Paul Bulencea

Author and Chief Experience Officer,
Dziobak’s Studio 

Paul Bulencea is an award-winning author, educator, entrepreneur and adviser to Fortune 500 companies and governments seeking to foster innovation and drive sustainable growth by shifting business models from services to co-creative transformational experiences.

As Dziobak Studios’ Chief Experience Officer, Paul leads the creative vision of the transformational experiences design studio. He has been invited to speak at events and conferences hosted by the likes of the World Tourism Market and United Nations World Tourism Organisation, publishing media, teaching, and connecting organisations with experience designers. After co-authoring Gamification in Tourism: How to Design Memorable Experiences, he has so far visited seventeen countries to deliver lectures on design and implementing industry-leading transformational experiences. 

He was a lead designer helping IKEA Centers implement its strategic shift from a shopping-centre format to a more experiential model. Abu Dhabi awarded Paul’s team the opportunity to transform the legendary Yas Waterworld into a fully immersive Live Action Role Play experience “Legends of Arabia: The Quest of the Pearl Tribes”, allowing visitors to become part of the show instead of just watching it. 

Following his vision to help organisations migrate to the Experience Economy, he co-founded The College of Extraordinary Experiences in 2016, serving as a worldwide community and think tank for experience designers. The College is described by creative thought leaders as “Harvard for experience designers”. 

Paul holds a Master’s degree in Innovation in Tourism from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, where he was awarded the Best University Graduate by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.