2023 Themed Attraction Student Showcase Panelists

GREG P. ANDRADE – ARCHITECT – LEED AP is an accomplished licensed Architect and Visual Artist who enjoys working in the realms of Narrative and Themed Entertainment Design experiences. Greg is an expert in the creation of Conceptual Content and in turn the translation of Visionary Content into actual finished projects. Greg has extensive experience directing on-site installations and is an expert in Design Thinking and Process. His knowledge in the use of materials, construction methods and strategic planning have fostered a 30 year career in the world of narrative design. Following a 10 year career as a Concept Architect at Imagineering with The Walt Disney Company he founded:

ANDRADE STUDIO in October 2000-Present.
Andrade Studio develops master planning – high concept and design development work for themed environments teaming with companies including The Walt Disney Company, Wyatt Design Group, Universal Studios, The Hettema Group, Landmark Entertainment, Warner Bros. as well as many local LA Basin Architectural firms in need of Narrative Story driven conceptual overlays. The firm has worked on projects in the USA., Asia, UAE, Europe, Japan, China and Korea.

1993 Greg Founded ANDRADE ART WORKS, INC, including ‘HATCH GALLERY’ – Pasadena, Ca.
which was established to promote and educate young Artists sponsoring many First Gallery Shows for young undiscovered talent.

Adam J. Bezark is an award-winning Writer and Creative Director who fuses a wide variety of media and technologies to produce startling new entertainment experiences. His experience ranges from museum exhibits to theme park rides and attractions, film and video, live shows and spectacular special events.

Adam’s reputation for merging story, space and spectacle is well established. Adam’s creative experience covers both consulting and executive roles. As Director, Creative Entertainment at Walt Disney Imagineering, Adam was responsible for developing new entertainment concepts, products, and master strategies for Disney theme parks in Asia and the United States. The Bezark Company is an ongoing consultant to WDI on a variety of new projects.

Life is an experience and since 1987, Ryan Harmon has been making it a memorable one for millions of people around the world. Harmon is a respected producer, creative director, and writer who understands the power of story, strategy, innovation, brand, and budget – and how to engage people emotionally through the mediums of environment, technology, and theatricality. Harmon is a former Disney Imagineer (from age 20) who has held senior creative positions at Delaney-Harmon, Story Dept., Universal Creative, Warner Bros., BRC Imagination Arts, and Landmark Entertainment Group, and consulted for dozens of owner/operators, design firms, and developers worldwide. Ryan is a member of the Producers Guild of America and The Magic Castle, and currently serves on the advisory panel for Riyadh Hub in Saudi Arabia.

Terry is FORREC’s blue sky thinker, a highly creative person who looks at projects with a fresh, inquisitive mind. As FORREC’s Senior Creative Director, he works closely with clients, project teams, artists, illustrators, renderers, and animators to bring concepts to life.Terry joined FORREC in 1995. He has contributed to several high-profile projects including: Legoland Deutschland, in Günzburg, Germany, BBC Worldwide in the United Kingdom, Universal Studios Dubailand in the UAE, Everland in Seoul, Korea, many large projects in China, and more locally, the Niagara Power Plant Attraction located in Niagara Falls, Canada. Prior to FORREC, having spent several years working as an architect and urban designer, he founded Street Seats, a public furniture design company with projects throughout Canada. His broad design experience included time as a set designer for the television and film industry.

Terry has won numerous awards for his work including the Nuffield Foundation Fellowship Urban Design Study in the UK, the “Port-A-Park” Modular Street Furniture System, Centre de Creation Industries in Paris, France and the Manitoba Department of the Environment Urban Design Excellence Award.

After 35 years as a Disney Imagineer, responsible for over US$9 billion in built projects, including Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland, Toy Story Land, Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch at Hong Kong Disneyland, and dozens of classic Disney rides, shows, and attractions in the parks and aboard Disney Cruise Ships, Joe Lanzisero is a true celebrity of our industry. Lanzisero studied at CalArts alongside Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Brad Bird and other luminaries of animation and film before becoming a Disney animator in the early 1980s. Today, he is a designer, illustrator, art director and creative director of the very highest caliber, garnering the respect of his peers and serving as an in-demand public speaker on the topics of user experience and experience design. For more information, visit: http://www.lanziserocreative.com.

Mark Spencer is a valuable asset and brings with him creative and technical experience in landscape design, area development, scenic design, commercial planning & development, residential design and theme park master planning and construction. Throughout his career he has worked on a wide range of projects from large residential and commercial developments to smaller scale design-build and art installations. He contributes to all phases of design from Blue Sky Concept Development to Installation.

