ABSTRACT
This chapter contributes our understanding of the experience economy, consumption and entrepreneurship by examining the ways in which poorly understood independent cultural producers are using experiences as standalone products to help supplement and promote their goods and services. It begins by reviewing the relevant literature on the experience economy and the evolving nature of consumer demand. After outlining the fieldwork, the chapter offers a four-part analysis of how independent musicians and craft makers structure and enhance cultural experiences by manipulating: exclusivity, interactivity, space, and time. The chapter concludes by considering the effectiveness and sustainability of using experiences to generate distinction, value and loyalty. As the cultural economy continues to globalize and markets become increasingly integrated and competitive, the impetus to create and exploit new forms of value is intensifying. In geography, the competitiveness of firms is often linked to the production of new knowledge and products through innovation.
