TruNorth hosted its Experiential Design Forum in July 2026 at Pilot Project Brewing in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, bringing together 75 professionals from across the experiential marketing and design industry. The gathering brought creatives, designers, producers, operators, and other experiential professionals together for an afternoon focused on collaboration, peer learning, innovation, and the future of experience design.
The event also marked the first anniversary of TruNorth, adding significance to the company’s latest industry gathering. A key theme throughout the forum was the changing relationship between business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, particularly the growing use of experiential strategies in B2B campaigns.
TruNorth Experiential Design Forum Highlights Changing B2B Marketing
The TruNorth Experiential Design Forum explored how marketing strategies traditionally associated with B2C brands are increasingly influencing B2B marketing. Brands and agencies are looking for new ways to create engaging, interactive experiences that encourage audiences to participate rather than simply consume information.
Jeff Fortmann, co-founder of TruNorth, highlighted the gradual but important evolution taking place across the marketing industry. According to Fortmann, B2B and B2C marketers are increasingly learning from each other and adopting successful approaches from different areas of marketing.
The shift reflects a broader change in how companies approach business audiences. Instead of relying solely on traditional meetings, presentations, and product demonstrations, B2B marketers are increasingly exploring immersive environments, live experiences, creative activations, and opportunities for face-to-face engagement.
Highmark Leads Experiential Design Forum as Presenting Partner
Highmark served as the lead presenting partner for the event, giving attendees an opportunity to explore its products and modular solutions. One of the featured products was the Modulbox, which demonstrated how modular structures can be incorporated into experiential environments.
Attendees were able to interact directly with Highmark’s modular structures and experience their practical applications. The hands-on approach complemented the forum’s broader focus on experience design and demonstrated how physical environments can contribute to memorable brand experiences.
The partnership between TruNorth and Highmark also has a history that extends back to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Highmark’s outdoor structures were installed at Pilot Project Brewing to support safer, socially distanced experiences for customers.
Analog Activities Encourage Creativity and Human Connection
Beyond the formal presentations and panel discussions, the event incorporated analog creative activities designed to encourage attendees to step away from their phones and engage directly with other participants.
The activities were developed through a partnership between TruNorth, Little Council, and its Fulfillment Center. The activation provided attendees with an opportunity to put their phones aside, sit together, meet new people, and participate in collaborative activities centered around play and creativity.
One of the featured activities was collaging. The simple creative exercise served as an effective conversation starter, helping participants connect with people they may not have otherwise met during the event.
The activation reinforced one of the central ideas of the forum: while technology continues to influence experiential marketing, human interaction, creativity, and collaboration remain essential components of successful live experiences.
Industry Leaders Discuss the Future of Experiential Marketing
The majority of the afternoon was dedicated to the Experiential Design Forum, with sessions focused on peer-to-peer learning, new industry connections, collaboration, and the changing requirements of experience design.
Brian Baker, vice president of creative at Highmark, and Max Lenderman, chief experience officer at GMR, discussed the evolving experiential marketing landscape. Their conversation examined the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies in creative development and how technological advances could create new opportunities for the experiential industry.
The discussions reflected the industry’s changing environment, where AI and technology are increasingly becoming part of the creative process. At the same time, speakers emphasized the importance of human creativity and collaboration in developing ideas that can connect with audiences.
All Terrain Explores How Brands Can Break the Blueprint
Brook Jay and Abigail Hines of All Terrain presented a session titled “Breaking the Blueprint,” examining how experiential professionals can develop industry-first ideas and challenge established approaches.
The presentation focused on the importance of challenging convention, building trust with clients, and surrounding creative teams with specialists capable of turning ambitious concepts into successful experiences.
The speakers also highlighted the changing role of experiential marketing. Live experiences are increasingly becoming platforms for content, community, commerce, and business growth. As AI and technology continue to transform the industry, human creativity, collaboration, and connection remain important advantages for experiential professionals.
Leading Experiential Professionals Join Forum
The TruNorth Experiential Design Forum featured a broad group of professionals representing agencies, creative organizations, production companies, and experiential strategy firms.
Additional speakers included Matt Statman, global chief creative officer, chief executive officer, and chief operating officer of Project Worldwide and Motive: A Project Worldwide Agency; Brian Marshall, founding partner of Little Council; Melinda Cragan Lindland, managing director of Spring Studios; Shannon Clash, MA, senior freelance producer and experiential content strategist at Clash Media, LLC; and Michael Barclay II, founder of The Barclay Directive.
Their participation provided attendees with perspectives from different areas of the experiential ecosystem and contributed to the forum’s emphasis on knowledge sharing and industry collaboration.
Pilot Project Brewing Provides Unique Setting for the Event
TruNorth selected Pilot Project Brewing in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood as the venue for the Experiential Design Forum. The venue choice was closely connected to Fortmann’s longstanding personal and professional relationships with owners Dan and Jessica Abel, who both have backgrounds in experiential marketing.
The brewery provided an environment suited to both professional discussions and informal networking. Its outdoor patio, distinctive food and beverage offerings, and flexible atmosphere supported presentations, conversations, and social interactions throughout the event.
The venue also aligned with TruNorth’s emphasis on community and shared experiences in distinctive spaces.
TruNorth, Highmark and Pilot Project Brewing Share Event History
The relationship between TruNorth, Highmark, and Pilot Project Brewing dates back to the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Highmark’s outdoor structures were installed at the brewery to support safer experiences for patrons during a period when outdoor and socially distanced environments were particularly important.
The decision to return to Pilot Project Brewing for the inaugural Experiential Design Forum created a connection between the companies’ shared history and TruNorth’s current focus on experiential design.
The venue therefore served as more than simply a location for the event. It represented the role that physical spaces, community, and relationships can play in creating meaningful experiences.
Experiential Marketing Continues to Evolve
The July 2026 TruNorth Experiential Design Forum highlighted several trends shaping the future of experiential marketing. The increasing crossover between B2B and B2C marketing, the integration of AI into creative workflows, and the growing importance of live experiences as content and engagement platforms were central themes throughout the event.
At the same time, the forum demonstrated that technology is only one part of the industry’s evolution. Activities such as collaborative collaging, face-to-face networking, and peer-to-peer discussions emphasized the continuing value of human connection.
As B2B brands increasingly adopt experiential marketing strategies, events such as TruNorth’s Experiential Design Forum provide opportunities for professionals to exchange ideas, explore new creative approaches, and build relationships across the industry.
The gathering ultimately underscored the growing importance of experiences that combine creativity, technology, community, and genuine human interaction. For experiential professionals, the future may involve more sophisticated technology, but the core objective remains creating experiences that people remember and share.
