Jay Menashe sits down with Michael Cirino, founder of House of Attention, to talk about how experiential design has become central to hospitality, events, trade shows, and brand storytelling. The conversation explores why the best spaces are no longer just built, but activated, and how loyalty is created through moments, not amenities.Michael breaks down the shift from hardware to software, from passive spaces to living ecosystems, and from vanity metrics to real brand value. They also connect the dots between hospitality, cultural programming, and the kind of memory-making that makes people travel, return, and remember. Key topicsIn this episode, Michael Cirino explains why experiential design is becoming more important across hospitality, events, trade shows, and brand activations as audiences expect more than static luxury.They discuss his idea that people are no longer collecting luxury goods as much as collecting moments, and why the building is only the beginning of the guest experience.Michael shares how major experiences need pre, during, and post strategy, not just on-site production, especially for trade shows and conference appearances.The conversation breaks down the difference between hardware and software in hospitality: hardware is the physical building, while software is the cultural programming, sensory design, and human activation that bring it to life.Michael argues that comfort has become commoditized, so the real value comes from pushing people slightly outside their comfort zone in a memorable, safe, and intentional way.They talk about why KPIs like photo booth traffic, social media posts, and lead counts often miss the real outcome of an experience, which is memory, trust, and brand attachment.Michael introduces his framework for experience design as a triangle of media, experience, and artifact, where each piece supports audience validation and memory-making.The discussion includes examples from the Riyadh Future Hospitality Summit, the World Cup, the El Train dinner, and other experiential productions that required deep planning and cultural awareness.Jay and Michael connect unreasonable hospitality to broader event and brand strategy, emphasizing that great experiences are built for specific audiences, not generic traffic.The episode closes with a practical reminder that attention means nothing without action, and spectacle only works when it sits on a foundation of real value.Timestamps00:00 - Why the building is only the beginning 00:48 - Experience design in the age of AI and cultural sameness 04:21 - Why trade show booths are now the center of gravity 06:12 - The pushback on "we collect moments, not luxury goods" 11:05 - Experience design starts before the event and continues after 13:49 - What unreasonable hospitality looks like in practice 17:45 - Why brand investment is bigger than likes and leads 21:05 - Michael's relationship with Will Guidara and the line between outrageous and unreasonable 25:59 - Why the future of hospitality is five senses, not five stars 31:18 - Hardware versus software in events and hospitality 34:12 - Comfort is commoditized, but memory comes from risk 37:22 - Why most brands should design better experiences before buying more booth 39:46 - The triangle of media, experience, and artifact 42:40 - Attention without action is not enough Key frameworkMichael describes experience design as three connected parts: Media - the content or signal that attracts the audienceExperience - the live moment or activation that gives them something realArtifact - the takeaway that helps them remember and validate the experience later
