Welcome to 7X Summit 2026, October 27-30, 2026
Hosted by the Department of Experience Design and Management in the Marriott School of Business, Brigham Young University
We’re excited to share that the (EXPRESSO) is bringing its 7X Summit to Provo, Utah this fall!
This year’s theme is “The Architecture of Experience.” Great experiences, like great buildings, rest on a foundation of data and design. The summit is built to bridge research and practice, exploring the work behind well-designed experiences and what happens when that work moves into real-world settings. Professionals and academics alike are invited, and the program is designed to put both in the same room.
If you’d like to present, the deadline for research abstracts and workshop proposals has been extended! Submit here by July 31.
The conference runs October 27-30 at Brigham Young University, hosted by the Department of Experience Design and Management in the Marriott School of Business. It’s an in-person event with hybrid options for those joining online. You can expect keynotes, research and workshop sessions, a poster session, and “research to practice” conversations that pair scholars with working professionals. We’ll close on Friday with a 7X Experience Day.
We hope you’ll join us in Provo this fall!
For more details >> https://7xsummit.byu.edu/
Speakers
Bob Rossma
Principal Consultant, Leisure Service Consultant
Bob Rossman is an internationally recognized experience designer, author, speaker, and management consultant. As Principal Consultant at Leisure Service Consultant, he helps organizations create meaningful, memorable experiences for their audiences. He is the author of Designing Experiences and the widely used textbook Recreation Programming, now in its eighth edition, and has served as a dean, professor, and department chair at several leading universities.
Dr. Barbara Neuhofer
Professor of Experience Design, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Barbara Neuhofer is an internationally recognized thought leader in experience design, transformation, and innovation. She is Professor of Experience Design at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, where she founded the Experience Design division. An award-winning researcher and TEDx speaker recognized among the world’s top 2% of scientists, she has delivered more than 100 talks worldwide, authored over 70 academic publications, and advised organizations including the European Commission on tourism and digital transformation.
Miguel Melgarejo
Director of Experience Strategy, COCOLAB International
Miguel Melgarejo is a creative strategist, experience designer, and innovation consultant with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations solve complex challenges through human-centered design. As Director of Experience Strategy at COCOLAB International, he leads the development of immersive multimedia experiences across strategy, CX, UX, and audience research. He is also a co-founder of Blobworks and a founding Global Council Member of the World Experience Organization (WXO), applying his expertise to social innovation and world-class entertainment projects.
Dr. Ondřej Mitas
Senior Lecturer & Researcher, Breda University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Ondřej Mitas is a senior lecturer and researcher at Breda University of Applied Sciences studying how leisure and tourism experiences contribute to human happiness and quality of life. His research uses longitudinal, biophysical, and mixed-method approaches to measure positive emotions over time, helping industry leaders, governments, and destinations worldwide make evidence-based decisions. An internationally recognized scholar, he has examined topics ranging from tourist happiness to the effects of photography on travel experiences.
Dr. Patti Freeman
Professor, Department of Experience Design and Management, BYU Marriott School of Business
Dr. Patti Freeman is a Professor in the Department of Experience Design and Management at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business, and a leading scholar in experience theory, leisure behavior, and tourism. Her research explores how organizations can intentionally design face-to-face experiences that enhance engagement and meaning. With a Ph.D. in Human Performance from Indiana University and more than two decades at BYU, she has helped build the academic foundation of experience design, including work on flow and what makes experiences memorable.
Kirsten Ford
Director of Strategy, XD Agency
Kirsten Ford is a Director of Strategy at XD Agency, where she turns brand stories into hands-on experiences. As a London School of Economics-trained researcher, she brings a rigorous lens to experience design, grounding creative strategy in a deep understanding of audience behavior and motivation. For the past year, she has focused this lens on brand experiences for the LEGO Group, exploring how the power of play can open our minds to wonder, joy, and learning.
