Showcasing the spirit of Innovation

Steve Alcorn is an entrepreneur, engineer, inventor, author, and teacher. In 1982 he joined Walt Disney Imagineering, where he helped design the electronic systems for Epcot Center. After opening he was appointed as Imagineering’s first Systems Engineer. In 1986 he founded Alcorn McBride Inc. The company’s show control, audio, and video playback products are the park-wide standard throughout most of the world’s theme parks.

Mr. Alcorn is also a USA Today Best-Selling author who has written a dozen fiction and non-fiction books, including the Epcot history Building a Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Imagineers Who Designed Epcot, and Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes with an Engineer.

Kimberly Beneville is a Co-Founder of Beneville Studios, an Idea Manifestation Machine based in New York City. With a background in theater, storytelling has been the primary focus of her career, and a skill that has been integral to her work at Beneville Studios.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Kimberly began working as an actress at a young age. She met her future business partner and husband Michael Beneville in 2003, during which time they were both working actors, Kimberly as a performer on a hidden camera show and Michael as a host for an Xbox gaming show. Kimberly and Michael’s first projects together focused on creating bespoke objects such as inventive centerpieces for leading event planners. Though Kimberly and Michael have since divorced, they remain best friends and business partners.

When Kimberly and Michael established Beneville Studios, with Co-Founder and current President Camille Purdy, Kimberly found that her passions for storytelling were best suited to working behind-the-scenes. For the studio’s projects creating commissioned artwork and one-of-a-kind artifacts for exclusive clientele, Kimberly spends countless hours researching and compiling interviews, photos, and footage to construct the story of a client’s life and success. She believes that everyone has a compelling story to tell, and strives to make these stories tangible.

The project that Kimberly views as one of the masterpieces of her career at Beneville Studios was her work on The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, which provides world-class education to previously disadvantaged girls in South Africa. Kimberly and her team traveled to South Africa to interview the first class of girls to graduate from the school, collecting the students’ expressions of their hopes, dreams, and gratitude, which the studio then wove into a hand-bound commemorative book that was presented to Oprah Winfrey and preserves a magical moment in time for all involved.

For the Studio’s more recent work on AREA15, a massive experiential retail and entertainment complex off the Las Vegas strip, Kimberly has played an integral role in researching and securing tenants who will be the best fit for the project.

She has brought in a wide range of partners, including the Santa Fe art collective Meow Wolf, which brought to AREA15 a permanent interactive exhibition featuring the work of hundreds of local and international artists, and Los Angeles-based Lost Spirits, an immersive distillery experience. Kimberly has also spearheaded the creation of an interactive bazaar offering handmade wearable art, including headpieces, jewellery, goggles, cloaks, body suits and more.

Kimberly currently splits her time between Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas.

Michael Beneville is the creative force and visionary leader behind AREA15. Unbounded by conventional thinking, artist and designer Michael Beneville and the team at Beneville Studios bring a unique perspective and a multitude of talents to the world of traditional real estate. Fusing culture, entertainment, art, and retail, Michael brings together artists, creators, and visionaries from all over the world, and invites them to collaborate within the immersive bazaar of experiences that is AREA15.

Michael is a storyteller. He works across all scales and is agnostic to medium. Michael and his team at Beneville Studios specialize in realizing the visions and telling the stories of their clients, whether individuals, families or corporations. At any given time, they might be simultaneously and discreetly creating projects as varied as privately commissioned books, machines, films, fine art, and corporate headquarters for the world’s most exclusive clientele.

Beneville Studios excels at working directly with CEOs and their leadership teams to express a company’s vision and brand in three dimensions. Working collaboratively with multiple teams, Beneville Studios’ creativity inspires the genesis of the design, grounds it in the mission of its clients, and forms the connective tissue that holds the teams and the concept together as the project progresses.

Michael and the Beneville Studios team have been creative consultants for the award-winning New York City headquarters of iHeartMedia, the completely reimagined entrance to the Empire State Building Observatory, the lounges for BLADE helicopters in both New York and Miami, and the Warner Music Group offices in Los Angeles. Today, the firm’s purview includes millions of square feet of design and projects that span the globe and the metaverse. Michael also serves as the Chief Creative Officer of Vatom Inc., a next-generation web3 platform.

Co-founder of Bompas & Parr, Sam Bompas works as executive creative director of the company. He spends his time developing ideas that are universally appealing, experientially compelling and highly press-worthy. Projects such as Alcoholic Architecture have had a reach of 3.7 billion and Symphony in Blue (for Johnnie Walker Blue Label) had a reach of over 3 billion. Press accolades include TimeOut’s ’50 Best Londoners’ and Evening Standard’s ‘1000 most influential people’.

Over the years Sam has cultivated an extensive network of historians, chemists, micro-biologists, artists, musicians, art directors, flavourists, chefs, professional noses, inventors, stage illusionists, and pyrotechnicians who collaborate with Bompas & Parr to create genuine world firsts such a fireworks show where you can taste the fireworks as they explode above your head, attended by a quarter of a million people.

Sam lectures internationally and has delivered keynotes for companies such as Google, Unilever, Diageo and Coca-Cola and at the Met, Royal Academy of Arts and Victoria & Albert . Particular areas of expertise include, location based experiences, consumer journeys, visitor experiences, routes to creativity, the future of food and drink and multi-sensory design. 

As Executive Vice President and Head of Lionsgate Global Products & Experiences, Jenefer Brown has established Lionsgate as a major force in branded entertainment. Brown oversees several fast-growing businesses that expand the reach of Lionsgate’s film and television properties, including location-based entertainment, which encompasses attractions in the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia, the dynamic interactive games business and the consumer products business.

Named Executive of the Year by Los Angeles Business Journal in 2021 and a Top 10 Theme Park Influencer by Blooloop for three years in a row, Brown led the successful openings of Lionsgate’ Entertainment World in Hengqin, China, which has earned rave reviews for ushering in a new era of immersive indoor theme parks; the Lionsgate Zone of the Motiongate theme park in Dubai, with a major expansion that opened in January 2022, Saw Escape experiences in Las Vegas and London; and The Hunger Games: The Exhibition at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. These initiatives add to a portfolio of Lionsgate-branded attractions and events that includes SAW: The Ride at Thorpe Park, the Dirty Dancing and Now You See Me live stage shows and La La Land, Hunger Games, Dirty Dancing and Twilight live-to-film concert tours. 

Under Brown’s guidance, Lionsgate is also adapting several of its most acclaimed intellectual properties to the Broadway stage in collaboration with award-winning producers including the long-running television series Nashville and the film sensations La La Land and Wonder.