Foremost as a designer, Mark is a creative problem-solver and dedicates his talents to creating memorable places and experiences for all to enjoy. Mark’s most recent work on Universal Studios Beijing took him into the field were he has been able to collaborate with and manage team members, joint venture partners, government agencies, consultants, vendors and many others to be able to create and deliver 2 of the 7 lands as well as manage the Area Development for Back of House projects.

Mark also utilizes his Master of Business Administration degree to help enrich his career and to better contribute to project development, business development and management of current and future projects.

Mike West is a rare blend of talent whose 40+-year  career spans a bridge of extraordinary experiences built upon a lifetime of work with two legendary companies – Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative. Mike now returns to lead Innovative West after more than 14 incredible years with Universal where, as an Executive Producer, he recently led Blue Sky development of the largest and most ambitious project in the company’s history – Universal’s EPIC UNIVERSE. Once EPIC headed to the field, he took over creative development for projects featuring DreamWorks Animation properties, as well as Fast & Furious, a worldwide, blockbuster film franchise. Mike was also responsible for the design, development, production and installation of Skull Island: Reign of Kong, a massive attraction at
Universal’s Islands of Adventure (2016). Mike joined the Universal Creative Studio in 2006 as Show Producer for The Simpsons Ride at both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. The attraction opened to rave reviews in 2008 and received the prestigious THEA Award for Best New Attraction from the Themed Entertainment Association, as well as Best New Theme Park Attraction by Theme Park Insider. Mike’s other Universal projects have included the gigantically popular King Kong 360 3D at Universal Studios Hollywood (2010); THEA Award-winning Transformers – The Ride 3-D attractions for Universal Studios Singapore (2011), Universal Studios Hollywood (2012), and Universal Studios Florida (2013); Annie & VES Award-winning Despicable Me Minion Mayhem at Universal Studios Florida (2012), and the delectable Simpson’s Springfield expansion at Universal Studios Florida (2013), which laid the groundwork for the THEA Award-winning Simpsons Springfield at Universal Studios Hollywood (2017).

Innovative West, Inc., is a creative design company Mike originally founded in 2005 after a 25-year career with Walt Disney Imagineering. Innovative West’s list of clients has included Chimelong, AOA, Virgin Galactic, Sunrise Animation Studios, United States Space Force, NBC Universal, The Coca-Cola Company, Walt Disney Entertainment, Carnegie Mellon University, Silver Dollar City, The Franklin Institute, J.W. Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, and the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum.

Mike is also a contributing author on several books about Walt Disney Imagineering and its creative process, including The Imagineering Way, Ideas to Ignite Your Creativity, and The Imagineering Workout, Exercises to Shape Your Creative Muscle.Mike is a member of the University of Central Florida’s College of Arts and Humanities Themed Experience Advisory Council and past member of both the Eastern Regional, and International Board of Directors for the Themed Entertainment Association.

Logan Zawacki is a key member of the Project Management team at Sally Dark Rides and has managed such notable attractions as the THEA award-winning, interactive dark rides: “Sesame Street: Street Mission” at PortAventura World & “Justice League: Battle for Metropolis” at multiple Six Flags locations.

When he’s not traveling all over the world to install the latest dark ride, Logan is the co-creator/host of the THEME PARK SHUFFLE podcast, a founder/featured artist for GAAM (Games Art and Music), and always looking for opportunities to guest lecture or provide virtual presentations to college classes/clubs interested in Themed Entertainment.

Logan has a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of North Florida and a MFA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design. Before working at Sally, he had the pleasure of teaching photography as a Visiting Assistant Professor at UNF and then became the Program Coordinator of Design at the Art Institute of Jacksonville.

Louis is the Principal and Chief Creative Officer of Raven Sun Creative, an award-winning experiential entertainment consulting and design firm working globally since 2012. Louis has guided a diverse range of clients in the creation of world-class destinations, including Evergrande Group, Hersheypark, Carnival Cruises, Hengdian World Studios, and Dalian Wanda Group. In his role as a brand strategy and IP development consultant, he has represented clients including Ubisoft, Lamborghini, and LvGem in their entrance into experiential entertainment. He is also the designer and patent-holder of several turn-key experiential attraction solutions, including the Ultra Tower immersive media drop tower.

