This is the dawning of the age of…

Experience!

Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore ushered in this new age of thinking when they published their book, “The Experience Economy; work is theatre and every business a stage” back in 1999. Since then the book has been refreshed (2009) and is worth another visit.

While not the first to articulate the concept, Pine & Gilmore magnified the idea that consumers would (and do) pay more for rich experiences. Their progression of economic value details the concept and set us on a path of experience focused thinking. I’m a follower of their thinking and personally believe in the intense power of effectively staged experiences.

So what does that mean for today… Seriously, 1999 was a long time ago! Well, It means that we are 17 years down the road and people’s appetite for experiences is running on full throttle.

In other words, if you’re not actively looking at, evaluating, and purposefully...