On the interactive games side, the division has garnered critical acclaim and won several major awards at E3. Highlights include the recently released Evil Dead: The Game; the groundbreaking Call of Duty X SAW crossover; Fortnite X John Wick crossover; psychological horror game Blair Witch; top-selling Five Nights at Freddy’s VR: Help Wanted; and Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid.

Michael Casper serves as vice president of business development for AREA15, the world’s first purpose-built immersive entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.

Offering live events, immersive activations, monumental art installations, extraordinary design elements, unique retail, ground-breaking technology, bars and eateries and much more, AREA15 continues to grow in Las Vegas and across the globe.

Welcoming nearly 4 million visitors since opening its doors in 2020, AREA15 Las Vegas will soon expand across 20 acres to its north. In addition, AREA15 announced its first licensed pop-up location as part of Riyadh’s Boulevard World and its second permanent location coming to Orlando in 2024.

As vice president of business development, Casper’s primary responsibility is to develop and implement strategies for partnership evolution and success, ensuring financial growth and improved guest experiences. In addition, Casper spearheads new business initiatives with a focus on uncovering unique new profit streams, delivering powerful experiences for brand partners and guests alike.

Casper brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise through more than 10 years of experience in hospitality, entertainment venue operations and enhancing guest experiences both domestically and in European markets with his previous experience at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and AEG Europe. During his time at AEG, he opened sports and entertainment arenas in both London and Istanbul.

Casper received his bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mary Coriano is the Head of Products and Corporate Portfolio at Merlin Entertainments, the world’s second biggest operator of visitor attractions and the biggest in Europe.

She is a Business Transformation and Digital Supply Chain Professional with a proven track record of delivering major change programmes globally.

Chris Deere is currently the Director of Supportlab Ltd, a Company that he formed in 2017 to provide coaching and support services to the Attractions industry and other business sectors.

He is also the owner/director of ‘The Alternative Board’ – Auckland South, through which he facilitate advisory boards and provide coaching solutions to business owners, CEO’s and Directors. 

Prior to this Chris was the CEO of Rainbow’s End Theme Park in Auckland, a position he held for a 10-year period from October 2007 to December 2017. He was the Operations Manager for a five-year period prior to this.

During his tenure as CEO the park faced numerous challenges yet achieved significant growth and received a number of prestigious international and local awards.

Chris is recognised as a Certified Attractions Executive (ICAE) through the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), and he has been a regular speaker, panellist, mentor and judge at the IAAPA Attractions Expos in the United States, Asia and Australia.  His most recent speaking engagement was in October 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.

He was a member of the IAAPA Human Resources Committee in the US for three years from 2015 to 2017 and the IAAPA Asia Pacific Education Committee in 2018.

Chris is the current Board Chair of New Zealand Operators of Amusement Devices (NZOAD) an organisation that has been established to support and lead the Amusement Device Industry in New Zealand and to promote health & safety, sustainability, professionalism and integrity in the development and operation of amusement devices.

Before working at Rainbow’s End Chris was a Police Officer in the New Zealand Police for a period of seven years.  He worked in a variety of roles, completed his sergeant’s exams and qualified as a youth aid officer. 

While in the Police Chris co-founded a company call Pro-Active Ventures, which was established to provide a comprehensive programme designed for male recidivist youth offenders.  The programme was endorsed by Police and funded and supported by multiple agencies.

In addition to his current role as Chair of NZOAD, Chris is also a Board member/trustee of the Attainable Trust based in Auckland, an organisation which supports people with disabilities to become more included and accepted in the community.

Juliana Delaney has been the CEO of Continuum, one of the industry’s storytelling pioneers, for over 20 years.

Over thirty years ago, while working for Heritage Projects, Delaney was instrumental in the creation of the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, widely regarded as a ground-breaking project that lead the way for a new type of museum experience.  Since then, she has been the driving force behind Continuum Attractions’ numerous successes, such as Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower and Coronation Street: The Tour.

One of her core beliefs is that the people who work for attractions are their biggest assets:

“Business structure aside, it is the people you employ,” says Delaney. The people who work for you and greet your guests, they make or break your business. It is not about buildings or technology– nor the size of the build or marketing budgets.

“The greatest gratification I have got by being CEO of this business is to create a different culture from the one that was here before. And, how I did that – how I still do that – is to put the people who work for me at the top of the business. It’s too easy to say that it’s a case of reversing the pyramid.

“We talk about it in terms of the fact that it is the teams who are front of house, running the visitor attractions, who are actually the stars. They are the ones who could lose a customer for life or make a great visit. For me, that makes them far more important than me in this business.”

In 2021, Continuum Attractions announced that it had teamed up with ITV to operate its UK visitor attractions, including the I’m a Celebrity… Jungle Challenge. “I’m thrilled that we have brokered this new, long-term working relationship with ITV,” said Delaney.

Werner Dullmaier brings 20 years of experience in the leisure, attractions, and theme park industry and has held various management positions at Merlin Entertainments with his expertise covering operations, sales and marketing as well as business strategy.

After leaving Merlin, he set up his own consultancy advising international leisure operators to ensure the delivery of high-quality guest experiences and streamlined operations. In April 2022 Werner joined Convious BV based in Amsterdam as Director for Germany/Austria/Switzerland first and today signs as VP Business Development EMEA.

Justin East is the Global Senior Creative Director, Research and Development at Merlin Entertainments, the world’s second biggest attractions operator and the biggest in Europe.

An award-winning professional and Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer, he has substantial experience directing strategic planning and creative design for high-growth corporations. He works globally across all Merlin’s attractions, ranging from LEGOLAND to Madame Tussauds.

Justin has held his current role since 2012. Before this, he served as group creative director at Merlin from 2007 – 2012 and spent over a decade at the LEGO Group, where his last role was as group creative director of LEGOLAND’s global family attractions in 2005.

East has been behind a raft of new product developments. These include the LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, a rollercoaster bearing Derren’s Brown’s name at Thorpe Park, the relaunch of The London Dungeon, and the redesign of Cadbury World. He has extensive knowledge and experience in bringing new technology, such as VR and robotics, into attractions.

In 2022, Merlin R&D and blooloop joined forces to hold a first-of-its-kind one-day online event, brainstorming the evolution of dark rides and inviting ideas from the next generation of innovators.

Fiona Eastwood started in sales and marketing as a Business Development Manager at the Imperial War Museum before she ventured into the BBC. Over the next 15 years, she rapidly progressed to a senior leadership level, spending time at BBC Radio 2, BBC America, BBC News, and BBC Four and Factual before stepping over to BBC Worldwide, taking on more commercial, strategic and brand-driven global roles.

