Interactive Entertainment Seminars

Interactive Entertainment Seminars

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Thursday

Elevating Business Operations: Work Smarter, Not Harder BUY NOW
Speaker: Javiera Kalback, Portsmouth Escape Room / Tamara Bertrand, NW Escape Experience
Thursday 11:15am-12:15pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Discover the secrets to transform your business into a well-oiled machine. This seminar equips business owners with the essential tools and strategies to streamline their operations, enhance productivity, and reclaim their work/life balance. Learn how to break free from the 24/7 grind and the need to be always present by optimizing processes, leveraging technology, and delegating effectively so you can re-focus on business growth while regaining personal time.

Do Not Be Afraid to GROW! Expanding Your Business In BIG Ways In an Uncertain Economy. How to Diversify, Grow, Elevate and Make the Right Moves for Your Business! BUY NOW
Speaker: Aaron and Jessica Souza, Extreme Escape Redding, Extreme Escape Elevated, The Selfie Spot Redding and Timberlords Axe Throwing Range
Thursday 12:30pm-1:30pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Is your business brick & mortar, mobile or both? Aaron and Jessica have quickly adapted to the ever-changing climate of the entertainment businesses they own. While the economy has proven to be anything but predictable, they have capitalized on growing in uncertain times. They have learned new ways to elevate their experiences, capture new audiences, maintain a steady customer base and grow their business in a time of mass business closures.

Are you looking for new ways to grow your business? Still trying to make a footprint and stand out in your community? Do you have what it takes to lock in local events and companies to long-term contracts? Looking for a way to feed your business financially and flood it with new customers? Want to grow your business in new ways but don’t know where to start?

Aaron and Jessica Souza will provide you with all the answers and tools to be successful in growing your business in an uncertain economy as well as hitting on topics such as:

  • How to expand the business you already have in various ways.
  • Pros & cons of adding various events to your business.
  • Knowing when to add and when to expand.
  • Managing the budget without short-changing the experience.
  • How to capture new customers.
  • Managing staffing throughout your growth.
  • Ways to maximize your marketing.
  • Benefits of taking the leap to grow NOW!
  • How to plan in advance for a quick opening date (time is money!).
  • Learn how to step outside of your comfort zone and jump into new growth.

Risk, Agency, and Threat: Helping Your Audience Tell Their Own Stories BUY NOW
Speaker: Jono Naito-Tetro, Intrigue & Co., DVC Games
Thursday 1:45pm-2:45pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
As experience designers, we specialize in curating distinct emotions and experiences, whether it’s spine-tingling fear, boundless joy, or the triumphant sense of accomplishment. While we boast a repertoire of proven models, our goal is to transcend the ordinary and uncover innovative twists, add-ons, and choices that empower our audiences to take the reins of their adventure in our spaces, ultimately expanding our market share through inventive strategies.

Picture this: It’s not just about delivering an experience; it’s about granting your audience ownership. We’ll delve into the realm of optional content, choose-your-own-path structures, intriguing quests, interactive character engagements, and even pioneering new dimensions of fear and delight. By offering these customizable elements, we empower your patrons to shape their unique narratives within your space.

This isn’t merely about elevating experiences; it’s about revolutionizing them. Our approach aims to widen your market reach by infusing ingenuity and innovation into every facet of your offerings. Join us on this journey to redefine adventure ownership and witness the transformative power of granting your audience unparalleled agency in their immersive encounters at your venue.

Enlivening Experiences: The Art and Importance of Improv In Your Experience BUY NOW
Speaker: Matt Marberry, Odd-O-Ts’ Entertainment
Thursday 3:00pm-4:00pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Improv isn’t just about quick thinking, it’s a catalyst for innovation, connection, and enriching experiences across all industries! Discover the integral role of spontaneity, adaptability, and collaboration in creating dynamic experiences that captivate and leave a lasting impact! This seminar isn’t just about stage performance, it’s about infusing spontaneity into your experiences, enhancing engagement, and elevating the overall journey for your participants! Whether you’re in entertainment, customer service, or experience design, this seminar will provide invaluable tools and perspectives on leveraging the art of improv to enliven and invigorate every interaction, ensuring memorable experiences for all involved!

