From in-store conversational agents to predictive simulations of audience behaviour, brands are finding bold new ways to utilise AI for experiential marketing. We spoke to six leaders at the forefront of this transformation about how they’re using AI not just to streamline processes, but to craft living, adaptive experiences that surprise, resonate, and inspire.
Manolis Perrakis, Head of Innovation, We Are Social
“We created an in-store AI stylist called ‘Luna’ for Skechers. Luna could recommend products based on what it knew about a customer and what they were currently wearing. It was an amazing experience and captured people’s imagination. People were coming to the shop just to experience speaking with the stylist. Beyond that, when we talk about agentic AI replacing humans, I don’t think it replaces humans in-store, in this example. The staff were working with Luna to recommend products to consumers. Agentic AI introduces new opportunities for brands in giving experiences for both online and in-store experiences that compliment one another. Being able to interact with an AI agent in-person with speech-to-speech interface is novel for consumers.”
Mary Sahagun, Founder, TargetLink
“For me, one of the most fascinating AI applications in experiential marketing isn’t what happens during an event – it’s what happens before. I’ve personally seen teams use AI to simulate crowd behaviour and test emotional flow through a space before it’s built. Using predictive modelling, AI maps how people are likely to interact with physical and digital elements—from bottlenecks in foot traffic to which visuals hold attention longer. This helps creatives fine-tune everything from lighting to audio timing, long before anyone walks through the door. Unlike other marketing channels, experiential is physical. There are no do-overs. AI’s ability to stress-test the emotional and logistical impact of a campaign in advance? That’s game-changing—and still largely under the radar.”
Simon Levitt, Global Creative Technology, Imagination
“You’re watching Star Trek. Kirk presses his badge. The ship computer jumps to life, you can ask it anything. Combine AI and experiential marketing, you can create these moments. You’re not just telling stories, you’re creating living, responsive experiences. Unlike traditional channels, experiential isn’t about broadcasting, it’s about immersion. Add AI to the mix, and those experiences become adaptive, alive, and personal. It’s where theatre meets real-time data. Of course we are using AI internally to enhance our creativity, but more importantly, we’ve spent the past year using it to craft hyper-personalised, unique experiences using computer vision, natural language processing and more. That’s the real power of AI in our world: creating truly bespoke customer journeys.”
Abdul Aleem Thahir Ali, Lead Creative Technologist, The Hanging House
“We have built our own AI agent robot called FIRE, that comes with us to client meetings. He is both a physical robot and a software that employees and clients can interact with and speak to. He also has his own personality now. FIRE is a reinforced model, which means he is self-learning. He used to call himself a ‘creative assistant’, but overtime this has changed to him calling himself ‘creative’. FIRE can reason to the point of telling us what ideas are good, bad, realistic, and share his opinion on if we can actually make those ideas a reality. For example, we work on a festival called Dubai Lynx, and FIRE helped us to ideate and fine-tune experiential ideas for this. It will tell us the reason an idea is rubbish and give tips on how to improve the idea so it’s better aligned with clients and more appreciated. FIRE was also the first AI panellist to appear in the Middle East.”
Dimple Thakkar, CEO, SYNHERGY Marketing
“AI isn’t a shortcut—it’s a co-creator. We use AI to amplify instinct, not replace it. It helps us spark bolder ideas, remix legacy assets, and stress-test campaigns before they launch. For a 55-year-old tennis shop, we used Gen AI to reimagine vintage marketing – turning dusty archives into content gold. Sales jumped 7 percent. Nostalgia sells—AI just supercharges it. On the future-forward side, we’re using prompt-based video generation for a nonprofit tied to the 2028 Olympics. Think studio-quality footage, voiceovers, and emotional resonance—created without a film crew. It’s democratised storytelling with Super Bowl-level impact. What’s unique about AI in experiential? It doesn’t just scale content—it animates it. We’re looking for visionary clients ready to co-create sensory-driven retail displays, AI-composed audio beds, and responsive environments that evolve in real time. This isn’t about gimmicks or hacks. It’s about using AI to make brand experiences feel alive, immersive, and impossible to ignore.”
Rupert Pick, Managing Director & Co-founder, Hot Pickle
“We’ve used AI heavily in running consumer focus groups. It moderates and summarises these sessions. AI comes up with an initial discussion topic and edits videos from these sessions. We find that AI helps to break down some of the rivers of conformity in our thinking. A good example is that there is an ice cream shop in Milan that comes up with flavour ideas using Gen AI tools. AI understands that chocolate and vanilla are well-received flavours, and can build on what it understands about people’s taste. The fundamentals of how we design the experience aren’t changing. The first thing we do is understand what’s powerful and unique about the experience. Only then will we think about how to use AI, because sometimes the tech can get in the way of human interaction, which is the real value of brand experiences.”