Looking for her next challenge, Fiona joined Merlin Entertainments and rose to every challenge she faced, guiding their Midway and Resort Theme Parks businesses through difficult times, including the Alton Towers accident, London terror attacks, the global pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. She demonstrates an innate ability to stay calm and objective, taking informed decisions based on lessons learnt, market insight and real experiences.

One of the topics Fiona feels passionate about is the future of the UK Hospitality and Leisure sectors. After the global pandemic, businesses suffered immeasurable hardship, with many forced to close. Fiona is championing the cause to get more support from the government and speaking on panels about this topic to trigger actions and change.

In parallel, Fiona has a successful portfolio career and is an active member of many boards, and in 2023, she was appointed to UKHospitality (UKH) as a Non-Executive Director. Her integrity, honesty and natural curiosity, and enthusiasm for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) make her a valuable and authoritative voice. As a change agent, she champions business and cultural change, stimulating growth, operational excellence and organisational resilience.

Always looking to the future, Fiona is a skilled strategist who sets the strategic vision and roadmap to fuel sustainable growth and expansion worldwide. Her ability to improve performance, double EBITDA and boost revenues is unsurpassed, and she continues to lead the charge in Merlin Entertainments today, optimising the guest experience and achieving record Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and employee satisfaction.

With boundless talents, Fiona has built multinational omnichannel brands that have recorded a four-fold increase in revenue, and she explores brand expansions into live events, gaming and other channels. She is a true asset to every organisation she joins and always makes a difference.

Fernando Eiroa is the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Entertainment, the largest and most diversified entertainment group in the MENA region. Dubai Holding Entertainment’s portfolio comprises Dubai’s leading attractions and media, entertainment, and destinations such as Global Village, Motiongate, Legoland, Ain Dubai, Coc Cola Arena, Roxy Cinemas, Arabian  Radio Network, Wild Wadi, and Lapita.

Fernando has more than 20 years of experience building world-class experiences and driving innovation in the experiential entertainment industry in 18 countries.

He was CEO of the world’s largest indoor entertainment group, with more than 300 centers. Fernando also served as CEO of Parques Reunidos Groups, one of the largest theme park operators in the world, with 60 parks in 14 countries. Previously, Fernando was CEO of  Palace Entertainment in California, operating iconic parks such as Kennywood, Lake Compounce, Splish Splash, Miami Seaquarium, Sealife Hawaii, Ranging Waters, Noash’s Ark, and Dutch Wonderland.

“I am a very creative person, and I spend a great deal of time thinking about how to improve the business and which experiences to add to our portfolio,” Eiroa told Blooloop.

Winston Fisher is the chief executive officer of AREA15, a collaborative venture between real estate development firm Fisher Brothers and creative agency Beneville Studios. Prior to joining Fisher Brothers in 2000, Fisher worked as an analyst at JP Morgan Chase. After completing his tenure at Chase, he joined Heller Financial.

AREA15 is an experiential art and entertainment complex in Las Vegas, home to immersive activations, art installations, state-of-the-art technology, retail and F&B. Experiences include a permanent gallery that showcases artwork inspired by festivals, an ever-changing Japanese maple tree and canopy with more than 5,000 LED lights, and an interactive giant skull covered in 3D projection mapping. It’s also home to Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart.

“It’s a cool space; it’s entertainment, it’s amusement,” Fisher said. “We are a storytelling company. It’s a word that you hear a lot, though only a few people actually do it with authenticity.”

Opened in 2020, AREA15 is already expanding by 20 acres. he anchor tenant will be a year-round eerie experience from Universal Destinations & Experiences inspired by Halloween Horror Nights. In an interview with blooloop, Fisher said the attraction is going to be “incredible and standout”. Halloween Horror Nights, he said, is a “30-year concept that has incredible brand awareness… it’s edgy, it’s cool, it’s fun”. He added: “It’s the right concept to be part of the AREA15 district. It’s exciting”.

​​“We are very strategic about working with really strong partners and delivering on what we promise them and then building from there,” said Fisher. “We couldn’t be happier that Universal chose AREA15. And it’s going to drive traffic. Our goal is that everybody who’s in the AREA15 ecosystem prospers. We want everyone to be wildly economically successful.”

Fisher was a judge for the inaugural blooloop Innovation Awards in 2021 and joined the panel of judges again in 2022. Speaking about the awards, he said: “This collaboration is rooted in a shared philosophy; to celebrate the projects shaping the future of visitor attractions and immersive experiences.”

Ty Granaroli has been creating and producing theme parks and attractions for over 30 years. His projects include developments throughout the world, including in China, Korea, Japan, Europe, Thailand, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and North America.

Ty started his career as a writer and creative director, leading the creative development for 6 Thea Award-Winning projects, including Star Trek: The Experience, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Caesars Magical Empire, Hershey’s Really Big 3D Show, T2:3D and the M&M’s 4D attraction.
Ty’s successes includes creating projects for owner/operators Universal, Disney, Hershey and Paramount Parks, which he later joined as Vice President of Creative.

Ty opened his own design company, where he continued to design and produce outstanding attractions for a long list of international clients, with significant involvement in Warner Bros. Movie World, Abu Dhabi (another Thea Award Winner), where he created four of the main attractions and oversaw creation and production of all attraction media.

In 2018, Ty returned to Paramount to lead design, development and production for all Paramount and ViacomCBS LBE licensing projects, including the Star Trek and Nickelodeon brands. In 2020, Ty was promoted to Executive Vice President of Themed Entertainment and was also named to the Blooloop 50 Top Influencers list.

As vice president of experiential entertainment at Mall of America, Chris Grap has consistently pushed the boundaries of themed entertainment in a retail space.

Working together with the location’s IP partner, Nickelodeon Universe, he is continuing to grow and develop the on-site theme park, but his passion for themed entertainment also extends beyond the walls of Nickelodeon Universe and into the wider 5.6 million square foot Mall of America site.

He has been with Mall of America for over a decade and moved into his current role in August 2021. During his time he has led a number of successful projects, including the Webby Award-winning #Twizzard for in the Rotunda at Mall of America on Black Friday.

Speaking to blooloop about #Twizzard, one of his favourite projects, he said: “We wanted to do something strange and engaging. So we created a Twitter-activated blizzard. We created digital thermometers that began at 72 degrees, and we asked people to tweet using the hashtag #Twizzard. As people would tweet, the temperature on the thermometers would drop, reaching 32 degrees with every thousand tweets, triggering a light show and snow machines and creating an indoor blizzard.

“It was something that I was super happy with because it wasn’t about pushing a brand, but about pushing a feeling. The way that people jumped on it just to create moments for other people was unique. It gave me and the team a lot of confidence in how we could take little tropes and tell bigger stories with them.”

