25 years ago, Xbox launched. I was 6 years old. My entire childhood, people talked about Xbox games and consoles. Those four letters were always woven into conversations around hobbies, tech breakthroughs, and often sat on top of wish lists all over the world.

It’s a brand that transcends generations, starting as a challenger console, and turning into a global ecosystem spanning hardware, content, and community. It’s built a following that deeply cares about every release, every announcement, and every detail. At a certain point, the releases, announcements, and events started to feel more like a reflection of the relationship between the brand and the people who support it.

And as a trusted partner of Xbox, that influences our job at TPN.

For those 25 years, TPN has had the opportunity to support a massive range of Xbox moments. From the moment Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stepped on stage at CES and unveiled the Xbox console for the first time to massive games showcases celebrating the history, breadth, and dedication of a brand that has embraced the industry.

Sometimes TPN has led and sometimes collaborated, but TPN has always contributed to experiences that celebrate the fans and evolution of the brand. And often, Allison Lacro, TPN’s Chief Production Officer, has been somewhere in the middle of those experiences.

Her role isn’t singular. It flexes. One year, it’s leading Xbox launches at the now-defunct E3. Another year, it’s helping transform a warehouse into a fully operational broadcast studio during COVID. Somewhere along the way, her work even made a cameo in Ted 2, which feels like the perfect description for a job where no two events are ever the same.

With Xbox celebrating a milestone anniversary, I wanted to understand what it takes to build those fan experiences from Allison herself.

Jackie Wade:
You don’t see 25-year relationships in this industry very often. Brands dissolve, merge, or acquire. Teams change. Priorities shift.

When you think back to your first Xbox project… what feels the same?

Allison Lacro:
Every show I do, there’s an element of fun. There is a commitment to the fans, even at shows that are directed towards the media and other audiences. Xbox understands engaging fans with the brand is the most important thing.

Xbox doesn’t sell products on site at shows, instead really focusing on the fan experience. I think that element of fun with the brand and the excitement around the ever-changing games, studios, and new consoles hasn’t changed since I started working with them.

JW:
The term “innovation” gets thrown around a lot, especially with a brand like Xbox. But from where you sit, it’s an expectation, not just a concept.

What does innovation look like when you’re the one responsible for bringing it to life?

AL:
I like to this of it as: what would make it new for audiences? What would make it different?

I could have 20 shows a year that were showcasing the same games because those were the hot games of that year, so how do we make them different for the fans? Some fans travel to all the different shows, so we want each one to feel a little unique.

Maybe one show has a playable demo, and the next has a character photo op or a side quest. We want to make it a little different for everyone while still holding true to the brand, game, and message.

JW:
Xbox has put a real stake in the ground when it comes to accessibility.

When you’re building something that must work in-room and across a global livestream for individuals with varying needs, how do you make sure that experience is equitable for everyone?

AL:
I’m thankful that Xbox has an accessibility team and already has products like the adaptive controller and other accessibility tools on the market.

We focus our time engineering for accessibility into the pieces that we fabricate. For example, the kiosks are all height-adjustable, as well as the screens, which also tilt. Our registration desks have a standard counter height and an ADA height.

Our goal is to make it enjoyable for everyone without making it feel different. We want people to be in the same line, doing the same things as everyone else, maybe just interacting in a way that works best for them.

We also have brand ambassadors onsite, who are available to assist with everything from directions to sensory rooms to ASL and captions being readily available. The goals is to make it a seamless experience for attendees and avoid making them feel uncomfortable or embarrassed to ask for accommodations.

Microsoft and Xbox have pushed inclusivity and accessibility to a place where it’s essentially: do not bring us a design that is not accessible.

JW:
You’ve touched a lot of Xbox moments over the years.

Are there a few memories that stick out?

AL:
My first E3. I was only onsite to observe. I wasn’t working the show, but I had never seen a booth as big as Xbox’s. I thought it was the coolest thing.

It was something like 35,000 sq ft, and I remember thinking, “This is my goal. One day I’m going to work on a booth this size”. It became my shining star to try and accomplish in my career. It was like a mini city.

Over the years, getting to see it built and eventually taking it over was super cool.

I also think about being on the movie set of Ted 2 because I love stuffed animals. When Xbox called with the opportunity to go on set, I lost my mind. I’d never been on a movie set before, and it’s just so different.

They essentially recreated the Javits Center on a sound stage. We were on set for two weeks for a clip that ended up being 2 minutes long, but there were moments where the producers would ask, “Can you come look and make sure everything looks good on the Xbox booth?” That was fun.

Something I’ll never forget is building Xbox Studio. I think designing and working on that during the pandemic in a world where everything else I knew was gone - and who knew if it was going to come back – yet still working with a brand I was very familiar with but in such a different way. Then, seeing the studio come to fruition while there were no events going on, it was a really great way to get a small group of us through COVID. And it was an amazing way to work with Xbox on something that was familiar at an unfamiliar time. And the studio is still there today.

JW:
Looking ahead to the future, what are you paying attention to right now? Not just in gaming, but in how people are experiencing it.

AL:
Sustainability is a huge focus right now. Our industry can be very wasteful, so finding new materials and innovative ways to create more sustainable experiences is a challenge. It might not be something the fans recognize, but we can feel good producing these events and spending the extra money or time to make them more sustainable.

Eventually, I think the industry is going to be in a place where if you’re not taking sustainability into consideration, you’re doing it wrong and people will call it out.

JW:
A lot of what you do, if it’s done right, goes unnoticed.

What does “good” look like to you?

AL:
To watch a fan come into your booth and just lose their mind.

They don’t care that the tape might be a little wonky. They have never seen anything like it before. This is their Disneyland.

And to see that reaction every single time, right? You look and see these fans running into your booth literally having the time of their life. You can’t beat it. You just can’t beat it. It makes it all worth it.

I once had a fan at PAX here in Seattle come up and ask for my autograph. I had to explain to him that I was just the person who builds the booth and didn’t actually work for Xbox. He said, “I love your booth, could you still sign my badge? The fact you even worked on this is the coolest thing ever.”

I will never forget it; he was probably eight years old.

So, I signed his badge and said, “Okay, I just want to be clear that I don’t work for Xbox.”  He said he was trying to get anyone who was involved with the booth to sign his badge because it was just so cool to him, and he saved up to come to this show. He was just so pumped.

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After my conversation with Allison, I realized that these events and experiences become an extension of the game. They’re a continuation of an experience people have already invested their time, energy, and identity.

At one point, Allison mentioned that these events are often the first time gamers meet in person, finally face-to-face with the friends they’ve spent years playing alongside online.

And you realize, it’s not just about getting the show right.

It’s about getting that part right.

That’s what these moments really are. Not just launches or showcases, but love letters to the people who showed up, stayed invested, and keep playing.

That’s something TPN has built its approach around. Not just producing the moment, but shaping it, and honoring the gamers’ investments. Connecting strategy, creative, and production in a way that’s worthy of the people who’ve been there all along.

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