Exceptional Experiences, the dedicated knowledge strand introduced at IBTM World 2024, will form part of IBTM World 2025 at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via on 18–20 November. Organised by RX in partnership with The Thought Partnership, the programme is scheduled to open with a keynote by author B. Joseph Pine II and will feature sessions and workshops from corporate and platform partners such as Web Summit, WeTransfer, Canva, Shutterstock, Amazon and UTA. The format is split into two parts: an invite-only workshop on day one for senior executives and an open Exceptional Experiences Forum on day two for wider attendance.

Speakers, session topics and practical focus

Pine’s keynote is billed to address the “transformation economy” and will reference themes from his forthcoming book, while forum sessions cover psychology, community, brand experience and practical event design. Named contributors include Jimmy Knowles (Canva) on engaging digital-native audiences; Lori Rodney (Shutterstock) and Jesse Gainer (C2) on the psychology of meaningful connection; Todd Hansen (Web Summit) and Berit Block (WeTransfer) on executive engagement through events; and Ella Weston (WPP) on current B2B experiential marketing trends.