Join us at 4 pm GMT on Thursday 16 January 2025, to discover the latest innovations in themed retail environments. Our guest speakers will explore why having themed retail spaces is important and how you can create an immersive environment for your visitors.
The speakers are Erik Burdock, senior director of experience design at the Center of
Science and Industry (COSI); Arik Lubkin, chief creative officer at CAMP; and Jacquelyn Sorvillo, chief retail officer at SSA Group.
Meet the speakers
Erik Burdock brings over 30 years of experience in designing and delivering innovative, award-winning exhibitions. He leads the strategic evolution of COSI’s permanent exhibits, ensuring they align with institutional values and provide engaging, impactful guest experiences. Burdock has been pivotal in landmark projects, including the opening of COSI Toledo (Imagination Station) and COSI, the Emmy Award-winning Dr. B and 3, and The Rooms at Easton (Silver Medal, ICSC US MAXI Award).
A graduate of Columbus College of Art & Design, he combines creative vision with strategic leadership, shaping COSI’s mission to inspire lifelong learning and discovery.
Arik Lubkin is an award-winning architect and designer. Informed by a broad background in immersive, scenic, hospitality, retail, educational, and residential design, he brings a holistic, sensory-based approach to architecture and design that seeks to bring people together and elevate everyday moments.
Through his work at CAMP, Lubkin hopes to bring imagination to life and make magic real for his two daughters and families everywhere. Prior to CAMP, he led experiential design teams at Museum of Ice Cream where he opened MOIC Austin, Singapore, Shanghai, and Chicago, and at Meow Wolf, where he led design efforts on Omega Mart in Las Vegas and master planning for the House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe.
As chief retail officer at SSA Group, Jacquelyn Sorvillo has been dedicated to enhancing the guest experience for over 11 years. Starting her career as a buyer in mass retail, she later transitioned to cultural attractions at Smithsonian museums, where her passion for mission-driven retail began.
At SSA, Sorvillo leads the creation of products that reflect each partner’s unique story while delivering memorable experiences for guests. Her favourite part of the role is supporting SSA’s partners with thoughtful, mission-aligned merchandise. Through her leadership, Sorvillo continues to bridge commerce and culture to elevate SSA’s retail impact.
Innovation Awards
This session is taking place at 4 pm on Thursday 16 January, and will also be available on demand for 30 days after the event.
At the end of this session, we will reveal the winners of the Themed Entertainment category in the blooloop Innovation Awards, which celebrate the incredible dynamism, imagination and creativity that drive the attractions business. Attendees in this session can browse all the entries, and vote for their favourite to win our Public Choice Award.
This free online session is part of the blooloop Festival of Innovation.
From 15 to 16 January 2025, this event will gather visitor attraction professionals to hear from industry experts and explore the winners of the 2024 blooloop Innovation Awards, presented with AREA15.
To register, please click here.
