Niko Nickolaou
Senior Director of Special Events & Experiences
Marriott International / Gaylord Hotels
Niko Nickolaou is senior director of special events and experiences at Gaylord Hotels and JW Marriott, part of Marriott International, where he leads the development of immersive entertainment and seasonal attractions across the resort portfolio.
Nickolaou has worked with Gaylord Hotels since 2005, progressing through roles in guest services, special events and creative direction before becoming senior director in 2021. Earlier in his career, he worked in attraction operations at Universal Orlando and founded Social Pie, a digital marketing and experiential agency.
He oversees the creative development and delivery of ICE!, Gaylord's annual Christmas attraction, which combines large-scale ice sculptures with themed, walk-through environments inspired by popular entertainment properties. For the 2026 ICE! season, three new themes bring Harry Potter, Home Alone and The Nightmare Before Christmas to life.
His work also includes developing partnerships with major entertainment companies, including Disney, Warner Bros. and Universal. In 2025, this included DC Summer, a collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences featuring themed activities across four Gaylord resorts. The partnership also brought Universe of Light, a DC-themed lantern attraction, to Gaylord Texan.
Nickolaou has served on the Themed Entertainment Association's Eastern North America board since 2023. He is also a published author and co-author of the children's book POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance.
