This week we’re bringing you a very special masterclass from a recent live edition of the podcast that we held right here at our very own Easol House in Hackney, London. In 2016, adventurers James Whittle and Tom Caulfield, known as the Tempest Two, decided to row across the Atlantic—a 3,000-mile journey with no support crew, no prior rowing experience, and no real understanding of what they were getting themselves into. It took them 54 days and saw them face challenges that ranged from circling sharks to a Category 2 Hurricane. One life-changing adventure is probably enough for most people, but in the following years the Tempest Two have gone on to ride from London to the Sahara on motorbikes, scale El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, and complete a triathlon in the wilderness of Patagonia. But what makes James and Tom different from many other explorers and adventurers is that, as they put it they have, 'no right to be doing this’. They’re just two regular guys who simply throw themselves into challenges to help them realise their true potential. The other thing that makes them stand apart is how they’ve now translated these learnings from their experiences into actionable insights for businesses like Google, Nike and Airbnb to help build and instil a culture of growth and resilience for teams. In this episode, the guys tell the incredible stories behind their adventures and explain the unique skills and mindset they have adopted for success.

This week we took the show live, with a special edition of Creators in Session held for you, our community at our very own Easol House in Hackney, London.

Captured during the evening, this tactics session - Add Everything - reveals how to unlock new revenue streams for your experience business.

Hosted by Easol Co-Founder and CEO Ben Simpson, we invited three Experience Creators from the worlds of festivals, music and location-based entertainment, to break down how you can deepen customer loyalty and grow your business by expanding your offering.

We’re joined for the second time on the show by Jamie Thomson, Director of snowsports and music festival Rise. Jamie explains how Rise - which drives over two thirds of its revenue from additional items outside of the main entry pass – has grown from strength to strength since diversifying the festival’s revenue streams.

Also on the panel we had Dawn Farrow, a sales and marketing expert, who specialises in promoting and driving revenue for IP brands looking to build out immersive experiences - like Batman, Friends and Formula One. She delivers valuable insights on scaling revenue whilst keeping crucial brand values firmly intact.

Myradh Cormican meanwhile, brings us the artists perspective, gained from her role as Head of strategic partnerships and digital at FRAME artists, where she supports top electronic music acts like Chase & Status and Patrick Topping in finding new ways to connect with their communities, including creating their own Experiences.

The conversation is an awesome deep dive into the delicate art and science behind the experimentation process of adding new layers of value for your customers whilst staying true to your core brand and product.

We believe the best brand builders are world builders - from Tyler the Creator to Lady Gaga and Fred Again - more and more artists today are finding ways to express creativity and drive revenue beyond their music. The latest Creators In Session, which comes from a live event we hosted during Amsterdam Dance Event, sees us connecting with community-mind artist TSHA. She recently released her second album, Sad Girl, on London label Ninja Tune, and is finding new ways to connect with her fanbase in her new home of Ibiza.

In conversation with guest host NIKS fellow DJ, producer and co-founder of Black Artist Database – they dive into TSHA’s journey in the music industry, challenges she’s faced on her road to success and new opportunities for artists looking to grow beyond the music.

The latest Creators in Session, comes from a live event we hosted during Amsterdam Dance Event, which took place at the home of friends, cycling brand Rapha. The day featured masterclasses for the electronic music community - from the likes of TSHA and Defected, through to this particular session, Curating Queer Spaces.

Guest hosted by the lovely NIKS, DJ and founder of the platform Black Artist Database, it saw us connect with Experience Creators Marieke Samallo of Amsterdam Milkshake Festival and Eloisa Blitzer of Barcelona's Maricas to discuss their commitment to protecting and empowering their communities.

Milkshake, which is beautifully described as being for "all who love", welcomes tens of thousands of attendees to editions everywhere from the Netherlands to Brazil. Maricas meanwhile, is a Queer club brand for female and non-binary identifying people, that's risen from beginnings in Barcelona's warehouse scene to throwing legendary parties at events like Primavera Sound.

In this conversation, they go deep on what it takes to build and nurture experiences and to help members of queer communities feel safe and seen.

Together, they discuss fostering safe spaces, listening to audience feedback, and overcoming challenges to create transformative, community-driven events. A must-listen for Experience Creators everywhere.

In this episode of Creators In Session, we sit down with Pip Jamieson, the dynamic Founder and CEO of The Dots, for an inspiring masterclass on growing and nurturing vibrant communities.

We first discovered The Dots as a hub for creative talent and were immediately drawn to its open, friendly and curated community—a refreshing alternative to traditional jobs platforms. Today, The Dots has evolved into a thriving network of the world’s most talented creatives, and under Pip’s leadership, it continues to drive change in the creative industry.

In this insightful session, Pip shares how she and her team have built a groundbreaking B2B SaaS tool that is already being utilized by global brands like Soho House, Dazed, and Apple—before its officially been launched! She delves into the importance of growing and nurturing vibrant communities, why owning your community data is critical for global brand success, and offers actionable advice on how creatives can harness the power of AI.

Tune in to learn from a true advocate for creativity, diversity, and innovation.

How do you translate the philosophy of an experimental online community into consistently awesome experiences all around the world?

Online collective Friends With Benefits has been redefining what community means in the Web3 era since its inception in 2020.

While their base is online, they’ve made their mark on the in-person experience space, hosting more than 225 events around the world ranging from intimate parties to three successful editions of FWB Fest in California. FWB describes that flagship event as “part festival, part conference, 100% secret third thing”.

Part of that success involves developing their governing “Pattern Language”, which allows FWB members to put on cohesive events globally.

For the latest Creators In Session masterclass, FWB CEO Greg Bresnitz talks to Easol's Co-Founder Lisa Simpson about the unique challenges and opportunities FWB faces, their mindful events philosophy, and what the future holds for creators, both on- and offline.

The first port of call for the world’s biggest brands, Superfly has been pushing boundaries forward in the worlds of immersive and experiential since the early 2000s, originally creating the iconic Bonnaroo Festival and recently delivering landmark events for Netflix, Lizzo and The New York Times.

We sit down with Executive Vice President Lauren Guss, to explore where experiential is headed next, the secret to building great partnerships, and how she conducts countless stakeholders and demands at once to orchestrate truly extraordinary experiences.

Creators In Session returns for Season 2, and we're diving into the future of live visuals with Peter Kirkup, Solutions and Innovations Director at Disguise.

For over two decades, Disguise's software has led the way in powering unforgettable live experiences for artists like Adele, Massive Attack, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran, and events like Glastonbury and Coachella.

In this episode, Peter shares insights on creating those “spine-tingling moments” —and how they can drive your business's success.

Included in this episode:

• How Disguise’s technology integrates real-world environments with cutting-edge visuals
• Key insights for experience creators to harness new technologies like AI and XR
• What the future holds for immersive experiences

Listen in and discover how to take your experience design to the next level.