The $1,000 night out: Authentic Live is all-in on Gen Z’s obsession with the experience economy, hosting events with celebrities in tentpole moments
Confined indoors with few opportunities to socialize, people have longed to break the crushing isolation they have experienced during the pandemic. For the past couple of years, younger generations, in particular, have been living a vindictive lifestyle, splurging on travel and other lavish experiences to make up for lost time.
This is where Authentic Live, a specialist company launched by Authentic Brands Group, steps in to create, organize and host live events as well as immersive experiences. These trips are linked to the group’s 50+ brands, including… sports Illustrated, Shaquille O’Neal, and more, which has become especially popular among Generation Z and millennials. At more than 50 signature events annually (plus other lifestyle and corporate events), the company blends celebrity heat with premium pricing and data-driven results at the biggest events, like the Super Bowl, F1, the Kentucky Derby, and more.
“Coming out of Covid [the] “The generation behind me craves tactile experiences and wants to be in the arena,” said Dan Dienst, executive vice president of tactical opportunities at Authentic Brands Group. luck.
One of these big upcoming events is Shaq’s Fun House, which will be hosted on the Friday night before next month’s Super Bowl. Dienst described it as a music experience, as well as an outdoor carnival with rides, booths and performances by Tiësto, T-Pain and Disco Lines.
But this is no old Carnival: Ticket prices start at $250 for general admission, and cost up to $1,550 for shared VIP tables.
“When someone buys a ticket with their hard-earned dollar — whether it’s general admission or VIP — they tend to really enjoy themselves,” Dienst said. luck. “And that energy lifts everyone up.”
On the Saturday night before the Super Bowl, they will also host SI: The Party, where The Chainsmokers and Ludacris will perform. Ticket prices start at $450 and range up to $133,000 for VIP tables on stage.
Authentic Live’s input on audience expectations and cultural context helps shape the look and feel of events, said Justin Toman, vice president of partnerships at Verizon. luck. (Verizon is a partner of SI: The Party, and also works with Authentic Live on other events.)
Of course, Authentic Live doesn’t just exist as a way for people to have fun. It also serves as a more immersive way to spread brand awareness to its partners. While Authentic Live declined to share total revenue, 65,000 consumers attended its events in 2025, receiving 324 million social impressions and more than 35 billion media impressions.
“Authentic Live excels at protecting what the brand stands for while still encouraging new ways for consumers to engage,” Toman said, noting Authentic Live helps with creative development, production, talent sourcing, marketing and media services.
Another major event hosted by Authentic Live in partnership with Sports Illustratedhosts events during Formula 1 racing, particularly in Austin at Circuit of the Americas with 50,000 square feet of premium event space including the President’s Club and Owner’s Track Club. Event-goers pay “thousands of dollars” for a one- or three-day ticket, Dienst said.
Authentic live with Sports Illustrated It also partners with Churchill Downs to help “elevate” the Kentucky Derby guest experience, said Casey Ramage, senior consultant at Churchill Downs Racetrack. luck. Ramage added that he also helped the racetrack in its “goal of engaging a new generation of racing fans.”
With its deep experiential portfolio, Authentic Live made the event unique by decorating the space with Kentucky Derby and Sports Illustrated Memorabilia so guests can see what the Derby looked like dating back to the 1950s.
“They bring a deep understanding of what resonates with modern sports audiences and couple it with a nuanced, collaborative approach to creating memorable live experiences,” Ramage said.
Generation Z and the experience economy
Over the past couple of years in particular, more brands have pivoted and invested in more experiential opportunities for audiences and consumers. Aside from the work of Authentic Live, brands from Coach to Netflix have invested in spaces where consumers can experience brands in new and different ways.
Taking a page out of Ralph Lauren’s playbook, Coach opened a café, which was an instant hit with Gen Z, and Netflix opened immersive rooms to recreate Strange things and Squid game groups. The Eventbrite report published on January 14 also shows that nearly 80% of Gen Z and Millennials expect to attend more events in 2026, and are more eager to actively participate in events rather than passively watch.
Authentic Live takes that energy and interest in immersive experiences to a whole different level, considering that some consumers can expect to spend thousands of dollars to attend their events, depending on the type of ticket and the event itself.
This aligns with Gen Z’s desire for experiences that define them in an age where they yearn to be in the top 1%. In fact, Gen Z believes, on average, that an annual salary of $587,797 and a net worth of $9.47 million is needed when they envision “financial success,” according to a 2024 study by financial firm Empower. That’s significantly higher than any other generation.
“We’re really good at being talked to [Gen Z and millennials] “It’s not that we’re ignoring my generation,” said Dienst, who is from Generation X. “We’re really good at curating that mix of people.”
He added that success at these events depends on a “cocktail” of top talent, impeccable touchpoints and value, whether it’s at the 200-person Aspen ski resort or at the 9,000-person Super Bowl parties. Along with sporting events, lifestyle brands like Champion appear at New York Fashion Week, mixing influencers, celebrities and 80 years of brand DNA.
“We’re really good at bringing warmth to the brand,” Dienst said.
To put it in perspective, Authentic Live described Disney as working in reverse. With Authentic Brands being the #2 licensing company in the world (behind only Disney), they started with iconic brands like Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Shaq, then built a social following to tell stories.
“Disney is getting into the content business,” Dienst explained. “We’re coming the other way.”
While Gen Z may be shut out of homeownership, they still crave FOMO. For them, a $1,000 night out is not an indulgence, but an identity. However, the real live bets are big: premium access trumps endless spins.
As Dienst puts it, true live events are not old-fashioned corporate mixers, but “useful” fun that mutually benefits consumers and brands. In a world of endless content, being there is the new luxury – and Authentic Live sells for it by the thousands.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
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2026-01-26 10:05:00
