Matt Heidkamp is a strategist, product and revenue leader at the intersection of content, culture, and creative experiences.

He collaborates with global brands, destinations, media companies, event organizers, and communities on:

  • strategic planning

  • product innovation

  • narrative and experience design

  • brand and content development

  • learning and program design

  • growth and revenue strategy

For over a decade, Matt has set and redefined standards for creativity, engagement, and strategic storytelling, partnering with over 100 global brands, including Airbnb, Marriott, Brand USA, Destination Canada, and Google.

As the founder of SkiftX Creative Studio, he built an award-winning branded content agency, establishing Skift as the leading travel industry intelligence platform. He led the development and launch of the Global Forum conference, IDEA Awards, Design The Future, Megatrends Forecast, data products and publications, growing them into multifaceted platforms for trends, insights, and innovation for the travel industry and high-impact revenue drivers for the company.

Since 2023, Matt has worked in fractional leadership roles, co-developing products and initiatives that have secured millions in partnerships and brought to life signature events, festivals, leagues, conferences, learning and immersive attractions. His expertise lies in building hybrid engagement models, on/offline community connections, and programs that resonate with global audiences, bringing a strategic, systems-based approach to growth in creative and experience-driven industries.

Matt’s work aims to inspire business and creative leaders to envision, build, and scale products and experiences that inspire and drive meaningful impact.

If you're interested in collaborating, drop an email.

  • "Your vision, ability to deliver, and creative business approach are an incredibly difficult combination to find."

    Julius Solaris
    Events Industry Leader & Founder, Boldpush

  • "Matt created multiple teams and pioneered various business lines for us, and cemented our visual language and authority in many different ways."

    Rafat Ali
    Founder & CEO, Skift

  • "I've had a fantastic time collaborating with Matt on several projects. His direction is clear and his feedback precise, always with an eye toward bettering the end product."

    Beini Huang
    Beii.tv

Consulting & Strategy

I craft high-impact strategies and solutions that cut through complexity.

With a background in launching creative studios, scaling event businesses, leading global teams, and building products for global organizations, I bring both strategic vision and hands-on execution to every engagement.

If you’re interested in working together, get in touch.

  • I help develop, refine, and launch content and experience-driven products.

    • Concept Validation

    • Product & Experience Prototyping

    • Impact Reports & Narratives

    • Pilot Programs & Live Testing

    • Investor & Partner Readiness

    • Production Workflows & Dashboards

    • Building In-House Studios & Teams 

  • I work closely with clients to develop creative programs, experiences and strategic partnerships that enhance community engagement and commercial impact. Through strategic planning, workshop facilitation, concept development, product roadmaps, and action plans, I lead and collaborate from vision-to-execution.

    • Hybrid Digital-Physical Experiences

    • Omnichannel Campaigns & Engagement

    • Festival & Event Strategy

    • Pop Ups & Creative Residencies

  • I provide in-depthresearch and strategic storytelling frameworks to help destinations, hospitality brands, tech and creative businesses craft authentic, compelling narratives that resonate with their audiences. By analyzing cultural trends, audience insights, commercial goals and data, we uncover valuable insights that inform branding, marketing, and content strategies.

    • Cultural & Creative Strategy

    • Sentiment & Engagement Analysis

    • Brand Narrative & Storytelling Strategy

    • Market Research & Competitive Analysis

    • Positioning & Audience Development

    • Brand Strategy & Positioning

    • Category Design 

    • Message Development

    • Thought Leadership & Editorial Content Strategy

  • I provide data-driven insights and creative storytelling strategies to position places, brands, and experiences for success. Through qualitative research, engagement analysis, and creative benchmarking, I help clients refine their messaging, market positioning and experience offerings.

    • Community Vibe Index (CVI) Assessments

    • Strategic Action Plans

    • Benchmarking

    • Community Engagement & Stakeholder Alignment

    • Brand & Narrative Development

  • I design events, activations, and engagement strategies, content programming, shape experiential products and build partnerships that connect industries, audiences, and culture.

    • Program Development & Management

    • Engagement & Experience Design

    • Editorial Content Direction

    • Talent & Speaker Coordination

    • Partnerships & Industry Engagement

    • Workshops & Training

    • Audience & Community Development

    • Experience-led Storytelling

    • Digital & Hybrid Extensions

    • Pop-Ups, Installations & Interactive Media

    • Placemaking, Hospitality & Creative District Development

    • Gaming, Esports & Emerging Entertainment Tourism

  • I help turn content and experiential assets into sustainable revenue models that drive long-term value.

    Through business strategy, monetization frameworks, and scalable experience design, I create pathways for economic growth, audience engagement, and brand expansion.

    • Content & Experience Monetization

    • Hybrid Business Models

    • Partnership & Sponsorship Development

    • Ticketing & Membership Ecosystems

    • Scalability & Market Expansion

    • Revenue Planning, Roadmaps & Operational Tools

    • Sales Enablement

    • Audience & Community Growth