Our team at Themed Entertainment Association has been working hard behind the scenes to connect all of you artists, visionaries, and dreamers around the globe with the best partnerships we can in the themed entertainment industry. These global events and partnerships are pivotal for your success, allowing us to align you with career goals and expand your knowledge in this coveted industry.
Here’s some of the latest places we have been seen engaging within your communities:
Interested in any new and upcoming sponsorships? Contact [email protected]
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TEA is looking for a talented and innovative production company to provide production, staging, and storytelling expertise for our annual INSPIRE and Thea Awards Gala events.
Interested production partners can submit proposals for one or both programs, with a separate proposal required for each event. Each program needs its production team to handle all the details. Please find the INSPIRE RFP here and the Thea Awards Gala RFP here. Submissions must be made no later than 19 June 2024 to [email protected]. If you have any questions before submission, please reach out to TEA’s Meetings and Production Manager Christine Rogers at [email protected] or +1(818)861-0025. Since the summer of 2021, IMN Solutions has been a key partner of TEA and played an integral role in fulfilling the full-time staffing needs of the association. From member services to operations management and nearly every role in between, IMN has filled key roles in the organization during the challenging years following the pandemic. Not only has their talented team helped us keep day-to-day operations of TEA running, but they have helped lead transformational initiatives in the organization such as our comprehensive member database implementation and website relaunch, rebranding of TEA’s signature annual event, INSPIRE, and countless internal processes and procedures that have helped TEA be a more effective and professional organization. Further demonstrating their professionalism, our dedicated IMN Team members have spent the last several weeks documenting their workflows and cross-training with the new TEA staff to ensure a seamless transition as we approach their last day with TEA which will be this Friday, 31 May.
I’d personally like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Laura Singler, Becky Nadora, Allison Winter, and Clara Allen for all of their hard work and dedication to TEA. Ladies, you will truly be missed by the rest of the TEAm and the many members of whom you have helped and befriended over the last year. I’d also like to thank my dear friends and colleagues Barb Myers and Melissa Tighe for their support and adapting to the changing needs of our association over the last several years. Your partnership has meant so much. I also want to take this opportunity to thank TEA members for their patience, grace, and understanding as we embark on this significant staff transition and officially welcome your new, fully in-house TEA staff! While there are big shoes to fill, I know TEA and our members are in good hands and TEA’s future is bright with Chloe, Karin, Christine, Morgan, Ashley, and Terry on board. On to the next chapter! Dear TEA Members, These first several months of 2024 have been full of exciting news and record-breaking events! This year’s INSPIRE Week marked many significant milestones for us. We moved the event to Hollywood, CA, introduced Pop-Up Production Sessions, and sold out the Leadership Forum and INSPIRE sessions! The week culminated in a very special 30th Annual Thea Awards Gala, and I think everyone would agree that ending the evening with live band karaoke was a true highlight. Thank you to all the volunteers, speakers, staff, and attendees who truly made this year extra memorable. We've also been actively engaged in various industry events throughout the world. We were proud to represent our members at InfoComm China and the Saudi Entertainment and Amusement Expo. Recently, TEA also had a presence at two new industry events, SINDEPAT in Brazil, and the World Culture & Tourism Expo in Guangzhou China. There are many more events planned for 2024, so make sure to keep checking the website and reading the TEA Tell which hits your inboxes every Thursday. Looking ahead at the rest of the year, we have no plans to slow down! As you know, the industry landscape is evolving rapidly, and, as an association, we must stay at the forefront of these changes. As we continue to evolve as an association and industry, TEA is continuing to build the structure designed to provide stability and ensure we continue to deliver value to our members. Confidence, stability, and structure are the cornerstones of our strategy. Every step we take has been carefully planned, and every decision has been made with the future flourishing of TEA in mind. As we move forward, I encourage each of you to consider how you can contribute to the ongoing success of our association. Later this summer, we'll launch our call for elections to serve in TEA leadership roles, both internationally and within our divisions. Remember, like I always say, if you want change, then be part of that change! I also want to remind everyone to submit your TEA Masters and 31st Annual Thea Award nominations! Celebrating excellence is one of the core values of TEA, so help us recognize those incredible individuals and innovative projects that are changing the industry as we know it. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to TEA. Together, we will continue to shape the future of themed entertainment. Sincerely, Melissa Oviedo
