Alan Geiss
Creating Moments People Feel & Remember
Experience Strategy | Experiential Marketing | Brand Experience
Hi, I’m Alan.
Brands ask for people’s attention. The best ones make that time worthwhile. I help bridge the gap between the feeling they want to create and what people actually remember.
How I Make a Difference
Whether it’s an event, activation, or key touchpoint, I begin with what the audience is trying to accomplish and what the brand needs to deliver, then shape the format, flow, and cues so it feels worth showing up for.
“Work is theatre & every business a stage.”
-Pine & Gilmore, The Experience Economy
Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull calls early ideas "Ugly Babies" because they often start awkwardly. I use this concept to remind myself that promising ideas require time and support.
What I would add is that ugly babies can also exist in developed experiences. They emerge as misalignments or off-brand cues that disrupt the flow of the experience.
My job is to help shape these ideas through open discussion, adapt them to the audience, and keep refining them until they are clear, meaningful, and ultimately lead to time well spent.
What’s an Ugly Baby?
What’s Next
A preview of upcoming projects.
Exploring Japan’s Experience Economy
Volume 1 Coming Soon
Vibing with Your Career
Guest talk, staged like a DJ set
The Billboard
A student-first newsletter worth opening
Community Pop-ups
Creating a third place
What if building community didn’t depend on having a perfect schedule? We hosted seasonal drop-in pop-ups with little surprises and used a Celebration Collage to build momentum. Over time, the space turned into a daily gathering spot.
Experience Archive
The receipts worth keeping
A collection of experiences that show what everyone can learn from Japan.
Past Experiences
What if career advice felt like a night out instead of a lecture? We staged a guest talk as a DJ set, then kept the momentum going with a live Q&A and applications for 1-1 mentoring, drawing a record number of attendees.
How do you make a room of strangers feel comfortable fast? We designed participation mechanics that helped newcomers mix, move, and stay.
What if a program newsletter acted like a billboard instead of a bulletin? We led with one student’s story each month and the format earned consistent opens and clicks across 300+ readers.
What if sustainability didn’t require willpower? We designed the mixer so the default choices were green, then used a quick pledge wall and stickers to spark conversation and action.
A collection of overlooked details, clever defaults, and bold moves that turn ordinary touchpoints into stories people repeat.
Semester Kickoff: Connection by Design
Four Stations That Made Belonging Easy
Sustainability Week Social
Making “Going Green” Easy