Chris Grap has also breathed new life into the fan-favourite log chute attraction in Nickelodeon Universe by developing holiday overlays such as the “Fog Chute” during Halloween and the “Yule Log Chute” during the holidays as well as working with IP partners such as Netflix to transform the Log Chute into the city of Hawkins for the release of Stranger Things Season 3.

He worked with Nickelodeon and Spinmaster to bring to life the popular Paw Patrol IP, concepting and developing the Adventure Bay open-play attraction in Nickelodeon Universe and is the lead designer for Mall of America’s forth-coming water park expansion, Mystery Cove.

Sayan Gulino is the Chief Executive Officer of Waterbom Bali, a botanical, boutique and
sustainable waterpark in Indonesia. He has worked with Waterbom for over 15 years, playing a
large role in bringing the park to new heights, with it being recognised several years in a row as Asia’s #1 waterpark by TripAdvisor.

Raised in Bali since he was four months old, both Sayan and his parents have since called it home.
His father, Santo Gulino founded Waterbom in 1993, and Sayan first joined the waterpark at the
young age of 13 via short stints with the operations team, from Locker Boy to Guest Relations
Officer, while pursuing his education.

Inspired to continue in his father’s footsteps, Sayan graduated with an IB Diploma from the United World College of South East Asia in 2002, a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics at the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Tourism Management and Entrepreneurship at Curtin University of Technology.

Following his studies, Sayan returned to Bali and joined Waterbom as the Operations Manager in
2008 and worked his way up through the business until he was appointed CEO in 2017.

His commitment to sustainability is driven by the very same sentiment that made his father
Santo determined not to cut down a single tree in the construction of the waterpark: to not
detract from the value of Bali and to protect their island home.

Such is his passion, he delivered a TEDxUbud talk in 2014 titled ‘Running out of water, running out of time’ to bring awareness to Bali’s water crisis, and in 2018 he spearheaded the release of a short documentary on the same issue, titled ‘Balancing the Waters’. The film also focuses on Waterbom Bali as an example of how sustainable business practices can result in returns.

In 2023, Sayan oversaw the expansion of the park which saw the addition of 1.3 hectares featuring
a new lagoon-style pool, 4 new slides, poolside gazebos, a cafe, and a coffee shop, all with
sustainability at its core. As CEO, he worked closely with sustainability consultants on every detail
in the design to reduce their footprint and support the park’s sustainability goals, which focused on energy and water-saving initiatives, alongside waste management and reduction, to work
toward Waterbom’s net-zero goals.

“Eco-tourism, sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint has always been the core of
Waterbom Bali. We have consciously developed the waterpark to compliment the natural
environment, introducing business practices that reduce waste while protecting Bali’s natural
resources. As a business leader it is important to be passionate and believe in these values
which will create a ripple effect amongst employees, inspiring and encouraging them to act the
same and be mindful about the environment.” – Sayan Gulino

Few people realise that sustainability is inherently present in the Balinese Hindu philosophy of Tri
Hita Karana, which encourages harmony between people, nature and spirituality. This philosophy
has been a cornerstone of the corporate culture at Waterbom Bali, and a sentiment that Sayan
connects with on a personal level in his everyday life.

Eleanor Harris is the Director of  I-Xperience, a visitor attraction marketing and business consultancy working with museum, cultural and  leisure attractions businesses. It helps its clients to become more profitable, develop new income streams and to attract more visitors.

With extensive experience working with major attractions, from London Zoo to Royal Museums Greenwich, Eleanor is also a Director of British Airways i360, Brighton’s most visited paid-for attraction and was CEO during its opening (2014-2016).

Edward Hiskins is the Founder of Assetnest by Pole Star EAM, the revolutionary asset management solution dedicated to the Attractions and Leisure industry. Pole Star is the trusted leader in physical asset management with over 50 systems serving Rail, Highways, Infrastructure, Utilities, and Attractions & Leisure industries.

Edward started the company in 2011 with a vision to provide a digital asset management platform for large asset management clients. He is a civil engineer and asset manager at heart with a passion for delivering new products to market.

Understanding the unique challenges faced by the industry, Edward recognised a crucial need in the amusement and leisure sector for a simpler asset management solution. Edward and the team embarked on a mission to design a groundbreaking solution that would cater specifically to the amusement and leisure realm. Thus, Assetnest was born – a revolutionary, user-friendly, and cost-effective digital asset management system tailored to suit the diverse needs of the market.

Tony Holzner is Chief Creative Officer and Co-founder of Art Processors, an experiential design and technology company known for their novel approaches to audience engagement in the cultural tourism sector. Tony is passionate about combining the worlds of design, technology and storytelling to challenge the status quo and create meaningful change.

His journey at Art Processors includes the pioneering work for the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) to create The O, the widely acclaimed interactive guide designed to replace traditional artwork wall labels. He now heads up the Art Processors Creative Services team with a diverse portfolio of local and international clients that includes the Sydney Opera House, National Museum of Australia, The Getty and WA Museum Boola Bardip.

Vince Kadlubek co-founded Meow Wolf, an arts complex that captured the public’s imagination so much that it became a profitable business. Meow Wolf’s latest permanent exhibition, Convergence Station, launched in Denver in 2021. The psychedelic attraction follows the House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe and Omega Mart at AREA15 in Las Vegas.

Non-linear storytelling is key to the experience at this award-winning attraction, which also stages after hours concerts, parties and events. Meow Wolf has been described has an innovative take on an amusement park funhouse.

Meow Wolf is also heading to Texas, with two new permanent installations opening in a shopping mall in Grapevine and the Fifth Ward of Houston in 2023 and 2024.

Asa Kalama is an Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering where he oversees the development of immersive rides and interactive attractions as well as new experiences designed to entertain guests beyond-the-berm. He recently lead the global teams behind the THEA Award winning Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the land-wide interactive program for Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

Prior to this role, Asa spent over a decade at Walt Disney Imagineering, Research & Development. With a mandate to develop new tools, technologies and techniques for the greater Walt Disney Company, he had the unique opportunity to contribute his talents to the Park and Resorts, Consumer Products, Interactive and Media Networks business segments. Asa also oversaw Advanced Development’s Narrative Experience Portfolio that focused on interactive story-telling and role-play.

Asa attended the University of California Los Angeles where he studied design at the school of Theater, Film, and Television. Many of his formative years prior to working with Walt Disney Imagineering were spent in darkened theaters both on and backstage; an experience in performing arts that allows Asa to bring a unique perspective to thematic storytelling.

Eddie Kemsley is a strategy and development specialist with expertise in destination creation, driving value and fundraising.

