TEA Delivers Successful SATE 2016 Conference on Experience Design

	TEA president Steve Birket and TEA COO Jennie Nevin kick off TEA SATE 2016 in New York City.

"'Best SATE ever' is the phrase I heard again and again from delegates during and after the conference," said TEA president, Steve Birket. "The three SATE co-chairs: Traci Klainer (Luce, an illuminating subsidiary of JBA), Michael Blau (Adirondack Studios), and Chris Conte (Electrosonic), and their three SATE segment chairs -- Paul Osterhout (Universal Creative), Deanna Siller (Gensler), and Chris Manson (Fox and Crow), pulled together an outstanding slate of thought-leading presenters. The TEA staff, led by COO Jennie Nevin, produced a world-class event, and presenting sponsor Brogent Technologies Inc. gave critical support."

The nearly 300 people who attended SATE 2016 personify the creative culture of the themed entertainment industry, outlined by the SATE acronym (Storytelling + Architecture + Technology = Experience).

The boutique size of the conference belies the true, expanding global influence of an industry that has gained increasing attention in the financial, tourism, and cultural space due to explosive global growth, especially in Asia and the Middle East. TEA serves an international membership of 1,350+ companies representing some 10,000 individuals active in theme parks, museums, and visitor attractions.

SATE is one example of how TEA helps drive the industry to continue setting and resetting the bar for excellence -- "walking the tightrope and taking risks" as per this year's conference theme.

TEA's annual programming also includes the prestigious Thea Awards, TEA Summit and a full calendar of events among its four geographic divisions: eastern North America, western North America, Europe and Middle East and Asia Pacific. Publications include the TEA/AECOM Theme Index & Museum Index, a pioneering reference work.

TEA also has an active NextGen initiative to help mentor students and recent grads -- as speaker Francois Bergeron of Thinkwell Group exclaimed, "There IS a career path in this crazy risky business!" More information: www.teaconnect.org.

Themed entertainment is an industry that must "evolve or die" as per the title of Sean Saylor's (MTV) presentation at SATE 2016 about how the network re-invents itself for successive generations.

"In the constantly changing landscape of the entertainment business, we must say 'yes' to risk," said SATE co-chair Michael Blau, a business development specialist who has worked in theatre, theme parks, museums, waterparks, and retail. "Designer David Schwarz of HUSH said in his SATE 2016 presentation, 'It is okay to let people scrape their knees. It is how we learn.'"

The practice of Experience Design traverses perceived boundaries between theater, museums, retail, theme parks, zoos and aquariums, and other sectors -- even health care and urban planning, as exemplified by presentations from Molly Piveral about improving the hospital environment, and by Norma Perez and Richie Brandenburg of EDENS about how food, architecture, and lifestyle intersect.

To an industry creative, these are all out-of-home guest engagement options, serving primarily families and tourists, with similar challenges and solutions in terms of designing and executing a great guest experience, which includes technology tools and integration, placemaking, and story -- in other words, SATE.

"One of the big current challenges," said SATE co-chair Chris Conte, "is designing interactive experiences where the guest plays an active role. Several of our SATE 2016 speakers addressed this -- how to build in the possibilities and allow for unexpected outcomes."

This challenge is made more formidable by sharp differences between the six major demographic audiences outlined in Conte's SATE opener: GI Generation, born 1901-1924; Silent Generation, born 1925-1945; Baby Boomers, born 1946-1964; Generation X, born 1965-1980; Generation Y, born 1981-2000; Generation Z, born after 2001.

"As the industry grows, diversifies, and matures, so does SATE -- reflecting changes in the market as well as the unique perspective of the organizers," said SATE 16 co-chair Klainer, a lighting designer whose work has spanned traditional theater, museum exhibitions, and theme park attractions. "We find new voices and fresh perspectives. I was especially pleased with our coverage of museums this year, as well as lighting design, a critical but often under-appreciated facet of design. As presenter Scott Rosenfeld said, 'Lighting helps you care about the stories.'"

Rosenfeld showed how lighting affects the visitor experience, using examples that included an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Curation happens outside the museum as well: Manon Slome of No Longer Empty showed how community-oriented art exhibitions can bring new life to abandoned buildings and their neighborhoods.

"The SATE 16 segment chairs -- Deanna Siller for architecture, Paul Osterhout for storytelling, and Chris Manson for technology -- tackled the conference theme by bringing in speakers that understand all the parts necessary to create a great experience," said Blau. "Their multi-disciplinary approach to the segments made it easy to have a clear conference through-line."

SATE 2016 made the most of its New York location and the industry's close ties to theatre. "New York is a story in itself. There's an experience on every corner," said TEA COO Nevin. "When you hold an event in New York, the buzz of the city, its rich culture and history, arts institutions, and theatre become part of the mix."

Featured speaker Scott Zeiger of Cirque du Soleil Theatrical discussed the special challenges involved in creating Paramour on Broadway -- how Broadway tradition was melded with Cirque culture to create a hit show.

SATE 2016 also offered tours of the 911 Memorial Museum and One World Observatory. The opening night mixer was held at the 30 Rock Commissary in the Comcast NBC building.

"As a business development professional in AV, I know technology plays an essential role -- but it isn't an end in itself and it doesn't rule humanity. Our presenters all kept sight of this," said Conte.

SATE presenters Mike West of Universal Creative and Dr. Kathryn Woodcock (Ryerson University/THRILL Lab) both pointed out that end users will correct or "complete" a flawed design in the field -- that it is the designer's job to anticipate this and work to get it right in the first place.

"One of my favorite takeaways," said Conte, "is from Darren David's [Stimulant] talk about smart spaces: 'We shouldn't have to choose between being digital and being human.'"

As SATE 2016 presenter Vaki Mawema (Gensler) said, "Design is about people.''