President, TEA International Board of Directors Dear Members, The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), in line with our mission to support the creators and makers of experience worldwide, is embarking on the search for its next Executive Leader. This individual will play a pivotal role in addressing the evolving challenges and opportunities within the entertainment industry. Under previous leadership, the TEA has navigated through various challenges successfully. Careful management and strong reserves helped carry TEA through the lean realities of COVID-19, and helped the Association recover as the industry rebounded. Most recently the current TEA Executive Director, Lindsey Nelson, brought strong professionalism to the TEA with her association experience and collaborative leadership style. Her expertise with organizational process and systems, governance, and Board education has positioned the TEA strongly for the future and its next chapter. With Lindsey’s contract term ending in June, the Board has opened a search for a new Executive leader with strong business growth experience and deep industry knowledge and reputation to lead the association. As we move forward into a period of greater competition and broader growth opportunity, the TEA International Board is looking to continue to implement its ambitious 5-year strategic plan and to drive TEA’s presence and role in current, new, and emerging markets. The ideal candidate can bring a broader perspective of where the entertainment and experience industry is and, more importantly, where it’s going. Lindsey has agreed to remain with the TEA through the summer to assist with the executive transition. Any interested candidates are invited to review the requirements of the position and can confidentially submit their interest directly to the Executive Search Committee at [email protected]. The application period will close on Friday 24 May. We look forward to the future of the TEA, Melissa Oviedo
President, TEA International Board of Directors The TEA Masters of Their Craft program recognizes the achievements of individuals — the artists, writers, producers, engineers and craftspeople with distinguished careers who’ve made significant and enduring contributions to the industry through their expertise, innovation, leadership, and mentorship. The TEA Masters program recognizes a small number of individuals each year, whose skills epitomize the highest standards within their disciplines and who have used those skills to advance their field and the themed entertainment industry. Each TEA Master has built a body of work over decades that demonstrates consistent quality and execution. Often unknown except among their peers and collaborators, TEA Masters help create visceral stories, rides, attractions, events, and places that thrill, delight, and educate guests worldwide. Although the TEA Masters, by definition, are well along in their careers and some have even retired, many Masters are actively creating new marvels around the world. Others are pursuing personal creative and education projects. And all of the Masters remain passionate about sharing their well-honed skills and career lessons with those interested in entering the industry or wanting to learn more about its various aspects. We want to tell those stories. This column contains news of the ongoing activities, achievements and adventures of the TEA Masters around the world. These are the stories of real people who, like all of us, have personal stories to tell: an honor outside of their specialty, an art gallery or technology showcase, enjoying new places and experiences with family and friends or taking a well-deserved retirement trip. This is Keeping up with the Masters! MASTER RICH PROCTER TO PUBLISH NOVEL DECEMBER 202419 July 2024 - 2018 Master Rich Proctor, is set to release a transformative novel titled Prosperity, Pennsylvania this December. The book offers an inspiring narrative centered on a downtrodden Rust Belt town that revitalizes itself through a powerful shift in collective storytelling.
Prosperity, Pennsylvania challenges the divisive political landscape of today by advocating for unity and collaboration beyond traditional divides. Rich Procter emphasizes the importance of storytelling in shaping individual and community identity, urging readers to consider the narratives they choose to believe in. "We're all in the storytelling business," Rich asserts. "The most important stories are the ones we tell ourselves. What if we told ourselves a new story based on cooperation, imagination, and community?" His novel proposes a fresh narrative of hope, empowerment, and communal action as the catalysts for positive change. For those eager to delve deeper into the world of Prosperity, Pennsylvania, Rich Procter invites readers to engage with the characters through his Substack platform. Here, discussions unfold on how the fictional town transforms itself, offering real-world insights into fostering cooperation, unleashing imagination, and nurturing community spirit. Prosperity, Pennsylvania promises not just a compelling read, but a call to reimagine our own narratives towards a brighter future. MASTER LISA PASSAMONTE GREEN & HUSBAND, DAVID GREEN, AWARDED THE PETER CHERNACK AWARD AT 2024 THEAS
KEEPING UP WITH TEA MASTER RICK ROTHSCHILD18 June 2024 - Rick Rothschild has had a very busy start to the year! During the 2024 Annual Thea Awards, Rick was honored with an Award for Outstanding Achievement, leading his combined team from Chimelong's design and construction groups and a collection of international talent as the Creative Director for the Bermuda Storm attraction at Chimelong's Spaceship theme park on Hengqin Island China in 2023.
