Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Sessions and Speakers announced for SATE 19 in Seattle (includes bonus: past appearances in InPark Magazine by some of the speakers)

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) has announced sessions and speakers for TEA SATE, taking place in Seattle, September 26-27, 2019. TEA SATE is the Themed Entertainment Association‘s signature international conference on Experience Design, bringing together the brightest minds and top decision makers to explore what’s next in Storytelling, Architecture, Technology, and Experience (the four pillars of SATE). The TEA SATE – Seattle theme is “Embracing Diversity.”  

SATE 19 Sessions:

Go Beyond Being an Ally. Be an Accomplice – Allies work on the individual level. Accomplices help dismantle oppressive and inequitable structures. This session will present immediately actionable steps that can be taken to move beyond diversity and towards meaningful inclusion, equity, and justice for all marginalized communities. – Cynthia Sharpe, Thinkwell Group

Dive into Equitable EduTainment: Communicating Culturally Responsive Conservation – This presentation features the Seattle Aquarium interpretive dive program as a model to highlight culturally responsive steps that communicators from all industries can embrace. These practices have been shown to promote inclusive narratives that both incite wonder and invite community action. – Lindsay Holladay Van Damme, Seattle Aquarium

Culture War: What Experience Designers Can Learn from Special Operations Training – What does it take to teach twenty-four soldiers fourteen languages and deploy them to ten countries? It’s not just time and money. Learn how soldiers build teams, master cultural awareness, and develop critical thinking skills by combining storytelling with a complex adaptive training environment. – Daniel Gomez, First Person Xperience, LLC

Blurring Realities: What Drives Us into Other Worlds – For as long as we’ve been human, we’ve attempted to immerse ourselves in other worlds prompting us to ask ourselves whether this is “hard-wired” by our evolution or some function of our cultures. A diverse panel of experience creators will explore the psychology of immersive, aiming to understand this human need as it relates to our work across industries, from retail to theme parks and social justice to theatre. – Trent Oliver, Blue Telescope; Mark Harris, Second Story Interactive Studios

Folktales and Bedtime Stories: How Cultural Perspectives Shape Creative Teams and Their Work – Three female artists from the US, Pakistan, and Iran explore the role cultural perspective plays in making authentic, exciting work for an increasingly sophisticated audience. With credits in television, advertising, and spectacle theater, each artist brings a unique set of experiences working inside and outside her culture. – Lacy Katherine Campbell, Freelance Writer & Director; Aisha Malik, Researcher & Writer; Nazanin Mehraein, Creative Director & Visual Artist

Art and the 3D Artifact: Makerspaces and Value of Collective Curiosity – The maker movement influences a broad spectrum of activity including education, commerce, and entertainment. Imagine an attraction (Story) where an artifact you created was essential to the enjoyment of that attraction. Now imagine a makerspace (Architecture) where such an artifact can be created using new tools (Technology) while gaining the (Experience) that comes through creative process. Hear how makerspaces bring people together to explore the profound experience of making things that will affect our future in ways we can only begin to envision. John D. Hogan M.Ed., JDH Design

Come to Your Senses: Improving Access for Guests with Vision or Hearing Disabilities – With the onset of technologies such as 3D, VR, and AR, entertainment and cultural attractions are pushing the boundaries of experience in unprecedented ways. But as we create immersive environments that are increasingly visual and auditory, are we creating unintended barriers for visitors with vision or hearing disabilities? This moderated panel discussion will explore how, through universal design practices and thoughtful U/X interfaces, we can engage one sense to compensate for another. The result? Memorable experiences that can be heard, seen, felt and enjoyed by visitors regardless of vision or hearing ability. Clara Rice, JRA (moderator); Joe Fox PMP, EXP; Shannon Dedman, Beaudry Interactive LLC; Vince Fung, Ultrahaptics Inc.; Stephen Thomas Cavit, Iconic Sound & Music; Kathryn Woodcock, PhD, CCPE, ICAE, Peng, Ryerson University and Thrill Lab 

The Greatest Story Ever Told – What’s the number one tourist attraction in Abu Dhabi? Hint: it’s not a theme park or museum. From the Grand Mosque to the Vatican and from the Museum of the Bible to Singapore’s Haw Par Villa, when it comes to cause-driven experiences, faith is arguably the biggest cause of them all. This session brings together a marketer, architect, writer, and number cruncher to spark a conversation about what the themed entertainment industry can learn from those who strive to tell the greatest stories ever told. – Geoff Thatcher, Creative Principals (moderator); Yael Coifman, Leisure Development Partners; Jonathan Alger, C&G Partners; Andrew Bagley, Boncom

POSE: Personal Opportunity to Strengthen and Empower, A DEI Conversation – What does the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion look when considering one’s personal, professional, and organizational life? As someone who lives and leads in the DEI space, Coalman approaches this question from a personal perspective, addressing its relevance to all and how FareStart’s culinary and foodservice programs work to solve some of our society’s most pressing challenges—homelessness, joblessness, poverty, and hunger. – Troy Coalman

