I Went to Colorado Startup Week and Realized I’ve Been Building the Experience Economy for Years

When I signed up for Colorado Startup Week, my initial thought was, I hope to meet some interesting and inspiring people. I might not belong here. I’m not a tech company, I’m not an app, but I am an entrepreneur, and so are these people. I want to learn about their successes, challenges, and what kept them going when things got tough. I signed up for all the community-building, event, and experience-centric panels and workshops.

By the end of the week, I realized I had been calling myself an event producer when “experience producer” might actually describe what I’ve been doing for years.

The first morning, my first event was at Sip and Throw. I heard from Aaron, the founder and a former realtor. He talked about his desire to belong within his team. He understood that people didn’t just buy a house, they bought the experiences and the memories that would happen in that home, their new neighborhood, and the pool parties in the backyard.

This landed.

Working with Compass Realtors, I understand the importance of creating the vision of what happens once you find your perfect home. It’s less about the stainless-steel appliances and more about the dinner you will be cooking with your family, the brunch you are hosting for girlfriends, or the music your neighbor will be playing on your porch.

Aaron also talked about people craving a sense of belonging. When they came to his studio, one of the first things he did was let them pick out their silly apron. Suddenly, their walls were down and they could relate to the stranger who also had a silly apron.

This reminded me of the magic of the Santa Monica Pier concerts, under the yellow polka-dot umbrella, ella, ella. I think one of the reasons they became so popular was the permission they gave adults to be themselves and be silly when they were wearing a mustache for the Walking Dead Mustache Bash.

When I was planning the themes, I tried to make it easy to participate. The Pink Party, Reggae and Rainbows, and Feliz Navidad in July. Surely you could find something pink in your closet, but if you wanted to get creative and wear an elf costume, you could do that too!

And when you showed up to the concert, suddenly you belonged.

There were hundreds of others dressed up, sharing food and drinks, and dancing on designated dance-floor blankets. I was creating unique experiences for Los Angelenos who were just looking for their people.

After Sip and Throw, I headed to the launch event for Veerly, a new app for event planners and attendees. It understood the importance of networking, connecting with future mentors and clients, as well as the follow-up that solidifies those connections after the event.

I took notes, met founders, and listened to the discussion about finding and defining your members. They talked about the Denver event market, the importance of free events, and the value of consistency and meetup groups.

Meetup? Really? I thought that was a platform from 20 years ago. I didn’t realize people were still finding their people there.

Learning about the success and growth of this new technology not only impressed me, but also inspired me. Inspired me to put dates on the calendar, show up consistently, and follow up with the people I meet.

The last event of the first day was a happy-hour mixer.

After parking my bike, I found friends and fellow entrepreneurs, Liza and Andre. The first thing they saw were my sequin shorts, and when they started introducing me as Brittney, I clarified: like Spears, but more sequins.

They have been attending this event for the past three years, and it is something they look forward to every year.

We chatted with attorneys, M&A advisors, international staffing companies, and chefs. Not just the tech bros I was expecting when I signed up.

We had interesting conversations, exchanged cards, and as one of the few event planners in the group, I was excited to stand out while still fitting in amongst these successful entrepreneurs.

As I biked home, the energy from the day was as exhilarating as the sequins were chafing.

The next day, I went to one of my favorite panels of the event, Building the Experience Economy in Colorado.

I heard from Robin Thurston, Mark Frank, Phil Weiser, Nicole Glaros, and Bennie Fowler. All different businesses and connections to Startup Week, but all saying things that hit me to my core.

Robin Thurston, founder and CEO of Outside, spoke about digital fatigue:

“With all this technology, all of the things that we have around us, all the connectivity, frankly, I think we’re all burnt out.”

He understood the value of nature and the exhaustion people are feeling. Technology has made us more connected, but people are experiencing fatigue. That creates an opportunity for real-world experiences and the businesses that support getting us outside, like going for a walk in a park or in your neighborhood, taking a group camping, or hiking your first 14er.

Phil Weiser, Colorado’s Attorney General, highlighted the importance of being present. When he talked about his outdoor experiences, he spoke about skiing:

“You have to focus on what you’re doing. You have to be present in the moment.”

Too few of us are present in our everyday lives.

Let’s put the phone away and actually have a conversation.

This isn’t to say technology is bad, but with it at our fingertips, we are constantly being asked to look at a screen, answer something, multitask, respond, scroll, or check notifications.

Some experiences require you to actually be there.

Skiing was his example. You have to focus on what you’re doing, not what email you may be missing. For me, it’s hiking, kayaking, cooking, exploring, even sitting around a campfire.

Technology isn’t the enemy, but sometimes we need a break from the environment we are always in.

When you change the environment, you create presence, and then you create genuine connections.

When Mark Frank, from SonderMind, made the connection to mental health, it took me back to my days working with students in wilderness programs.

“Your mental state and your wellness is really all about how you experience the world and the people around you.”

His business isn’t simply providing therapy to a single person. He understands that someone’s mental health also affects their family, their coworkers, and their community.

The connection doesn’t end with the people who seek therapy, but it can affect how they interact afterward.

When I think about the events I’ve created, supporting local businesses and creating community, it doesn’t end when the event ends.

What happens when people feel connected to each other?

It follows them back to work. It follows them home. It can influence where they spend their money, where they spend their time, and who they choose to connect with.

And nature isn’t the only way to create an experience where people can connect.

I create experiences of connection through food, music, sports, adventure, unique venues, culture, and celebration.

Nicole Glaros spoke about shared experiences. People need to experience each other. It creates empathy for differences and a better understanding of ourselves.

People want to come together. The question is, what are you going to give them to come together around?

An event puts people in the same place. An experience gives them something to share.

When you put people on a trail, in a cooking class, at a sporting event, or doing something unfamiliar together, you may connect over something you would have missed before. Something that doesn’t happen in an office or another meeting.

I saw this firsthand taking 13 students kayaking on the Colorado River. They spent four years together in the Kramerica meetings at GALS cafeteria, but while sitting around the camp kitchen, the conversations were deeper. The sweat from kayaking and setting up camp was on everyone’s brow, and acquaintances became friends as differences faded into the campfire smoke.

Nicole understood that if we lean into all that Colorado has to offer, we can:

“Produce some of the world’s best experiences.”

We have mountains, outdoor recreation, sports, wellness, food, arts, culture, entrepreneurs, unique venues, and Colorado is the experience playground.

Bennie Fowler, a former NFL player and Denver Bronco, talked about something I found interesting. What he actually misses most about his playing days isn’t necessarily the game itself. It’s the experiences he gave his family.

“What I actually miss most about my playing days… is the experiences that I gave my family.”

He told us what I already knew: people don’t remember the things. They remember who they were with, what they did, where they went, what surprised them, and what made them laugh.

He also spoke about giving his family that experience. The experience benefits the host, or giver, as well.

A business creates an experience for a client, but the business owner gets to experience it too. Those shared experiences can strengthen the relationship and turn a business relationship into something more personal.

These speakers weren’t all saying the same thing. They were approaching it from different directions, but the concepts were what I needed to hear.

Community + Events + Nature + Connection + Presence + Memory + Relationships

Events are what I produce. Experiences are what I create.

I create events, experiences and retreats that bring people together, change their environment, and give them something to remember.