CEO Dreamland, Margate and Board Director Margate Estates Ltd, a development company with a portfolio of entertainment facilities, live music venues, property and sites with mixed use potential.  Eddie’s driving a development strategy to diversify this seafront portfolio to create a year-round arts and culture destination. 

Previous senior roles include Kidzania, London; Port Lympne Reserve and Howletts Wildlife Park,  The Hop Farm, Kent and Dreamland, Margate.

On BALPPA’s ManCom since 2014 and regular speaker at key expos and conferences;  IAAPA, Lappset, Family Attraction Expo, LeisurUp, MAPIC.  Eddie is also a founding member of World Experience Organisation, (WXO), a global institution improving the quality of experiences and promoting the experience economy.

Raed Kuhail is the Executive Director of Digital and Information Technology at Miral. With over 23 years of experience in the industry, Raed joined Miral in 2023 to lead the company’s Digital & Data Transformation program and has since developed Miral’s Digital and Technology Strategy. He is responsible for monitoring the progress of the projects portfolio and facilitates the planning, development, implementation and maintenance of appropriate continuity plans for the IT infrastructure.

Before joining Miral, Raed was the Executive Director of Information Technology at Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing where he developed and implemented the Technology and Digital Strategy of the entire tourism sector in Dubai. Raed’s vast experience has seen him as Information Technology – Vice President, Applications and Business Solutions at Al Hilal Bank in Abu Dhabi and Senior Consultant at Emirates Airlines Technology Center in Dubai.

Raed graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a BS degree in Engineering Science.

Rachel Kuhn is an Associate Director at BOP Consulting, a global consulting practice specialising in culture and the creative economy.

Rachel has extensive experience in planning and opening exciting cultural venues and destinations. Leading BOP’s Strategy and Master Planning work, she helps the firm’s clients to realise significant transformation projects including strategic development and capital projects.

Her specialisms include strategic, business, commercial and operational planning. She’s an expert on visitor experience and operations in museums, galleries, and visitor attractions. She is also a proud trustee of Kids in Museums.

In March 2023 Ike Kwon became Executive Vice President & COO of the Field Museum, a world-class science and research institution.

From 2008 to 2023, Kwon was with the California Academy of Sciences, initially taking on the position of director of guest services for the opening team. In this role, he played a key role in leading the museum’s public-facing operation as the Golden Gate Park facility reopened following a five year, $485million build of the LEED double Platinum facility.

Following this, he was promoted to director of guest operations in 2010 and to the role of general manager in 2012. He has served as the museum’s chief operating officer since 2015, taking on the additional role of head of government affairs in 2018. This means he now also works to secure city funds and to boost the institution’s influence in public policy matters related to organizational priorities.

Before joining the popular science museum, he worked for the Museum of Science Industry in Chicago and at the Walt Disney Company.

The California Academy of Sciences is home to a rainforest, a planetarium, an aquarium and a natural history museum all under a unique Living Roof and is one of the greenest museums on the planet. In 2021, blooloop named the institution in its list of the world’s most sustainable museums, and Kwon also spoke at the inaugural greenloop conference, addressing a session on museum sustainability strategies, successes, and challenges.

The Living Roof is also surrounded by solar panels. It catches excess stormwater, provides insulation to reduce energy consumption and transforms carbon dioxide into oxygen. It is home to around 1.7 million plants, which also makes it a haven for birds, insects and more. The museum building, designed by Renzo Piano, has many different sustainable features and is filled with natural light. It hosts around 40,000 living animals like penguins, stingrays, and octopuses.

Nick Laister is the owner of Fairytale Farm in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, an award-winning farm attraction aimed at families with young children. When it opened in 2013, it was the first mainstream visitor attraction to be designed around the needs of children with disabilities.

Nick is Managing Director of Laister Planning and is the leading planning consultant in the UK providing planning advice to owners and operators of visitor attractions, holiday parks and park home developments. Nick advises a large number of UK theme parks, zoos, farm parks and heritage attractions.

Nick is also founder and former chair of the Dreamland Heritage Trust, which secured funding for the restoration and reopening of the Dreamland Amusement Park in Margate, Kent.

Chris Lange is the founder and creative force behind Creative Studio Berlin. As an award-winning Creative Executive, he is part of the themed entertainment industry for twenty-plus years.

He is proud of the many unique and exciting visitor experiences he has created for audiences of all ages around the world. Throughout his career, Chris has led international design and installation teams across the globe.

As a former Creative Executive at Europa-Park, Chris introduced a new era of storytelling and show quality to the park. Chris was responsible for all new stories, designs, and implementation of over 30 projects, including the highly themed “Rulantica” water park and “Kronasar” hotel.

Before working for Europe‘s second-largest resort, Chris worked internationally on projects like 20th Century Fox World Malaysia, Adlab‘s Imagica Mumbai, LEGOLAND California, and midway brands such as SEA-LIFE aquariums, the Dungeons or LEGOLAND Discovery Center.

Currently, Chris is working as Creative Executive globally on various Local Based Entertainment and Resort Development projects. Chris is also a regular guest speaker on expert panels at industry events like TEA SATE, or IAAPA. He proudly serves the Themed Entertainment Association on the International Board of Directors.

Helen Lockhart is the conservation and sustainability manager for the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa, where she has worked since 1995. Lockhart is currently responsible for managing the aquarium’s environmental impact. This includes developing and implementing the aquarium’s sustainability strategy, minimising its ecological footprint, and raising staff and public awareness around sustainability through communication platforms, exhibits and environmental campaigns.

“I feel a deep connection to the ocean and all of nature. It is my only home and part of my extended family. It is what gives me life. Although I grew up far away from the sea it has been an integral part of my life for the past 30 years as not only do I now live close to it, but I also work in the field of ocean conservation. The plants and animals of the marine realm continually astound me and teach me new things. I am also inspired by the many people who have dedicated their lives to protecting the ocean,” Lockhart said.

She recently contributed to and edited WAZA’s guide on reducing, measuring and offsetting carbon, which launched in October 2022. The guide was written by professionals in zoos and aquariums around the world. She also contributed to WAZA’s short guide on how to reduce single-use plastics at zoos and aquariums, and was a speaker at greenloop 2023.

Additionally, she is a member of the WAZA carbon subcommittee. Both guides are free to download and provide tips, guidance, advice and practical steps to follow. “The credibility of our messages and even the legitimacy of our existence is at stake if we don’t reduce our own emissions,” said Lockhart.

Håkon Lund has a law degree (UIO) and an MBA (NHH). In addition, he has completed various subjects within entrepreneurship and tourism development from schools such as Cornell, Harvard, LBS, and the University of Stavanger.