Louis has over 30 years of experience in guiding, designing, and building entertainment destinations, immersive media-based attractions, retail locations, cultural sites, digital, and experiential events. Prior to founding Raven Sun Creative, he served as Creative Director for Universal Creative on projects such as Transformers: The Ride-3D, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Land of Oz, and Hollywood Dream – The Ride. Experienced in assembling and leading teams of professionals from diverse backgrounds to achieve innovative results, Louis has been responsible for the creative and owner representation aspects of projects up to $27 billion in magnitude.

Ian is the Executive Vice President of Technifex XR, a solution-based company that specializes in delivering end-to-end immersive training experiences for military personnel, first responders, and other professionals. Ian continues to be on the cutting-edge of technology and pushes the boundaries to create the most immersive environments for training. As a member of NSTA, NCS, NSTXL, IAPPA and VRAR, Ian continues to be well connected through many verticals in industry. As a result, Ian is able to see trends and future opportunities with technology that generate new business while strengthening government relations, corporate partnerships, and investor relationships.

Before joining Technifex XR, Ian enjoyed a 22-year career with Walt Disney Imagineering. An award-winning thought leader and trailblazer for Walt Disney Imagineering, Ian empowered multinational teams to embrace disruptive technologies and revolutionized processes that resulted in the engineering of unforgettable and award-winning animation systems and environments worldwide. Ian transformed Disney’s animation design and manufacturing of animated figures through digital pipelines, advance additive manufacturing techniques, technology innovation, and innovative digital simulation that has set the bar for many industries.

Ian has a Master of Business Administration in International Business and Management from Rollins College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Reliability Option from the University of Arizona. He is a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and earned LinkedIn Certifications in Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, and Artificial Intelligence.

My name is Jessica Piatti and I’m a designer with a passion for theme parks and feature animation. I studied Communication Design at the Politecnico of Milan, specializing in the field of animation and CG. My skills range from spatial storytelling to the creation of immersive environments, from graphic design to 3D modeling. I bought the famous Theme park design book and started putting on paper first ideas and attractions based on my favourite IPs of the time including Harry Potter and the Lord of the rings. I was the hired by Jora Vision as a graphic designer and then moved onto creative concepts. There I had the chance to learn and grow in the industry and work on many projects from theme park master plans to museum experiences (including the 2023 Thea award winner Quake! in Lisbon). In my free time I create places and attractions with my partner experimenting with new techniques to bring experiences to life through POVs and VR previz. I am now embarking on a new adventure in the videogame industry that is enriching my experience with a new point of view and approach on design.

As Senior Vice President – Executive Producer, John Polk supports Technifex’s most critical clients with design collaboration, project communication, and client support.  He also supports Technifex project administration teams and in-house R&D efforts based upon his nearly four decades of technical experience developing high-profile entertainment projects.  John continues to be intimately involved with all water and atmospheric effects projects at Technifex. John brings an extensive background in large-scale technical aquatic design and fabrication of water features and special effects of all types including steam, flame, cryogenics, and illusions. John started his career in the architectural water feature industry in the 1980s. His journey led him to Walt Disney Imagineering where he led the Imaging and Special Effects department.  John has worked on numerous award-winning attractions including The Themed Entertainment Association’s THEA awards, and IAAPA’s Brass Ring Awards.

Freddy Martin, MSML is a gifted communicator, strategist, and leader with decades of experience leading teams in Experience Design, Marketing, Communications and Fundraising Development.

An expert in content marketing, Freddy helps companies tell their stories and drive enthusiastic brand interaction through authored articles, social media, and search engine optimization. He has led the marketing efforts of three design studios. Freddy led brand identity development for international charity Children’s Hunger Fund. He is co-host of the “Themed Attraction Podcast,” a themed entertainment industry show, and “The Backside of Water Podcast,” an entertainment show about the history of Disneyland attractions.

Freddy has vast experience in championing vital social causes by inspiring action and initiating an irresistible, emotional response. He serves as Development Director for Triumph Foundation, a charity focused on improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Freddy began his career as a skipper on Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise where he learned the value of experience design and immersive storytelling. He led the design development of “Poverty Encounter,” an immersive themed attraction that helps visitors understand the realities of global poverty. He has produced gala fundraising events and a unique campout experience for fathers and their kids.

A prolific writer, Freddy creates volumes of content for brands and publications including curriculum, scripting, and ghost-writing for business leaders. He is a contributing editor for themedattraction.com and contract writer for InPark Magazine. He enjoys interviewing theme park design luminaries for his personal blog, FreddyMartin.net and is authoring a fictional novel on the life of Walt Disney.