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CEO Introduction
The last few years have marked a period of significant change for Experience UK.
Since the merger with ALES UK in 2020, we have broadened our remit, strengthened our partnerships and evolved into an organisation that reflects the changing nature of the experience economy itself. Today, our membership extends across attractions, museums, cultural institutions, immersive experiences, technology, architecture, design, engineering, placemaking, destination development and investment, creating a unique ecosystem unlike any other in the United Kingdom.
This evolution has been driven by one simple observation: the experience economy is no longer a niche sector. It has become a major contributor to economic growth, inward investment, tourism, regeneration and innovation.
Experiences influence how we spend our leisure time, how we connect with culture, how we regenerate our towns and cities and increasingly how we attract investment into the United Kingdom. They create jobs, stimulate supply chains, generate exports and enhance Britain’ s reputation as a global leader in creativity and innovation.
As the sector has grown, so too has the responsibility of Experience UK.
Whilst supporting our members remains at the heart of everything we do, our ambition is broader. We want Experience UK to be recognised as the organisation that brings
Ian Clappison Chief Executive Officer together industry, government, investors, developers, operators and future talent to maximise the contribution of the experience economy to the UK’ s prosperity.
That means creating opportunities domestically as well as internationally.
Our long-standing partnership with the Department for Business and Trade has established Experience UK as a respected partner in promoting British expertise around the world through trade missions, UK Pavilions and international engagement. However, our role within the United Kingdom is equally important.
Whether supporting the regeneration of town centres through immersive leisure, encouraging collaboration between museums and technology companies, helping developers create destination-led schemes or facilitating new partnerships between operators and suppliers, Experience UK exists to create the conditions in which the entire sector can thrive.
The next three years represent perhaps the greatest opportunity our sector has ever seen.
The arrival of Universal UK, the development of Puy du Fou UK, increasing investment in immersive entertainment, renewed focus on placemaking and growing international demand for British expertise all point towards a decade of extraordinary opportunity.
This strategy is our response.
It sets out how Experience UK will continue to evolve, ensuring that we remain relevant, ambitious and responsive to the needs of our members while strengthening our contribution to the wider economy.
Above all, this document is about leadership. Leadership in championing British excellence. Leadership in creating commercial opportunity. Leadership in influencing policy. Leadership in supporting innovation. Leadership in helping shape one of the UK’ s most exciting and economically important sectors.
I firmly believe the experience economy has the potential to become one of Britain’ s defining success stories over the next decade.
Experience UK intends to play a central role in making that happen.
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