When the World Came to Seattle: The Inspiration and Impact of World’s Fairs – A panel of subject matter experts revisits the Century 21 Exposition whose legacy endures and continues to influence the themed entertainment industry even as TEA SATE Seattle 2019 takes place in shadow of its icon, the Space Needle. Beyond the Seattle World’s Fair of 1962, panelists will examine how the aspirational ideals and cultural impact of international expositions have inspired experience creators throughout history and how through our work we might live up to the best visions of the world set forth by these events. – Gary Wichansky, Hotopp (moderator); Fri Forjindam, Mycotoo; Knute Berger, Crosscut; Carissa Baker, UCF College of Hospitality Management, Alan J. Stein, HistoryLink.org

The Future, Now Open: Reimagining and Rebuilding the Space Needle for the 21st Century – Its debut for the 1962 World’s Fair instantly put Seattle on the map, and forever linked the city with an innovative spirit that has become its global identity. Learn how the icon totally transformed during its historic renovation, and how the Space Needle used technology, creativity, and a passion for the guest journey to create an all-new experience for visitors. – Randy Coté, Space Needle + Chihuly Garden and Glass

Following Her Lead: A Conversation with Female Industry Leaders – Hear from industry leaders as they share their personal career trajectories, describe hurdles overcome, and define what embracing diversity means to them. These inspiring women will pass on invaluable, practical insights from individual and business perspectives, especially relevant for the next generation of the themed entertainment industry. – Linda Hung, Forrec (moderator); Marie Crotty PE, EXP; Linda Dong, China Leisure; Susan Beth Smith, The Bezark Company; Colleen Bonniol, MODE Studios

Equality is Good Business – The LGBTQ community across the United States has over $900 Billion in buying power. LGBTQ tourists and those in local communities spend money with intention at businesses and attractions that more closely align to their values and are proven to be more brand loyal than almost any other demographic. As demonstrated in Seattle, and across Washington, building diversity, equity, inclusion, and equality into your business model is not only the right thing to do, but is good for business. – Eric Moss, Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA), Washington’s LGBTQ and Allied Chamber of Commerce

Access to Art: The Movement, The Need, and the Role of Nonprofit Entertainment – Despite evidence to its psychological, social, and economic benefits, access to the arts in the U.S. continues to fall. Tony-nominated Phillip Chavira, Intiman Theatre’s first executive of color, will give a personal account of the movement of art access across the country and will share how he developed as an artistic leader from humble beginnings to his goal of making professional theatre free to experience locally and consistently. – Phillip Chavira, Intiman Theatre

Pioneer Square and the Making of Queer Seattle – Discover new ways of encouraging the public to engage with local history vis-à-vis architecture and neighborhood exploration through stories and historic images that illuminate the vibrant experiences of Seattle’s queer community dating back to the 1890s. In addition, we will discuss the story map technology used in his research and give a preview of his walking tour available to attendees of the TEA SATE Seattle Saturday Experience. – Julian Barr, PhD candidate, University of Washington Dept. of Geography

Let’s Go to Camp! Jordan Coleman, WDI; Jessica Coleman, JB Coleman LLC

TEA Masters Awards and Panel Details TBA

We Over Me: Building a Culture of Coaching (Interstitials) – Ping pong tables and bean bags are out. Coaching is in. In four short sessions, learn how to strengthen your organization, improve productivity, and boost employee morale by creating a culture of coaching.- Arielle Rassel, Creative Producing and Design Management

The Power of Pageantry: Spectacle as a Force for Good – Spectacle can fill our senses with symphonies of color, light and sound designed to awe, yet spectacle can be so much more than the sum of its parts. By examining different components of spectacle and potential combinations thereof, attendees will appreciate how storytelling of scale might create spontaneous bonds among audiences, connections between people and place, and community across cultures.- Kile Ozier, The Guy

How to Talk Nerdy with Jazz Hands Paul Osterhout, Century Culture & Tourism Co. Ltd.; Paul Kent, Electrosonic

Here are a few of the presenters and their companies who have appeared in the pages of InPark Magazine and on our website. Full bios of all presenters and session chairs, along with registration information, are available on the TEA website.

Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner, C&G Partners
Knute Berger, Editor-at-Large, Crosscut.com
Randy Coté, Director of Business Development, Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass
Marie Crotty PE, Project Manager and Joe Fox PMP, Integration Manager, EXP
Fri Forjindam, global business development, branding and communications, Mycotoo, Inc.
Linda Hung, Vice President at FORREC
Paul Kent, Senior Consultant Entertainment, Electrosonic
Trent Oliver, Principal, Managing Director, Blue Telescope
Kile Ozier, The Guy
Arielle Rassel, creative producer and design manager
Clara Rice, Director of Communications, JRA
Cynthia Sharpe, Principal, Cultural Attractions & Research, Thinkwell Group
Geoff Thatcher, Founder & CCO, Creative Principals
Dr. Kathryn Woodcock, CCPE ICAE PEng, Professor, Ryerson University
Nathan Jones, President, Park Attractions Division, WhiteWater, SATE 19 Co-Chair
Shannon Martin, Director of Business Development, Color Reflections Las Vegas, SATE 19 Co-Chair
Michael Mercadante, President, Main Street Design, TEA International Board President
Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

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