ELLA EKSTROM HUNTER

An experience is more than just filling a room with people, and creating atmosphere is more than just adding decoration. Every decision — how something is introduced, how people move through space, how attention is directed or released — shapes what an experience becomes, with the atmosphere being the fundamental structure that determines how the meaning of the experience is felt, not just understood.

Designing experiences is more than just curating the right sights and sounds — the experience you create begins before anyone even arrives. From the branding and promotion beforehand, to designing how one will navigate the physical space or the digital interface until reaching the destination, all of these moments are opportunities to connect with the audience and are vital to the atmosphere you create.

My work centers on designing and producing live, audience-centered experiences across arts, nonprofit, and corporate environments. I have led experience design and production for large-scale public and corporate events, developing visual and spatial systems, directing logistics and permitting, and coordinating complex collaborations across vendors, partners, and cities for experiences serving tens of thousands of people. 

Alongside large-scale events, I have shaped public art and cultural programming, built brand and identity systems, and designed how audiences encounter spaces, performances, and gatherings — from civic parks to museums and performance venues. Across scale and context, my focus remains the same: how an experience unfolds in time, how it feels to be inside it, and what people carry with them afterward. 

My background in theater, opera, and improv informs how I approach this work — with attention to audience, timing, and, most importantly, the emotional arc of an experience. The key is understanding when to guide attention and when to step back, treating the participants not as viewers to be managed, but as active contributors to the experience itself.

At the core of it all, my greatest passion is creating moments that make time stand still, where people feel truly connected to each other and to themselves. A true experience is more than just crafting a spectacle; it is shaping the atmosphere and emotions in such a way so as to create real moments that stay with the audience — that is how I measure success.