as possible. Sign up to our mailing list to be kept informed when they are released.
I need to update my ticket
Drop us an email at contact@immersiveexperience.network and we’ll see what we can do.
Can my company sponsor a Huddle?
Absolutely! Contact us at team@immersiveexperience.network and we’d love to chat it through with you.
What about lunch?
The Woolwich Works venue is located within walking distance of a variety of shops and cafes. We will also be offering the opportunity to pre-order lunch through our catering partner – Social Pantry – as part of your ticket purchase. This will allow you to stay within the venue and maximise your networking time.
There is also a public cafe at Woolwich Works which serves food but we expect it to be very busy on the day of the summit.
Can I change my lunch order?
Probably – drop us an email and we’ll see what we can do .
Previous Huddles
Coney: Immersive theatre in public spaces & leveraging affordable tech
Creating Gunpowder Plot: The Immersive Experience
Accessibility in Immersive Experiences