Unlocking Corporate Business: Strategies, Options and Effective Tactics BUY NOW
Speaker: Chris Burfield & Tina Burfield, Timed Out Escape
Thursday 4:15pm-5:15pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
In today’s corporate landscape, team building activities have evolved beyond mere social outings. Interactive entertainment venues, notably escape rooms, present a unique opportunity for organizations to shift their perspective on team development. Join us in exploring innovative strategies to revolutionize corporate engagements and transform these events into impactful experiences that foster personal and team growth.

Escape rooms and other interactive entertainment activities have emerged as compelling tools for team building, offering far more than casual social interactions. By redefining the concept of ‘team building’, these venues hold the key to unlocking untapped potential in personal and team development. In this session, we’ll uncover how to maximize the value delivered to clients while significantly enhancing revenue per participant.

Discover strategies that reimagine these events as catalysts for personal growth, leadership development, and enhanced teamwork. Gain insights into leveraging the immersive nature of escape rooms to create tailored experiences that not only entertain but also challenge participants to collaborate, communicate effectively, and strategize under pressure.

This seminar is designed for entertainment venue owners, corporate event planners, and anyone seeking to elevate their approach to team development activities. Learn how to seamlessly merge entertainment and development, ensuring that every interaction becomes an opportunity for professional growth and team bonding.

Join us for a transformative discussion on reshaping team building from a social outing to a dynamic platform for personal and professional advancement, significantly increasing the value proposition for clients and participants alike

Friday

Boom! Beep! Bang! Tick! Crafting Dynamic Sound & Music Design for Escape Rooms BUY NOW
Speaker: Troy Armstrong, Game Designer at “The Escape Game”
Friday 11:15am-12:15pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of sound design with this seminar, a rallying call for designers to recognize the often neglected significance of sound in their creative process. It’s time to shift the focus and ponder how sound can amplify and complement visual designs right from the start.

Step into actionable territory with valuable tips and resources on how any company can elevate their sound design! Tony will offer practical takeaways without the need for complex technical expertise. The seminar is crafted to empower everyday owners, fostering confidence in pushing boundaries in sound creation without overwhelming complexity.

Led by a seasoned expert with a music composition background and seven years in the escape room industry, this seminar focuses on bridging theory with hands-on application. Each attendee will walk away with techniques to enhance current audio designs or reshape the delivery of audio experiences, with the ultimate goal of fostering a holistic appreciation for sound as a pivotal component in immersive design. Get ready to “up your game” and embrace sounds as an integral part in crafting unforgettable experiences!

Mastering the FUNdamentals: Customers, Employees, and Community Connections BUY NOW
Speaker: Nicole Ginsburg, Intrigue & Co./Frightmare Farms Haunted Screampark/Aster Farmstead/Blast CNY
Friday 12:30pm-1:30pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
What do “New”, “Different”, “Hot” and “Trending” all have in common in the entertainment industry? Nothing… and everything all at the same time!

It’s time to pull back the curtain and reveal what is at the heart of every successful new, different, hot and trending concept! This seminar was specifically designed to share invaluable wisdom and spark creative inspiration, setting the stage for you to craft immersive experiences that thrive, resonate, captivate, and leave a lasting impression on your guests, employees and community!

There are core principles that fuel unforgettable experiences – and it’s time to share! This isn’t just about the basics, it’s about sharing the answers to the mystery of success, rediscovering the roots of your business and decoding the heart of all interactive entertainment.

So if you have 1 concept or 10, are looking to start something new or want to breathe life into your flatlined business, Nicole is ready to help jump-start your innovation, re-engage and give you the FUNdamentals that pave the way for success… every time!

