Cecil Magpuri, Tony Miceli, Adam Bezark, Josh Jeffery, Matt DuPlessie, George Nauman to Speak at TEA SATE 2015

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) announces additional sessions and speakers for TEA's SATE 2015 conference, Sept 17 - 18 at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

TEA's annual SATE conference was created in 2007 to foster professional dialog about the methodology of experience design. SATE reaches across a broad range of creative disciplines and market sectors within the attractions industry. The SATE acronym stands for Story + Architecture + Technology = Experience. SATE also alludes to a collaborative culture of production, in which designers, technologists, producers, developers, and operators work closely together from the early stages of a project, in a team structure often more horizontal than hierarchical.

Cecil Magpuri will present "Uncomfortable Shifts in Reality" (architecture segment). Magpuri, president/chief creative officer, Falcon's Creative Group, will examine why the most unsettling, heart-stopping rides are always the most popular.

With over 25 years of experience in the themed entertainment industry, Magpuri has immersed millions of guests in thrill rides all over the world. When Busch Gardens Williamsburg made its wish list in 2005, they had thrill seekers in mind. Curse of DarKastle is a dark ride, hybrid in nature, that combines motion-simulating vehicles, 3D content, physical sets, special effects, and state of the art technology to test the fear and excitement of all guests entering Mad King Ludwig's kingdom. Magpuri presents his knowledge of crafting attractions of all kinds which transport guests from their imagination to their reality.

The innovative Falcon's company is known for its ability to help audiences experience the unimaginable. Founder Cecil D. Magpuri, started the design firm with the idea of a place where imaginations could soar, and his passion for quality has enabled Falcon's to grow from humble roots to international recognition. Magpuri has successfully generated a wide spectrum of work for a diverse range of high-profile clients including Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Disney, Hard Rock, Lotte World, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, and Universal Studios.

Tony Miceli will present "Waking Up the Senses" (Architecture segment). Miceli, executive consultant, Electrosonic, will discuss how aromas, sounds, music, textures, and temperature changes can heighten and transform an experience. By introducing various sounds, scent, temperature changes, air flow and, in some cases, irritants can create subliminal or subconscious affects on the guest that can shape or tremendously change the experience.

Miceli shares his 25 years of experience in the themed entertainment and attraction industries. By touching his experiences with movie soundtracks, environmental design and military training facilities, he will point to real situations where the affects of these types of design elements have transformed what might be a passive experience to an aggressive assault on all the scenes that can transport a guest to a desired designed altered reality. Hear him talk about his work for Universal Studios creating effects for the Jaws attraction, the Terminator 3D attraction, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Based in the Orlando office of Electrosonic, Miceli collaborates with the design team, sales team, and management team, building and maintaining new client relationships, performing senior level design consulting services, and developing new business. His unique skill set includes audio system design, audio mixing, sound design and programming, media creation (audio composition, video animation, and graphics), and content creation (writing, directing, and producing) and a focus on projection mapping and visual experiences. Past company affiliations include Tony Miceli Creative LLC, Universal Creative, VTI Group and Soundelux, which he co-founded.

Adam Bezark will present "The Penny" (Experience segment). Bezark, founder/creative director, The Bezark Company will discuss: What is Experience Design, really? Is it purely commercial entertainment? is it an IP branding tool, a simple marketing spinoff? Or -- just maybe -- can experience design emerge as a legitimate, inspiring art form all its own? In an industry where so much source material comes from existing IP, is it possible to create something that stands on its own as powerful, meaningful, and memorable? His presentation will look at what separates great emotional experiences from off-the-shelf solutions. And Bezark will reveal the most important rule in experience design: Avoid The Penny.

With over USD $1.5 billion in produced concepts worldwide, Bezark's reputation for merging story, space and spectacle is well established. Clients of The Bezark Company, an experience design studio formed in 2010, include Walt Disney Imagineering, Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Center, Independence National Park, Cirque du Soleil and Ocean Park Hong Kong, Wanda Group and The White House. As a creative leader and consultant, Bezark is credited with key roles on such shows and attractions as Terminator 2: 3D, Jurassic Park The Ride, JAWS The Ride, and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man.

Joshua Jeffery will present "Experience in the Age of Big Data" (Experience segment). Jeffery, experience design lead, experience centers team, Google will discuss how as technology continues to expand its presence in our day-to-day lives, guest expectations for technology are rapidly evolving. Learn how Google's experience centers team handles this challenge by approaching the design process differently, and what it could mean for traditional location-based entertainment companies.

In his role with Google, Jeffery focuses on creating immersive, interactive experiences for top clients. Working on a multidisciplinary team of designers and software engineers, he designs and produces experiences for a global portfolio of spaces showcasing Google's latest products and technologies. Previously, Jeffery spent five years leading interactive technology for The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, working closely with curators to augment their in-gallery interpretation experiences and presences across the web and social media. Jeffery has a master of entertainment technology degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

Matthew DuPlessie will present "Personal Experience" (Experience segment). DuPlessie, founder, 5 Wits, is a product design instructor in the mechanical engineering department at MIT. As technology develops at an increasing rate, there are unprecedented opportunities to give guests a first person, tailored experience -- where they are not passive observers but active participants determining their own fate. The challenge is to make it real to the guest.

After completing his Bachelor's in mechanical engineering at MIT, DuPlessie worked in Florida managing design/build projects for theme parks, museums, and aquariums. Returning to Massachusetts to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School, DuPlessie raised private financing and founded the location-based entertainment chain 5 Wits in 2004. 5 Wits will open its 10th walk-through adventure by the end of 2015. Matt's second company, 5 Wits Productions, was formed in 2006 to provide design/build solutions for museums, theaters, corporations, and theme parks.

George Nauman will present "The Customer Journey" (Experience segment). Nauman, executive VP and CMO, Chute Gerdeman will discuss: Where does it all begin? Nauman will describe where it all begins and how to disrupt, engage, and influence the customer journey through immersive sensory experiences.

Retail design, consumer behavior, and brands are ever changing -- and as leader of Chute Gerdeman's growth and innovation initiatives, that's just the way Nauman likes it. He possesses a remarkable ability to figure things out. Nauman starts by asking the right questions. He probes without pushing, listens without patronizing. Then Nauman makes insightful, intelligent connections between client goals, consumer research, emerging trends, and creative resources. He develops new retail strategies and strategic partner relationships. Nauman is the consummate consensus builder, team champion, and client advocate.