Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld to Hold an Intimate Conversation with Phil Hettema at Sate’14

Sep 10, 2014 Joe Kleiman Attractions, Business, Events, News, People 0

Burbank, CA, USA (Sept 10, 2014) — “The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) enthusiastically welcomes Kenneth Feld, CEO of Feld Entertainment Inc., as headline speaker of SATE ’14, the design conference for the visitor attractions industry, Oct 2-3 at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, FL,” said TEA President Christine Kerr of BaAM Productions. “Feld’s presence, with SATE hosted this year by FSU at the Ringling, marks the resonance of circus and performing arts with the art of themed entertainment – and with today’s state-of-the-art, branded entertainment experiences as exemplified by Feld’s partnerships in such productions as Disney On Ice and Marvel Universe LIVE!”

“A conversation with Kenneth Feld” will be an ‘Inside the Actors Studio’-type, onstage interview and meeting of minds between Kenneth Feld and acclaimed entertainment designer Phil Hettema of The Hettema Group, SATE storytelling chair, at 11:30 am on Thurs., Oct 2 in the Mertz Theatre at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The session is open to all registered SATE ’14 delegates.

“SATE is a platform for candid discussion with some of the most distinguished people in our business – our own industry superstars. There’s great synergy here, made clear by Kenneth Feld’s own words: ‘Our productions create memories, stimulate the imagination and touch the heart. It’s all about people connecting and communicating,’” said Aram Ebben of exp, who co-chairs SATE ’14 with Stefan Lawrence of Rethink Leisure & Entertainment.

SATE (Storytelling, Architecture, Technology, Experience), organized by TEA and presented by Christie and Electrosonic, brings together creatives, producers, owners and operators in the international visitor attractions industry to explore the creation of compelling places and experiences for entertainment, education, retail and branding. SATE ’14 is hosted Oct 2-3 by Florida State University at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida USA.

SATE offers networking opportunities to professionals and to students wishing to build careers in themed entertainment, with some scholarships available. For registration links, program and more info, visit the official SATE blog. Hashtag: #TEAsate

Kenneth Feld
Chairman and CEO, Feld Entertainment Inc.
“Our only limits are our imaginations, and I want our audiences to reconnect to that part of them that makes each one of us unique and powerful,” says Kenneth Feld. Kenneth was a sophomore at Boston University when his father, entertainment impresario Irvin Feld, purchased Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 1967 and celebrated that feat by staging a signing ceremony at the Colosseum in Rome. After earning his degree in business management in 1970, Kenneth began what he calls his “graduate education” by working side by side with his father in all facets of the company to learnthe live entertainment industry. After Irvin passed away in 1984, Kenneth assumed the role of CEO, and Feld Entertainment has grown exponentially under his watch. Today Feld Entertainment is still a family-owned and operated company with performances appearing in more than 75 countries. Kenneth is the second generation of the family in the business and he has been joined by his three daughters, Nicole, Alana and Juliette, who represent the third generation of the family with the company.

Phil Hettema
President & Creative Executive, The Hettema Group
Phil Hettema has directed the design and production of numerous theme park rides and shows, cultural attractions and museum exhibits over 35+ years. The Hettema Group is known for attractions that maximize guest experience through innovative storytelling, compelling technology and a commitment to emotional resonance. Recent projects include The One World Observatory, currently under construction at the new World TradeCenter in New York City, the High Roller observation wheel for Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas, “Dragons Wild Shooting” at Lotte World, South Korea and the USA pavilion atYeosu Expo 2012. Previously, Hettema was Senior Vice President, Attraction Development for Universal Studios Theme Parks Worldwide for 14 years. He began his career as a designer at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

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