Unlocking the Magic of Immersive Event Design: A Q+A with Justin “JB” Bolognino

Welcome to another issue of HOSTED by POSH. This week we had an incredible discussion with legendary experiential artist and designer, Justin “JB” Bolognino.

‍

JB has worked with the world’s most prestigious brands, like Spotify, Cadillac, and Red Bull, and world-renowned music festivals, like Coachella, SXSW, and Outside Lands. Ever wonder who’s behind the incredible activations and experiences that leave you drooling for more? JB is the guy behind it all.

‍

If you’re an event host looking to blow the minds of your attendees, this Q+A is for you.

We got JB in the hot seat to talk about the art of creating immersive experiences for brands and festivals, addressing challenges in event design, and predictions for the future of the industry.

‍

Catch the full interview here:‍

‍

We began our conversation with JB by asking him about his process once a major brand or festival commissions his talents.

‍

Avante:

"A big brand like Spotify or Coachella wants you to create an activation. They reach out to you. What's the step after that until actually creating it?"

‍

JB:

"You know, it's ultimately become pretty ubiquitous, but there has to be a discovery period. You have to understand the WHY before you can get to the how and the what. And so the process always has to start with understanding the need of the buyer, the need of the audience, and the need of the production. Most importantly, I actively avoid thinking about making “Instagrammable” things."

‍

He emphasized the importance of crafting sustainable and authentic experiences over creating 'Instagrammable moments'. As event organizers, we need to play the long game and focus on the deeper resonance of our events. Think about what will keep people talking about your experience or event for the next month or the next couple of years - not just a 24 hour post on IG.

‍

JB:

"Because if you focus solely on creating “Instagrammable moments”, then you're going to get maybe a spike, but no sustainability. And we're always playing the long game here. If it's not real and authentic, if it's not truly coming from a place of discovery, then it just won't resonate as deeply as it really needs to."

‍

In the world of live events, it’s easy to think that every single part of the experience must go smoothly, otherwise you’ll disappoint your guests, venue hosts, or organizers. It’s often what keeps you up at night worrying that everything will work out. But… that’s not what JB thinks.

‍

He believes that when things go wrong at an event, that's when the most magical moments happen. It's about embracing the flaws and avoiding the pursuit of perfection.

‍

Eli:

"How do you think about an experience? Can something go wrong and it still be a magical night? Or do you think events need to be perfect?"

‍

JB:

"No, I think when things go wrong is when the most magical shit happens. It's about embracing the flaws of the human existence. It's a lot like The Grateful Dead. Like, you're going to die anyway. So why get caught up on perfection? My first guitar teacher's name was Mike, and he had all of these sayings, and one of his sayings was, “If you fuck up once, people laugh you out of the room, if you repeat it three times, they'll call you a genius.”

‍

This advice can give event hosts a whole new perspective - laying into mistakes can open up a world of possibilities. As JB points out, allowing for more flexibility and not trying to control everything often results in memorable experiences for the audience.

@posh_vip

“Why get caught up on perfection” 👀 A clip from our recent pod ep with Justin Bolognino, founder of META STUDIO 💯 #eventhosts #eventhostin... See more

JB:

"You have to allow for more flexibility because that's how life is. If you try to control everything, you're going to get beat every time. And then when you make a mistake, the audience will perceive it as a mistake. But when you embrace it and see the beauty in the mistakes, then it becomes a memory for the audience."

‍

‍

‍

We shifted gears to discuss the current trends in the industry and JB’S thoughts on AI.

‍

JB:

"One of the big problems that we see in the industry is that a lot of this stuff has become homogenized as a means for selling tickets, and that precludes the original artists that are making the cool stuff today."

‍

@posh_vip

Is innovation dead? 🤔 How can event hosts break away from the norm and create memorable experiences?

‍

The conversation then shifted towards the future of technology in the industry. When asked about any revolutionary technology that could change everything in the next 5-10 years, JB shared his perspective on Artificial Intelligence.

‍

Avante:

"The AI conversation is new. Do you see another reality or subsection of technology that changes everything up coming in the next 5-10 years?"

‍

JB:

"I would gently push back and say none of this stuff is new. I think artificial intelligence is a high pitched word. I think what we have now is hyper advanced logic. These are huge databases that are using very linear logic to produce results. They're unbelievable tools. I use them every single day, but they're not intelligent. They can't create a list, for example."

‍

Avante:

"Do you think AI is creative?"

‍

JB:

"No, I don't think it's creative."

‍

@posh_vip

Is AI creative? Justin Bolognino, founder of META STUDIO, shared his thoughts on AI and its role in events. #artificalintelligence #ai #cr... See more

‍

Ultimately, JB believes event hosts should lean into their originality and creativity when planning their next big thing. The human experience is what makes the event special and memorable for attendees.

‍

From virtual reality designs to Coachella activations, JB has produced multi-sensory events that use technology, design and storytelling to ignite the human spirit. He encourages other event hosts to embrace this creativity and think outside of the box when it comes to activations.

Come hang with us on socials for sneak peeks of future episodes, get BTS content of POSH, and be the first to hear about events in your area!

• Instagram

• TikTok

• Twitter

That’s all for this week, folks. We’ll see you next Thursday. In the meantime, happy partying.

— Avante, Eli, and the POSH team