1,100 feet above NYC, XP Land: Live From the Edge of Experiential brought together brand and agency leaders to share what’s next for the rapidly growing experiential industry.
NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — This week, XP Land opened the call for XP Match, an editorially written guide to who’s great at what in experiential. Held 1,100 feet above NYC at Edge at Hudson Yards, XP Land: Live From the Edge of Experiential brought together leaders from Canva, Amazon Music, Salesforce, Zoom, NBA, Masquerade, the Balloon Museum, Moment Factory, Sephora, and more to share what’s next for the rapidly growing experiential industry.
“As audiences get more sophisticated and want more out of us, we need to know who is truly great at something and what is not your thing,” said Erica Boeke, Founder and CEO of XP Land.
More than a directory, XP Match features profiles inspired by dating-app questions and written by XP Land editors, offering a deeper look at each company’s specialties, budgets, creative capabilities, clients, and how they work. Agencies and studios can apply now, with brands and IP owners gaining access in January 2027. Event technology and amplification partners will follow in March timed with SXSW, with destinations and tentpole experiences joining in June, timed with Cannes Lions.
“These are editorially written dossiers of who in our industry is great at what,” said Erica Boeke, Founder and CEO of XP Land. “As audiences get more sophisticated and want more out of us, we need to know who is truly great at something and what is not your thing.”
The launch comes as brands increasingly turn to live experiences to build communities, generate revenue and create lasting connections. The morning also featured several announcements for 2027:
Canva unveiled its 2027 experiential slate, including Canva Create at SoFi Stadium on April 22, the continuation of Pride at Cannes with special guest Pattaya, and Canva gift totes from their Canva Originals collection. Canva also announced an entertainment ecosystem spanning podcasts, docuseries, short-form content, and live experiences, complete with Canva confetti. “Real connection, real creativity, real human moments. That is the one thing that AI can’t replicate, can’t fake, and can’t automate,” said Jimmy Knowles, Global Head of Experiential at Canva.
Moment Factory announced a new Pokémon experience launching in 2027, bringing fans into interactive worlds where they become Pokémon trainers. “The future of experiential is limitless. We’re witnessing at the moment a fundamental shift. Marketing is becoming entertainment,” said Moment Factory’s Jamie Reilly.
The NBA shared plans for multi-day, city-wide takeovers, building on more than $500 million in event value from NBA All-Star Weekend in LA. “The game gives people a reason to come, but the whole city gives them a reason to stay longer and to come back,” said the NBA’s Maren McKenna.
Stephanie Riggs announced Ink & Paint, opening in Times Square this December, an immersive experience where technology responds to guests while their phones stay locked away. “It’s not [about] adding more technology in. It is blending technology invisibly into our experiences,” she said.
PAGE BREAK announced plans to bring its read-aloud retreats to California. “When you join a book club, you’re not just joining to read a book,” said Founder Mikey Friedman. “You’re going for the opportunity that you might make a genuine connection with someone else.”
XP Land’s Boeke announced experiential’s true industry-wide upfronts, the XP Fronts, coming to NYC in October 2027. “If XP Match is our online marketplace, then the XP Fronts is our IRL marketplace. And with this wildly creative industry, it’s going to be a blast!” She ended the programming with this confetti-cannon-accentuated announcement, followed by a Public School Matching and Mimosa celebration and views of NYC from Edge, the highest indoor and outdoor observation deck and immersive experience in the Western Hemisphere.
“What I love about experiential is that the venue can become a character in the story, and we are thrilled that XP Land gave Edge the opportunity to showcase the future of experiential storytelling,” said Francesca Merlino, Chief Commercial Officer of Hudson Yards Experiences. “People come to Edge expecting an incredible view of New York, but what we’ve learned is that the view is really just the beginning. We’ve worked with brands and cultural partners from Samsung to American Airlines and Adidas to turn Edge into everything from a stage and a launch platform to a completely different world for a night.”
Speakers also shared new evidence of experiential’s business impact. Sparks reported an 11x return on investment for XBOX’s Gamescom experience, Salesforce’s Madeline Schofield cited more than 30 million Dreamforce impressions in two weeks, and Amazon Music’s Jameka Pankey talked about the brand’s new revenue-generating experiential business. “The future of experience isn’t a better dashboard. It’s magic that you can actually prove,” said Sheyna Bruckner from Sparks.
