The past, present and future of fun
by Martin Palicki
The Themed Entertainment Association’s (TEA) 2024 SATE Europe event took place at Merlin Entertainments’ Gardaland Resort, midway between Milan and Venice, Italy. Attendees traveled from around the world for the conference, though a large contingency hailed from throughout Europe.
The event began with an optional tour to the nearby Zamperla factory – or rather, factories. The company’s offices and warehouses are located in multiple sites in the region. Attendees saw the design and production facilities and were treated toa sneak peek of some of their latest attraction concepts. A networking reception and dinner followed back at Gardaland.
Conference sessions spanned two days and covered a diverse range of topics, including accessibility, technology, dealing with difficult client situations, and more. The conference’s theme of “Back to the future?” was explored through a variety of talks, which included examining nostalgia, exploring “Tomorrowlands,” and discovering park and attraction histories.
Dinner and networking
Some of the best parts of SATE Europe are the evening dinner events. Both Wednesday and Thursday evening dinners took place inside Gardaland Park, with the first being themed to “Time Travelers/Explorers.” Attendees were encouraged to dress up within the wide boundaries of that theme. Everything from pirates to a collection of Marty McFlys could be found within the group, which showcased the industry’s high concentration of creative talent!
Each night Gardaland provided delightful dinners with live music, character actors, a wide assortment of food and drink, as well as several rides available for exclusive access. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate as storms were prevalent throughout both evenings. Never ones to let a little rain dampen spirits, attendees soldiered on, especially enjoying the park’s recently added Jumanji-themed ride (although the seemingly unending supply of fresh Italian pizzas was also a big hit!).
Movies and more
On Friday, attendees were given the option to visit Movieland – The Hollywood Park. About two dozen folks made the trip to the nearby park and were treated to a meeting with the park owner’s family, as well as a guided tour to many of the park’s attractions. Highlights included the park’s Magma 2.1 – a sort of behind-the-scenes studio tour involving dozens of ways to spray water on guests – and the park’s U-571 Submarine, a claustrophobia-inducing ride simulator that culminates in nearly every participant being completely drenched. The experience, while on the one hand rather terrifying, forever bonded the brave (and soaked) souls who boarded the sub. The day at the park ended with the energetic U.S. Army Stunt Show, where SATE attendees Liz Rasking (Phoenix Medrano) and David Bawiec (Emotion Crafters) were selected to play a starring role onstage.
Much like SATE Europe itself, Movieland is manageable, smaller, and really quite charming. Both are endearing in ways one doesn’t expect when first introduced to them.
As it has for many years, SATE Europe shines in these small moments, where professionals have ample time to meet, connect, and learn from one another. It’s networking, to be sure, but it’s also more than that – it’s time and opportunity to create not just business relationships but industry friendships that transcend the boundaries of space and time! At the very least they kept everyone filled with joy for their return flights home. •