Over the past two years, Rick has been acting as the Creative Director for Flyover Attractions, leading his fifth new attraction, BELIEVE Chicago. The latest flying adventure features Chicago as never seen before, taking guests on an exciting journey winding over and through central parts of the "third coast" city by using specially built, heavy lift FPV drone. This upcoming July, Rick's newest creative led attraction at Flyover Vancouver's Canada Place will feature a stunning visual journey across Canada – from Baffin Island in the far northeast, to Mount Logan in the Yukon, featuring 27 unique locations coast to coast. Never one to pass up unique and new opportunities with colleagues and emerging talent, Rick is excited to see what the future holds and is currently spending his time enjoying his friends, family, and the amazing collection of TEA Masters! Photo 1 provided by TEA@Thea Awards Gala 2024: Presentation of Award to Chimelong Bermuda Storm Photo 2 provided by TEA@Thea Awards Gala 2024: Group photo of TEA Masters. Back left to right: Phillip Vaughan, Nina Rae Vaughn, John Lindsay, Phil Bloom, Rick Rothschild. Front: Adam Bezark, Bonnie Sinclair, Roberta Perry, and Jodi McLaughlin. Photo 3-7 provided by Rick Rothschild: Photo 3: Bermuda Storm, 2024 Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement for Attraction Photo 4: BELIEVE Chicago using FPV Drone Photo 5: Flyover Canada - Virgin Falls Photo 7: Rick Rothschild with his wife, daughter, and son It’s Official - TEA Master, Lanny Smoot, Has Been Inducted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame17 May 2024 - Lanny Smoot has been keeping himself very busy recently. On 8-9 May, he participated in the two-day ceremony for his induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, which is sponsored by the US Patent and Trademark office and the National Inventors Hall of Fame itself, and is located in Washington, DC.
On the first day’s “Illumination Ceremony,” he placed his name in the permanent Gallery of Icons™ at the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum. On the following day, he participated in a black-tie ceremony where Kathy Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, presented him with his medal. Later, he and this year’s other honorees joined more than two dozen past honorees on stage for a group photo. Lanny has participated in many interviews about his NIHF honor and for one of his newest inventions, the HoloTile™ floor, and he was featured on CBS Saturday Morning on 11 May 11. If you missed his interview, you can see it here. The following week, Lanny flew up to New York to give the Keynote commencement address to Columbia University’s School of Engineering, where in years past he received both his Bachelor and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degrees. It’s going to be hard to keep up with Lanny! Pictures courtesy of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. TEA MASTERS AT CAL POLY'S KITE CONFERENCE
10 February 2024 - The TEA Masters continue to educate the next generation of Themed Entertainment Professionals. In early February, seven TEA Masters attended the first ever KITE Conference. KITE, an acronym for Knowledge Inspiring Themed Entertainment, is a conference for students and recent grads with ambitions to enter the industry. The conference was hosted at Cal Poly Pomona and organized by board members of their college’s Next Gen Club Chapter, TEA@CPP. It consisted of two days, the first day focusing on soft skills needed to succeed in the industry and the second day focusing on technical skills.
The TEA Masters were invited to conclude the first day with a round of Table Talks. Masters Lanny Smoot, Phil Bloom, Wayne Hunt, Jodi McLaughlin, Joe Falzetta, Frank Weigand, and Nina Vaughn were in attendance along with 50 conference attendees. The Masters broke off into pairs or trios and joined in on round table conversations with smaller groups. Conversations ranged from career advice to stories from the jobsite, and fun light moments of everyone getting to know each other. The masters rotated to each of the small groups, getting to meet everyone in attendance. Overall, both the Masters and KITE Attendees had an incredible time. The Next Generation of Theme Park Professionals is always excited to interact with the TEA Masters and learn from their expertise. Photo provided by TEA@CPP. From left to right: Wayne Hunt, Jodi McLaughlin, Nina Vaughn, Mike Sturman, Lanny Smoot, Phil Bloom, Joe Falzetta KEEPING UP WITH TEA MASTER LANNY SMOOTThe National Inventors Hall of Fame recently announced their Class of 2024 inductees, and among this group was Lanny Smoot. Lanny is the first Disney Imagineer to receive this national honor, and only the second person at The Walt Disney Company – Walt Disney himself posthumously received this honor in 2000 for the invention of the multi-plane camera.
At the announcement ceremony held at Walt Disney Imagineering’s Glendale campus, Lanny took the opportunity to show off one of his newest inventions – the HoloTile™. The HoloTile floor is the world’s first, and only multi-person, omni-directional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor, where any number of people can have a shared virtual reality experience, walk an unlimited distance in any direction, but never collide or walk off its surface. Besides the immediate VR and gaming applications and potential theme park uses, the HoloTile floor can be an insert in a theatrical stage, allowing performers to move and dance in new ways, or stage props and structures could move around or appear to set themselves up. It’s going to be hard keeping up with TEA Master Lanny Smoot. To find out more, here’s a story on CNN. KEEPING UP WITH TEA MASTER FRANK WEIGAND
KEEPING UP WITH TEA MASTER
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With Expo 2025 Osaka around the corner, Chad Kunimoto traces the evolution of media-based attractions over the past three World Expos, an important trend barometer for designers. Blog post by Chad Kunimoto for TEA |
Chad Kunimoto concludes her two-part series on Glass-to-Glass (G2G) production, profiling the tech that’s making hybrid experiences possible. Blog post by Chad Kunimoto for TEA |