Tom Sorotschynski
Give us a quick version: How do you describe your company?
ASTOUND is an experiential design agency renowned for seamlessly integrating creative, digital, and fabrication to deliver unparalleled brand experiences.
Describe your agency—what makes it unique and how are you different from the competition?
At ASTOUND we can truly deliver an end-to-end experience for our clients. We manage the entire process in-house—from the up-front strategy and creative to digital development and physical fabrication. So whether our creative vision leads us to building fully immersive, low-tech scenic spaces or experimenting with high-tech generative AI like our Live GenAI Art Wall, we’re handling all the coding, AV, and environmental fabrication within our four walls. This approach ensures more working dollars for clients and reduces costs associated with excess fees and hand-offs between multiple agency partners.
What are your core strengths and how are you using them to serve your clients right now?
Our strength lies in our holistic approach to project development and execution. We ensure every idea is realistic and feasible within budget and timeline, avoiding the pitfalls of unachievable concepts often seen elsewhere. Our clients can trust that what we show is what they get, not just a shell of the original idea they were sold.
What new capabilities are you offering that will help meet clients’ current pain points?
We’ve recently doubled down on both our digital team and our in-house AV/Tech capabilities. Clients want fully connected and immersive experiences that create deeper and more emotional connections to their brands. The best way to achieve this is by creating seamless experiences that bridge the physical and digital worlds. Figuring out new ways to leverage digital to strengthen those connections is at the top of everyone’s list right now, and we’re leading the way.
How is artificial intelligence positively impacting the business?
We’ve been leveraging AI extensively for nearly two years. AI accelerates our processes, from consumer and competitive research to mood boards and tissue sessions, while also making quick work of previously mundane tasks. It’s essentially a personal assistant for everything we do. This allows my team to focus their brainpower on creative thinking, problem-solving, and servicing our clients’ needs. Additionally, we build amazing AI-first experiences, like our AImagine™ Photobooth and GenAI Art Wall products.
Given your agency’s successes, what approach and philosophy do you take to business?
Honestly, for me it’s all about our people. We prioritize creating an inclusive, welcoming, supportive and dynamic environment where our team can thrive. Happy, motivated employees lead to exceptional client service and long-term success.
Advice you’re giving clients on how to win big this year?
Stay agile and embrace innovation and change. Invest in technologies that enhance engagement and prioritize authentic connections with your audience. I used to start digital trends presentations with the phrase, ‘today is the slowest day of the rest of your life,’ and it couldn’t be truer a statement. If you aren’t ready for it, your brand will get left behind.
What are you seeing out in the field that inspires you?
The blending of physical and digital experiences is particularly inspiring. Innovations in AR / VR / MR are creating new ways to engage and captivate audiences, pushing the boundaries of traditional event experiences.
How are you helping clients measure better?
We’re integrating more digital experiences because they offer greater opportunities to track and measure ROI. One notable example is the SCAVENGR™ app we developed. This application allowed us to incentivize desired behaviors and monitor each user’s activity at the event. As a result, 46% of users completed every activity, achieving all the actions the client wanted, which is a typically rare occurrence. This led to a 36% increase in leads and doubled the number of demos typically conducted. Additionally, we are experimenting with new technologies to enhance our clients’ ability to measure ROI. From facial recognition to track emotions and moods to smart floor tiles, we’re using innovative tools to provide more accurate ROI measurement.
Industry innovations that have your company’s attention?
We’re focused on developments in AI, XR, and new and evolving technology. We’re actively investing in the latest emerging wearables and hardware to stay ahead of what’s next for our clients. These innovations are driving the future of experiential marketing and helping us create more immersive experiences.
Your take on what modern event audiences really want?
Modern audiences crave immersive, personalized experiences. They want to feel a genuine connection to the brands they choose to support and seek meaningful, memorable interactions that go beyond traditional marketing tactics.