Worldbuilding: Creating Worlds That Resonate BUY NOW
Speaker: Nicholas Moran, Phantom Peak
Friday 1:45pm – 2:45pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Dive into the realm of worldbuilding with “Worldbuilding: Creating Worlds That Resonate”. This talk will be an encapsulation of everything Phantom Peak, an award-winning open-world experience in London, which becomes our blueprint for captivating audiences.

Here, Nicholas will dissect the how and “how to’s” of engaging an audience, and, more importantly, turning customers and players into passionate fans!

This session will dissect the elements that make Phantom Peak a repeated destination for its visitors. It’s not just about creating a world; it’s about igniting a universe brimming with compelling stories and unforgettable characters. We’ll uncover how to construct narratives that strike a chord and settings that are more than mere backdrops. This session is perfect for storytellers, game designers, or anyone passionate about creative world-building.

Community Thrills: Secrets to Seamless Collaborations with Interactive Entertainment and Local Businesses BUY NOW
Speaker: Brian Vinciguerra, Cracked It Escape Games
Friday 3:00pm-4:00pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Join us for this dynamic 1-hour seminar designed for small business owners in the interactive entertainment space. Discover the art of forging successful partnerships with local businesses, leveraging technology for collaborative efforts, and creating community-centric events. This seminar offers practical strategies, to enhance your understanding of the local business ecosystem and learn how to craft win-win scenarios for mutual growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to network, gain valuable insights, and drive your business forward in an ever-evolving industry.

Empowerment Hour: Overcoming Obstacles and Creating Beyond The Mental Blocks BUY NOW
Speaker: Benito Suppa, Durham Escape Rooms
Friday 4:15pm-5:15pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
The world sees: Immersive, interactive, ingenious… but for most of us, it all started as intimidating! We all have had to pave our own way in this industry, often forced to create without a manual. Have you ever found yourself questioning your abilities or doubting your path? The answer is: YES. We have all faced moments of self-doubt, battling imposter syndrome and other mental obstacles to get where we are and will need to do it again to get where we want to be!

Join Benito for an empowering hour where he will identify these hurdles and share insights from healthcare experts on overcoming them. As a group, we’ll foster a supportive environment, encouraging each other’s growth. Drawing from personal experiences, Benito will share stories of triumph over similar challenges, aiming to inspire and push beyond limitations.

This seminar is for all that are ready to take on the true challenges of being in business once and for all! If you are ready to uplift one another and stride forward united, armed with resilience and strategies to triumph in the ever changing entertainment industry… this seminar is for you!

Saturday

Memorable Branding: How to Stand Out From the Crowd! BUY NOW
Speaker: Zoli Papp, Zolitopia
Saturday 10:15am-11:15am
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Have you ever struggled to remember a company’s name with that cool experience? Well, so did others! A memorable brand will not only help your bottom line but will also secure a long term future for your company. Branding that stands out from the crowd will help your customers to recommend you first above all to their friends and family. Just imagine this:

Customer: I’ve been to an escape room and it was so much fun!
You: Awesome, which one did you play?
Customer: Ugh, I don’t remember the company, it was something about [insert generic theme].

In the ever growing market of escape rooms and immersive experiences it’s becoming crucial to create a brand that’s easy to recognize and remember. Join me for this talk to learn about branding best practices and the different approaches to it, so next time your customers will have no problem remembering where to send their friends for their next experience.

Ultimate Immersion: World Building at Meow Wolf BUY NOW
Speaker: Derek Pendergrass, Executive Director of Exhibition Technical Arts at Meow Wolf
Saturday, March 9th
Time: 11:30am-12:30pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
They took the immersive world by storm with the release of Meow Wolf in 2008. Since then they have been paving the way on immersive entertainment innovation!

Embark on an exclusive exploration with Derek Pendergrass, the esteemed Executive Director of Technical Arts at Meow Wolf, while he takes you on a journey into the heart of Meow Wolf’s world-building magic! Derek will share how intricate integration of audio, video, lighting, and cutting-edge technologies transform static spaces into living, breathing works of art!