Håkon is the owner and 4th generation of the Lund Group, established in 1895, operating in Scandinavia. The company is behind brands such as Kongeparken, Skånes Djurpark, Lunds Tivoli, Landstreffet, Palmesus, Jul i Vinterland, Festdager, Drammen Elvefestival etc. The company had a total of 3.5 million guests in 2022.

The common denominator for the group is that it focuses on creating unique guest experiences. Lund Gruppen has won THEA Award (USA) twice for “the world’s best new attraction” and many other international, national, and regional awards. Håkon believes in value-based leadership, history-driven innovation processes, and family stewardship. Håkon has been shortlisted as EY Entrepreneur of the year and serves at different board positions.

Amanda Mayne is responsible for partnership development within the international touring exhibitions department of the British Museum, bringing the museum’s vast collection to audiences across the world.

With over 8 million objects , the museum has a wide-ranging programme of travelling exhibitions, with up to 14 openings a year. Exhibitions have included Egyptian mummies, Rome: city and empire; Italian Renaissance drawings; Ancient Greeks; an age of luxury: the Assyrians to Alexander, and Goddess, celebrating the power and diversity of the divine female in belief through the ages.

Mayne joined the British Museum in 2007 from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. She is Co-Chair of the International Committee of Exhibition Exchange (ICEE) and has been on the committees’ board since 2016.

Erica McCay is a writer and designer of stories that connect people and place. Her work has spanned the fields of interactive theme parks, theatre, and play-based education since 2005.

Erica spent seven years working as an interactive experience designer for Universal Creative, including as the lead designer for the interactive wand experience in Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood and as co-lead designer for the land-wide game in Thea award-winning Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Orlando Resort.

She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Stetson University and is an inventor on multiple patents including “Interactive gaming system” and “Systems and methods for a connected augmented environment.”

As Creative Director for Valtech’s Themed Entertainment Studio, Erica continues to design interactive attractions and lands for industry leading themed entertainment clients. Her “7 Principles for Creating Immersive Worlds” can be read on Medium here: https://medium.com/@erica.mccay/7-principles-for-creating-immersive-worlds-6c2e88ab900a

Paul Moreton is the Group Creative Director for Merlin Entertainments. Merlin is Europe’s number one and the World’s second-largest visitor attraction operator.

He runs the ‘Creating the Magic’ department of Merlin Magic Making (MMM): the creative, delivery and production arm of Merlin Entertainments.

Paul and his team create new attractions across Merlin’s entire estate. Working closely with colleagues in MMM and the Operating Groups, these new concepts are then bought to life in a range of stunning attractions, rides and experiences.

He also oversees the Research & Development and New Brands team focusing on new format development, as well as the Intellectual Property division of the business.

His remit includes the creative development of all new LEGOLAND Resorts including the recently opened LEGOLAND New York Resort, plus the development of all new LEGOLAND Discovery Centres.

In addition, Paul’s team develop all new rides, attractions and accommodation at Alton Towers, Gardaland, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park and Heide Park Resorts.

Paul has been in his current role for 10 years. Previously he spent almost a decade in the television industry in the UK. His earlier career was in marketing, in a variety of roles in the UK and US including launching the iconic London Eye and as Marketing Director for Madame Tussuads.

Tim Morrow is a graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio and San Antonio College. Prior to joining San Antonio Zoo in December 2014, Tim had a 24-year career in the theme park industry, which included the opening of several theme parks, including Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, Parque Plaza Sésamo in Monterrey, Mexico, Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida and most recently Aquatica Waterpark in San Antonio, Texas.

He currently serves as the President & CEO of San Antonio Zoological Society, which operates San Antonio Zoo, Will Smith Zoo School, the Center for Conservation and Research, Kiddie Park, Edutainment, and Starbucks. Tim leads a team of ten executives who oversee more than 700 employees, 400+ volunteers, and care for hundreds of animal species, some of which are threatened, endangered, or extinct in the wild.

Tim’s vision to take San Antonio Zoo to new heights began with investing over $60 million dollars since his arrival at the zoo. Over that time, more than 150 animal habitats have been improved, including several large-scale renovations. These renovations and reimaginings include a new realm, NEOTROPICA, featuring a unique cat-walk system that allowed the jaguars 120% more habitat space, a new savanna for giraffes, expanding and improving the elephant habitat, and redesigning and expanding both the African lion and rhino habitats. In January 2018, the zoo’s preschool for children, Will Smith Zoo School, opened on its new campus, becoming the largest nature-based preschool in the country and the most significant investment in the Society’s history. In June 2019, Will Smith Zoo School was awarded LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the first for a preschool in the country. Tim has served and continues to serve on boards for several organizations. Currently, Tim sits on the Executive Board for the International Elephant Foundation as its Past President and on the board for Texas Travel Alliance as Treasurer and Officer. Additionally, he sits on the boards for Visit San Antonio, San Antonio Visitor Alliance, UTSA Alumni Association, Young Presidents Organization’s San Antonio Chapter, Zoo Conservation Outreach Group, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Sports, International Iguana Foundation, and the Urban Outreach Advisory Committee for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

While away from the “office,” Tim cheers on the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Cowboys, and he enjoys traveling with his wife Jennifer and children.

Anna Musun-Miller’s career in conservation began with a question: who wrote the exhibit signs she saw as a teen volunteer at Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas? The answer led her to a decades-long passion for telling stories about animals, museums and the natural world.

As Canopy’s director of planning, she asks meaningful questions of clients and their stakeholders to identify the shared visions and values that will define the direction of the organization. Her detailed strategic plans plot the story of an organization’s future, with objectives, distinct actions and measurable results so clients can celebrate when they’ve achieved success; her passion for interpretive planning gives clients a central story and voice that helps them achieve their mission.

Anna has been blending stories and science since her school days where she double majored in anthropology and English at Vanderbilt University, and then completed a master’s degree in museum studies at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. She has expertise in strategic and interpretive planning, content development, and evaluation training and planning.

She worked for 15 years as an exhibit developer, curator, and manager creating guest experiences that connect people to an organization’s mission. As an independent consultant, she assisted institutions of every size and every stage of development, from just erecting steel to 160 years and counting. She’s worked on projects with zoos, aquariums, children’s museums, living history sites, National Heritage Areas, public television stations, and museums of art, history and culture. 

Anna’s passion for doing work that is meaningful underlies her commitment to Canopy’s clients. She believes that by contributing to their success, she’s playing a small part in creating a better future for our planet.