“We’re not just thinking about individual events anymore. We’re thinking about an entire entertainment ecosystem, content, community, and experience working together, telling one story about what it means to create in this moment,” added Knowles.
Hosted by XP Land and Edge at Hudson Yards, the event was presented with Canva and partners Moment Factory, Sparks, and Public School. To view the full experience, visit https://www.linkedin.com/events/7513295261293510656.
About XP Land:
XP Land is the independent voice, community, and connector of the experiential industry. Founded by Erica Boeke, the former experiential strategist behind the Fast Company Innovation Festival, the GQ Lounge, the WIRED Café at Comic-Con, and the Teen Vogue Summit and more, XP Land publishes the industry’s editorial dispatch, convenes the XP Land Community via the XP Council, and is building XP Match, the digital marketplace of who is great at what in experiential. www.xp.land
About XP Match:
XP Match is XP Land’s editorially built directory of agencies, studios, producers, technology partners and specialists in experiential. Every profile is created with the XP Land editorial team from a real conversation, not a pitch deck, covering who a partner is, what they do, and what they don’t.
About Edge NYC:
Edge NYC is the highest indoor and outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, bringing together breathtaking skyline views of New York City, immersive indoor experiences, elevated dining and vibrant nightlife in one year-round destination. Rising 1,131 feet in the air from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, Edge offers unparalleled 360-degree views of the city and features signature experiences including a thrilling glass floor, angled glass walls, outdoor skyline seats and seven immersive indoor installations inspired by the lights, sounds and energy of New York. Guests can explore interactive worlds of light, color, reflection and sound through larger-than-life crystal structures, hundreds of mirrors, NYC’s largest kaleidoscope and other multi-sensory environments designed to evolve throughout the day. Guests can also enjoy premium food and beverages inspired by New York City’s culinary staples at Skyline Bar & Café, dine at Peak with Priceless, visit Avenue Sky Lounge or attend events at Marquee Skydeck, all operated by Tao Group Hospitality.
About Canva:
Launched in 2013, Canva is the world’s leading all-in-one platform for visual communication and collaboration. Built to empower everyone to design, the company serves the creative and design needs of enterprises, small businesses, consumers and students in more than 190 countries worldwide. Whether you’re a novice taking your first steps in design, or a creative professional seeking powerful tools, Canva ensures users have what they need to transform an idea into something beautiful. Underpinned by the world’s most comprehensive library of designer-made content, Canva is powered by a suite of products and proprietary AI tools which elevate how individuals and teams create, collaborate, and communicate with ease.
About Moment Factory:
Moment Factory is a global entertainment studio pioneering new forms of collective experiences. For 25 years, its multidisciplinary team has worked at the forefront of creativity and technology to inspire wonder and real-world connection. Combining expertise in immersive storytelling, interactive and game design, multimedia scenography, music, lighting, and special effects, the studio has delivered over 600 projects worldwide, including its Lumina Night Walk and AURA series. Headquartered in Montreal, with offices in Paris, Tokyo, New York, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, Moment Factory is actively shaping the destinations of tomorrow. Its work includes collaborations with clients such as Disney, Billie Eilish, Universal Studios, Miral, FIFA, Real Madrid C.F. and Meow Wolf.
About Public School:
Public School is a creative studio that helps brands find their way through new audiences and culture. We are a team of passionate creators representing all walks of creative life. From strategists to writers, photographers to designers, digital mavens to social innovators, we are as diverse as the challenges our clients face. We’ve worked on the world’s most influential brands and on the world’s largest stages, designing experiences for thousands and for audiences of ten. We make culture public. Public-School.com
About Sparks:
Sparks is a leading global brand experience agency specializing in the design and execution of award-winning experiences for brands who lead, never follow. We integrate strategy, creative, production, innovation, and measurement, giving brands one trusted partner to turn experience into a growth engine. As the experiential marketing agency line of business within The Freeman Company, Sparks brings a unique blend of strategic insight and executional excellence to every brand activation, corporate event, and trade show experience. Discover more atwww.wearesparks.com.
Media Contact
Lisa Jaycox, XP Land, 1 646-244-6992, lisa@xp.land, xp.land
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SOURCE XP Land
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