A trade body representing the UK experience economy has formed three dedicated advisory panels to help guide its strategic direction.
Designed to give members a stronger voice, the newly launched Experience UK forums will allow industry professionals to share insights into the shifting trends and operational hurdles across the attractions sector.
By establishing the Experience Creators, Experience Operators, and Place Shapers groups, Experience UK aims to create a dedicated space to explore the specific commercial and operational conditions affecting different areas of its membership. These panels will act as a direct sounding board for the organisation, helping to inform future initiatives, encourage wider collaboration across the sector, and ensure that the trade body continues to deliver relevant value.
The Members
The Experience Creators Steering Group focuses on the design and delivery of attractions. The panel is chaired by Stephen Reid, Founder of Attraction Brand. He is joined by independent consultant Jim Broughton; Anaïs Aguerre, Founder and Managing Director of Culture Connect; Dominic Baker, Co-founder and Technical Director of The Production Family; Paddy Jordan-Higgins, Founder and Managing Partner of Story Factory Studios; and James Rowell, Founder and CEO of JR Creative Group.
Meanwhile, the Experience Operators Steering Group will explore the daily realities of running visitor destinations. David Hutchinson of Path Entertainment Group will chair this forum. The group also includes Richard Lang of ORBE; John Sullivan of The Big Picture; Ben Lheureux of Science Museum Group; Neil Dolan of Little Lion Entertainment; and Mat Way of Immersive Everywhere.
The third panel, the Place Shapers Steering Group, is chaired by Paul Owens, Co-founder of BOP Consulting. He will work alongside Samuel Kirk, Director of BCIstudio; Julian Long, Founder of Foundation Recruitment; and Meri Mance, Founder and Director of Mance Communications.
Listening to community voices
Together, the combined expertise of these three groups will support Experience UK in identifying emerging market opportunities and developing focused initiatives that provide tangible benefits to the wider community.
Ian Clappison, Chief Executive Officer of Experience UK, said: “Our members are at the heart of Experience UK, so it’s important that they have a meaningful role in shaping what we do and where we go next.
“The creation of our three Membership Steering Groups gives us a valuable new way to listen to the different voices across our community. By bringing together creators, operators and place shapers, we can better understand the priorities of each part of our membership while identifying opportunities to collaborate across the wider Experience Economy.
“We have an exceptional breadth of knowledge and expertise within our membership, and I’m looking forward to working with the groups to turn that insight into activity that delivers real value for our members.”
The organisation will collaborate closely with all three panels over the coming months to define their upcoming agendas and outline specific new initiatives. Businesses aiming to join the Experience UK community can currently secure a 20% membership discount if they register ahead of the upcoming IAAPA Expo Europe event.
