interview by Jordan Zauha
In June 2021, Greg Senner joined Scenario as Director of Project Development. Scenario is a scenic design fabrication company, part of Cockram Construction whose parent company is Kajima Corporation. Greg brings over two decades in the entertainment industry to Scenario: In 2004, he founded SOLE Scenic, and later 5nm Scenic Specialties, which was acquired by Austin 2 Paris in 2008. In 2011, he joined Universal Creative as a Show Manager. In 2018, he formed Hoplite LBE; his next stop was Scenario. Greg is also co-host of the Rum & Nerdy podcast with Garrick Hansen and earlier this year partnered with Jean- Yves Martineau to form Proteus Digital Inc., a company seeking to expand the entertainment industry’s knowledge and application of NFTs. Greg is also serving as Vice President and President- Elect of the Eastern Division Board for TEA.
How would you describe the work of Scenario?
As a fully operating scenic design fabrication company, we take ideas that our clients develop in blue sky creative and manage the steps required to effectively build the project. We work hand-in-hand with designers and design firms, engineers, architects, master planners, owners’ reps and general contractors to ensure projects are completed successfully.
Being a part of Cockram Construction and, by further extension, Kajima Corp., provides Scenario with additional resources. They bring a financial strength and business structure that makes Scenario a robust, secure partner to have on any project. We have a unique ability to mobilize teams all over the world and take full advantage of having production facilities in the US and Asia.
Give us a little insight into your specific role at Scenario.
I was hired to develop a specific project that aligns with what I’ve spent the last few years of my career doing: developing location-based entertainment (LBE) for intellectual property (IP). Having worked closely with IP holders over the past three years, in addition to having more than two decades of building guest experiences, I understand how to make monetization intrinsic in an LBE facility’s design.
As Director of Project Development, my role typically starts by first understanding the needs of our clients and defining the project parameters. This process begins with budget, schedule and top-down team planning. Not ensuring proper upfront planning can cause a big financial drain on any project. Once the parameters are set, I work with our clients and our team to create balance between creative intent and our project execution during all phases, including technical design, vendor selection, permitting, fabrication, installation and full-service support through opening day.
My long-term goal is to expand Scenario’s foothold in all experience industries, implement new processes, improve existing processes and contribute to the company’s culture and reputation for exemplary service and experience.
What lessons were most valuable from your recent professional experiences?
During my work with Hoplite LBE I had the opportunity to meet many clients across the entertainment industry and around the globe. Companies with intellectual property, in general, are very eager to enter location-based entertainment. Often, these companies think this requires a large amount of capital and additional complementary IPs to create a massive LBE experience like a theme park. This is not the case, however. I have learned to focus the goals of the client in order to find the right LBE fit for their IP, and that could be themed retail, a touring museum experience, themed dining or something else.
Tell us about your other ventures.
I believe I inherited an entrepreneurial spirit from my father. He owned several different businesses in the construction industry and even owned a bar after he retired. I learned from him that I don’t need any one thing to succeed.
The Rum & Nerdy podcast was a creative outlet for me during the pandemic. Going into it, I had never listened to a podcast before! It began as a joke between friends about the banter between Garrick Hansen and me during social gatherings and TEA functions. People said the way we conversed felt like a buddy comedy, so we decided to go for it and have fun creating it!
As for Proteus Digital, it was created to expand the experience industry’s knowledge and perception of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and how they can be applied meaningfully in the LBE market. My business partner Jean-Yves Martineau has continued the work and is developing some really great things. Right now, though, Scenario is my number one priority. • • •
