ABSTRACT
The concept of experience and the development of the experience economy has made the ubiquitous occurrence of events a competitive process, given the consumption of the experience by attendees and spectators. This chapter examines the growing importance of event design to create a fulfilling even experience. One of most obvious design challenges is in creating an experience which is authentic, fulfilling and enables a range of psychological connections to be made so that the experience encounter is rewarding and purposeful. The chapter reviews the praxis of event design, including the ways meaning can be built into the event. One of the key attributes which events and visitor attractions have in common in terms of experience design is the pursuit of the ‘wow’ factor to delight and exceed expectations.
