Meet Anneliese Farmer – Smith | Immersive Event Creator & owner of Elevate Immersive

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anneliese Farmer – Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anneliese, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have been in the theater and the immersive event world for quite some time working for other companies but never had the confidence to go out on my own.  However, with the amazing support system and group of creatives I work with as well as the willingness to take that leap,  I started Elevate Immersive in January of 2023! We specialize in elevated events that range anywhere from immersive mystery experiences, to decked out cocktail spaces, to staged readings to Galas and Balls! We want to focus on creating opportunities for Denver artists while fostering a safe and healthy work environment for all.  

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a background in live theater and performance, so everything I do has to have a bit of flair for the dramatic! I’ve worked in events for many years but always knew that weddings and corporate gatherings were not what I ultimately wanted to do. So, I started working for a specialized events company in 2020 that featured an immersive cocktail experience. While I had directed plenty of immersive theater, I had never worked with a company that mixed immersive entertainment and cocktails. I am very thankful for my time with them.  I learned a lot and learned what works best with the flow of those types of events.  Eventually, we did part ways, but I am for ever grateful to my mentor, Mikaela who helped me gain the confidence and know how to mix my background in immersive theater with the booming popularity of cocktail experiences.  

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, of course we’d need to check out Elevate Immersive’s current pop up at Zeppelin Station!

But, all jokes aside there are so many fun things to do in Denver. It’s Christmas time right now, so there’s even more special events and activities happening. I always love blossom of lights at the botanical gardens, or zoo lights at the zoo. I would visit Golden for a day, regardless of the time of year Golden is an adorable little mountain town that’s only 20 minutes from Denver. We’d have to stop in at the Golden Game Guild, which is a super cute, locally run game store with a jampacked game library where you could stay and play for hours. Little finch is probably my favorite bakery and coffee shop in downtown Denver, so that’s a must visit. In the same area, Denver milk market is my favorite food hall. For after dinner drinks, I would always hit up the devils drink bar in Highlands.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my co – producers at prop dungeon, my co-owner of Elevate Immersive, Chris Albrecht, and a very talented team of women who help me conceptualize a lot of these events. be that writing the scripts, choreographing, burlesque dances, or throwing jokes at the wall and see what sticks.

Website: https://www.elevateimmersivecolorado.com/

Instagram: @elevate_immersive

Image Credits
@werkcreative