Dear EXP community,

Before technology, there were pow wows. Leaders assembling around a fire to preserve the good, eradicate the bad, blaze a plan for survival, and share a hope for abundance. Since the 1800s, newspapers, radio and television opened up the public to be observers of the magic circle, while the Internet and social media have made us all leaders and followers of many circles. "Magic" really is everywhere.

The over-sharing of our unicorn lives has made us acutely aware that one’s identity is shaped by a collection of experiences. Perhaps this explains the prioritization of spending on personalized experiences over mass-produced product, to reinforce our place in the magic circle. In fact, there’s a popularized term that “millennial poor” is being able to afford thousands of dollars for a festival but can’t cover rent. We must consider the social impact of our gathering power and strive to design interactions and communities that outshine their hyper-realized digital representations.

An experiential creator bears a responsibility beyond just being a creative. It means so much that we all agree that there has never been a better time than now to convene as a community of experience economy pioneers and visionaries to collectively stop and think about how we choose to create and measure experience. We’re measured now more than ever by our success in transforming culture. On behalf of the creators here at EXP, we're looking forward to exploring, expanding, and executing your vision of advancing human kindness and potential in thoughtful, shared moments.

We hope our time together at EXP gives you the opportunity to be more informed, critical, and intentional with the way you create experiences for others. Under the theme of war stories and wild successes, the program is largely unscripted yet intentionally designed for your experience to sharpen and be sharpened by your peers. And if you'd like us to invite someone to the retreat or get involved somehow in the preparations, please write to us at hihi@expexp.co.

Thanks so much for being present with us. We're excited to grow with you!

Sarah Shewey
Your co-creator of EXP