Judith Owens is Chief Executive at TBL International Ltd (TBL), the parent company to the award-winning Titanic Belfast, SS Nomadic and the TEC. With experience spanning over three decades, unrivalled knowledge of the tourism and events industry and an exceptional track record, she is one of UK’s the most experienced and established management professionals.

Currently serving on the board of Visit Belfast, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) and as chair of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance (NITA), as well as being a co-founder of Hospitality and Tourism Skills (HATS), a collaborative network set up to attract and retain talent in the sector, .Judith is passionate about her ambassadorial role in driving the tourism sector and its valuable contribution to the NI economy.

Judith’s leadership, commitment and expertise has seen Titanic Belfast go from strength to strength, welcoming over 7 million visitors from 145 countries, winning ‘World’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ at the World Travel Awards and seeing the attraction contribute £430m in additional spend back into the NI economy in its first 10 years. Having recently spearheaded an ambitious £4.7m transformation of the Titanic Experience, Judith has led the team in creating a rich and immersive visitor experience cementing Titanic Belfast’s place as a world-class, ‘must-see’ global visitor attraction for years to come.

Prior to her role as Chief Executive at TBL, Judith as Operations Director oversaw the daily operations and strategic planning for all three of TBL’s venues ensuring a consistent and seamless five-star service. Judith also managed the Waterfront & Ulster Hall for 14 years and worked in UTV, one of Northern Ireland’s largest broadcasting houses.

Jeff Parker is the creative lead for the R&D department at Merlin Entertainments, a position he has held since 2018, prior to this he had a number of roles within the company, from concept artist and visualiser on the Sea Life brand, then delivering aquariums in Jesolo, Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando.

He then went on to design the first two Little Big City attractions in Berlin and Beijing.

His most recent projects have been creating new IP concepts for the Merlin brand, including the implementation of Animal Treasure Island as a Pirate based water ride into Gardaland Italy, he helped create compelling propositions for new LEGOLAND second gates, including LEGOLAND Mini-Golf which is under construction for a 2024 opening.

He was also instrumental in forming Merlin Ventures, a new branch of the R&D department looking specifically at exciting new pop-up attractions in the world of immersive theatre, immersive dinning, competitive socialising, ‘artertainment’ and free roaming VR, aiming to partner and invest with them.

David Rosenberg is VP, Guest Experience at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. His responsibilities include  daily operations, public and fee based programming, volunteer docent programs and interpretive training. He is also is chairman of the aquarium’s Visitor Experience Steering Committee.

David was Chairman of the Board for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) 2018 to 19 and is award winning community leader, keynote speaker and a passionate contributor to the global visitor attractions industry.

Evi Sari is VP of Location-Based Entertainment for WildBrain CPLG, a world-leading entertainment, sport, and lifestyle brand licensing agency.

Working with WildBrain’s own brands, including Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, and Strawberry Shortcake, as well as third-party IP such as SEGA and the iconic toy brand Playmobil, Sari draws on deep industry expertise to partner IP with unique experiences. Previously, she was VP of LBE at Paramount Consumer Products and Experiences, overseeing partnerships in Asia for Paramount, Nickelodeon, MTV, and CBS franchises.

Trained as an architect, Evi managed production design for Chinese film and theatrical co-productions before joining the attractions industry. She was head of Tim Yip Studio, the Oscar-winning creative team behind “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” directed by Ang Lee. Evi worked on signature projects ranging from “Red Cliff, a blockbuster directed by John Woo, the Netflix series “Marco Polo,” and the water show spectacular “The Han Show” directed by Franco Dragone for the Wanda Group, to an avant-garde art installation for the Festival of China jointly presented in Washington D.C. by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Kennedy Center.

She frequently speaks at industry conferences, bringing practical knowledge and deep perspectives on Asia’s DE&I, cross-cultural professional practices, and IP partnerships. Growing up surrounded by cultures different from her own, Evi brings cultural competency to business and technical understanding – committed to transforming international brands into immersive visitor experiences in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, exciting markets for the global attractions industry.

Lisbeth Skrumsager is Head of Global Design for The LEGO Group. She brings the LEGO brand to life with Merlin Entertainments, Europe’s number one and the World’s second-largest visitor attraction operator.

Since the creation of the first LEGOLAND® theme park in Billund in 1968, the LEGO Group has continually expanded its footprint in the leisure-based entertainment category, bringing joy to children and families across the globe. Since 2014 Lisbeth has co-created, supported and directed projects across the now more than 38 global LEGOLAND estates.

Lisbeth is trained as an architect and holds a mini-MBA.  As Head of Global Design at the LEGO Merlin Partnership team, Lisbeth oversees the day-to-day creative co-creation with Merlin Entertainments and drives innovation, taking the LEGO toy product experience to a new immersive dimension.

Under her leadership new standards and processes were established to elevate and deliver a more consistent LEGO brand experience.

Lisbeth shares: “I am excited about the unique LBE opportunities: Through our shared test-and-learn approach we explore new territories for our brand, our partners and our millions of guests”. 

Linda Spurdle is the Head of Digital at Birmingham Museums Trust and a Blooloop 50 Museum Influencer. At the Trust she manages digital strategy, digital engagement and ICT. She is committed to increasing access to its collections and images.

She was behind Birmingham Museum’s first open-access policy. This made it the only museum in the UK that made all of its out-of-copyright artworks available for free under a Creative Commons Zero License.

This resulted in thousands of images being viewed millions or times and downloaded in the hundreds of thousands, a development that was especially important during lockdown.

As a result, the museum has been more digitally engaged than ever. Despite the pandemic, new projects have focused on community, well being and creativity.

Spurdle has always championed new and creative new ways for visitors to engage with the museum. To this end she has recently  run a series of hacks and workshops.

Mark Stutzman serves as chief technology officer (CTO) for AREA15, the world’s first purpose-built immersive entertainment district offering live events, distinctive attractions, interactive art installations, extraordinary design elements, unique retail, ground-breaking technology, bars and eateries and much more. With a location in Las Vegas just minutes from the Strip, AREA15 offers a robust, ever-changing roster of concert events, art exhibitions, out-of-this-world nightlife and boundary-pushing production shows.

As CTO of AREA15, Stutzman is responsible for developing and implementing the technology and digital strategies to drive innovative solutions, optimize efficiencies, and achieve overall business goals. In addition, Stutzman is accountable for developing, acquiring, and deploying technology infrastructures that create compelling and immersive guest and consumer experiences, enhance marketing and sales capabilities, and streamline digital solutions for the company’s future.

Stutzman is an experienced entrepreneur and product executive with over 20 years experience delivering elegant, effective, scalable applications. As a digital strategist, product specialist and executive technologist, Mark plays a critical role in continually evolving strategic product and technical direction.

