The Luxury Experience Awards are entering the luxury calendar with a clear proposition, to judge elite brands through the experiences of the clients they’re built to serve.
Co-created by The Luxury Report and Lexden Luxe, the programme places ultra-high-net-worth client evidence at the centre of its assessment model.
For a sector often measured by visibility, reputation and peer approval, that makes the LEAs a notable shift in how excellence is recognised.
At a glance
- The Luxury Experience Awards will recognise luxury brands through a judging model informed by UHNW client evidence.
- The programme uses the MEPA Framework, which measures expectations, exceptional experiences, post-purchase care and time savings.
- Entries open across luxury categories on 1 July 2026, with the inaugural awards scheduled for January 2027.
A judging model built around MEPA
At the centre of the Luxury Experience Awards is the MEPA Framework, a proprietary model developed by Lexden Luxe co-founder Professor Dr Phil Klaus.
The framework was created from hundreds of documented interviews and conversations with UHNW individuals across luxury categories.
MEPA stands for Managing Expectations, Exceptional Experiences, Post-Purchase Experience and Achieving Time Savings.
Each dimension reflects a pressure point that can define the relationship between a demanding client and a luxury brand.
Managing Expectations focuses on clarity, consistency and credibility, rather than theatrical over-delivery.
Exceptional Experiences looks at the wider pattern of touchpoints that shape loyalty beyond the transaction itself.
Post-Purchase Experience examines what happens after the commitment has been made, when trust is either deepened or quietly lost.
Achieving Time Savings recognises that time is often the most protected currency for UHNW clients.
The three stages of a luxury relationship
The LEAs assess entrants across Brand Experience, Sales Experience and Ownership Experience.
That structure matters because UHNW clients rarely judge a brand through a single encounter.
Their view is cumulative, shaped by how a brand approaches them, how it handles the point of purchase or commitment, and how it behaves once the relationship is underway.
For luxury houses, private aviation businesses, hospitality groups, automotive marques, superyacht specialists, property firms and bespoke service providers, that wider journey is often where distinction is made.
Evidence before assertion
The programme’s central requirement is demonstration rather than self-description.
Assessment panels are informed by Diamond Data, Lexden Luxe’s proprietary body of UHNW interviews and detailed conversations coded across luxury categories.
The intention is to give the awards a standard that carries meaning with the clients luxury brands most want to retain.
Christopher Brooks, co-founder of Lexden Luxe, captures the thinking behind the programme in direct terms.
“UHNW clients do not focus on what they were sold. They remember how they were made to feel and the fit with the rhythm of their lives. The LEAs exist to honour those who understand the difference.”
Entry timing and eligibility
Entry to the Luxury Experience Awards opens across all luxury categories on 1 July 2026.
The inaugural awards will take place in January 2027, with full judging criteria shared with confirmed entrants.
Brands seeking further information can contact [email protected].
For luxury businesses that see service as a long-term relationship rather than a polished transaction, the LEAs arrive as a pointed benchmark.