In this illuminating seminar, discover the symbiotic relationship between technology and storytelling, exploring how Meow Wolf breathes life into exhibits, allowing them to dynamically respond to guest interactions. Pendergrass will showcase the fusion of art and tech that defines Meow Wolf’s unique approach, offering a rare glimpse into the world-building wonders that have made Meow Wolf a global phenomenon.

Don’t miss this opportunity to delve in and witness firsthand the future of immersive experiences!

Unleashing Agency: Bridging the Worlds of Tabletop Gaming and Escape Rooms to Redefine Experiential Design BUY NOW
Speaker: Juliana Moreno, Wild Optimists
Saturday 12:45pm-1:45pm
Room:127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Let’s get interactive! Designers in the tabletop gaming and escape room industries have always worked using the medium of agency, which is exactly what today’s guests are looking for across the board in their experiential spending. In fact, the term “guest” is outdated. People don’t want to be guests, they want to be inhabitants/participants/heroes. How can you use this innate desire to create memorable and unique experiences? How can you allow people to engage with the space and characters, while still moving them through the experience? Increased interactivity is the future and it has its origins in tabletop gaming and escape rooms. There is so much to be learned from studying how design works and how those design lessons can be translated off-the-board and out of the room!

Let’s Talk About Tech! Entry Level Tech: Sensors, Switches, and Controllers BUY NOW
Speaker: Michael Goff, Mystery Mansion Escape
Saturday 2:00pm-3:00pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
Are you yearning to infuse your interactive entertainment projects with cutting-edge technology, but find yourself navigating a labyrinth of confusion when it comes to choosing the right components? Fear not! In this insightful seminar, we’re diving deep into the realm of entry-level tech, focusing specifically on sensors, switches, and controllers.

What’s Next? Exploring Interactive Entertainment Trends and What Makes Them “HOT” BUY NOW
Speaker: Luke Almond, Candid Escapes
Saturday 3:15pm-4:15pm
Room: 127
$55/attendee (pre-registration)
$65/attendee (on-site registration)
What if there was a crystal ball that could predict “What’s Next”? Well, that wouldn’t be as fun as leaving it up to an industry of problem solvers, now would it? Luke is ready to take you on the exhilarating journey through the dynamic world of interactive entertainment, dissecting the current trends and examining their viability, appeal, and future prospects!

Starting with established and proven models in business entertainment, from the immersive realms of escape rooms to the exhilarating experience of ax throwing to the gripping narratives of murder mysteries, Luke will explore what makes these models robust, and why they continue to captivate audiences.

The next stop: Sensational concepts, where we delve into the rise of selfie museums. Popping up rapidly, these museums stormed the entertainment scene. But are they mere fads, or have they carved a lasting niche in the industry?

Then it’s time to strap in to enter the realm of VR booths and simulations, a pinnacle of immersive experiences. With high initial costs, are these immersive encounters feasible options for small businesses seeking to make an impact in the interactive entertainment market?

Before fast forwarding we are going to hit the rewind and take an explosive dive into the resurgence of game shows. From their reemergence in 2019, these setups have proliferated. What’s the magnetism behind these experiences, and what does it take nowadays to run a successful game show?

Last stop? Wrap up and open the floor for a captivating Q&A session.

If you’re ready, Luke is prepared to unravel the allure behind various entertainment models, from established concepts to emerging ideas, and offer an exclusive look into the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ behind the hottest interactive entertainment trends!

All seminars and event payments are final at the time of purchase. Seminars and events are non-refundable and non-transferrable. Attendees must be at least 10 years old. Kids between 10-15 years old need to have a copy of their birth certificate. Kids 16 and older need a driver’s license or a government issued id. A valid photo id for every attendee is required for entry. All seminars and events are subject to change.

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2025 Dates & Hours

Check back closer to the show!