Stutzman’s focus throughout his career has been primarily on high-technology startups where he has held the roles of CEO, CIO, CTO, and CPO. Mark is the former CPO of Wylei and AI Marketing optimization company, CEO/CTO of Appmobi, CEO/CTO and founder of Digital Variant, CIO and PoinOne, a clinical genetic startup, CTO at Bolt.com, and Executive Director of Technology at Outpost.com. His career began at IBM, where he was responsible for building IBM’s first direct sales, online commerce site, ShopIBM.

For over 30 years, Sarah Sutton has led the US museum sector in sustainability and climate action.

She is CEO of Environment and Culture Partners, a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening and broadening the environmental leadership of the cultural sector. She co-founded the company in 2021 with Stephanie Shapiro.

She is the co-author of “The Green Museum: A Primer on Environmental Practice”, published in 2008, and was also a founding board member of AAM’s Professional Network dedicated to sustainability.

Sutton was recognised with the AAM Environment and Climate Network’s first Individual Impact Award in 2019. She was the plenary speaker for the International Council of Museums and represented the US Cultural Sector’s climate work at COP25. Sutton was one of 100 global representatives invited to advise ICOMOS-IPCC-UNESCO on the role of cultural heritage in IPCC Assessments, and also represented the US cultural sector at COP26.

She was voted into the Blooloop 50 Museum Influencer list for 2022.

Frederica Swallow is the Regional Manager EMEA for Live Events and Location Based Entertainment for Mattel. Frederica leads the events team across Theme Parks and Permanent Attractions, Live Entertainment, Hospitality, and Exhibitions. With brands such as Barbie™, Hot Wheels™ and Thomas & Friends™ in the Mattel portfolio Frederica is an expert at creating memorable consumer experiences which empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Frederica is a specialist in creative project management and has launched attractions such as ‘Thomas & Percy’s Submarine Splash’ at Drayton Manor Resort, the world’s first ‘All Engines Go’ theme park ride and Barbie You Can Be Anything: The Experience following the success of the box-office hit. Previously Frederica managed global events and marketing for the Virgin Racing Formula-E team, before leading the Sales, Events and Groups team for Hyatt UK as Events & Groups Director. Frederica has been in the industry over ten years since her graduation from the University of Nottingham.

Steve Tatham is Executive Creative Director at Universal Creative, leading the creative efforts on a major new theme park slated to open in 2025.

Previously, he held the position of Vice President Creative at Universal Studios Japan, and Principal Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development. He was at Disney for 28 years and has been at Universal for eight. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (AMDP, ‘23) and holds a Masters in Architecture from UCLA and a BA in set design from UC Berkeley.

Steve was selected by Blooloop as one of the world’s “Top 50 Theme Park Influencers.” He has been awarded several THEA Awards for his theme park work, and his graphic novel, “Repuglicans” was selected as one of the 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2010 by the Village Voice. He was honored by the LA Weekly as one of Los Angeles’ “People of 2008” for his groundbreaking work on his daily internet comedy show, “The Ointment.” For more, visit www.stevetatham.com.

Christine Wacker currently serves as the Director of Business Development for the Live Experiences team at Netflix, where she leads a team responsible for forging relationships with best in class partners to bring Netflix IP to life through innovative out-of-the-home experiences for members around the globe.

Under her tenure, the team has expanded into new regions with innovative experiences, such as Stranger Things: The Encounter in Singapore, La Casa De Papel in Saudi Arabia, Stranger Things Immersive Retail in Brazil, and Squid Games VR at 40 Sandbox locations worldwide.  

Prior to joining Netflix, Christine was Vice President of Location Based Experiences for Discovery Inc, where she had oversight of many of Discovery’s direct-to-consumer and licensed businesses, such as retail stores, e-commerce, consumer products, and live entertainment. While there she oversaw the expansion of Discovery branded products, experiences in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

She also successfully launched the Cake Boss Café in NYC in partnership with Buddy Valastro, a global partnership with Global Hotel Alliance for Discovery branded category of hotels, and the Discovery at SEA partnership with Princess Cruises. In 2019, Christine was named a Blooloop Top 50 Global Influencer in recognition of her creativity, passion, and drive that helped shape and improve the themed entertainment industry.

Benjamin Walravens is an attraction designer and show producer in the theme park industry. From a 3D animator position at Alterface for pre-rendered and real-time content, he moved to designing interactive attractions, hereby merging storytelling and gameplay into a coherent and immersive experience. Benjamin also supervises the outsourced media and theming production of turnkey attractions, co-ordinating show control, lighting and media integration with all involved parties.

Megan Wastell is Global Creative Director for Merlin Entertainments, Europe’s largest and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator. There she leads the creative team who work across Merlin’s 140+ global attractions, partnering with a range of IPs including LEGO, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Magic Light Entertainment and HASBRO.

A former Sky and MTV executive, Megan joined Merlin from her previous role as Director of Products & Podcasts at London’s Global Radio, Europe’s largest commercial radio company.

She has more than 20 years of experience in the media and entertainments industry, with previous roles including Head of Creative Strategy for Sky Creative, Sky’s 300+ strong in-house creative agency. Prior to Sky, Megan ran the mobile division of MTV Entertainment Group in New York.

Olly Wood is Director of Adventure & Sport at Red Sea Global (RSG), one of the world’s most visionary developers of tourism destinations that are both luxurious and regenerative. 

Since joining RSG in July 2022, Olly has played a pivotal role in shaping the unique character of our destinations through carefully curated experiences, robust infrastructure, and seamless operations. His creative contributions are deeply rooted in the unique character of each destination and the rich history of Saudi Arabia, and he takes pride in creating unforgettable moments that forge deep connections between people and the destinations. 

Olly has always had a great interest in how we can do things better, from manufacturing to operations. In this role, he is able to offer truly impactful solutions by working with RSG’s engineers and scientists to design and deliver on these ideas. 

His team’s responsibilities span the entire spectrum of RSG’s endeavors, from the initial concept and masterplan to construction, ongoing operations, and the training of future leaders in the active lifestyle sector within the Kingdom. The team has introduced remarkable ventures such as RSG’s adventure subsidiaries, which aim to provide extraordinary above and below-water experiences and inland adventures, all in alignment with our commitment to regeneration for both people and the planet.

Before joining RSG, Olly co-founded Holla Sonic, an award-winning agency with an impressive client roster, including Expo 2020, Saudi Aramco, Mercedes, Reckitt Benckiser, Tencent, Emirates, Spotify, Red Bull, and adidas. Throughout his career, Olly has been a driving force in adventure and tourism through his work in events and stakeholder collaboration in the Gulf.