RWS Entertainment Group, a creator of award-winning custom entertainment, alongside its fellow subsidiaries ted, JRA and ARC (formerly known as Binder Casting), is relaunching as RWS Global, an experience team 120 years in the making. With these four leading companies coming together under one unified brand, RWS Global is set to cement its position as a world leader in live moments.
To find out more about what this rebrand means, both for the company and its global roster of clients, we speak to Ryan Stana, CEO of RWS Global. We also speak to key executives from across the RWS Global team. Together, they explain how RWS Global can deliver 360 degrees of awe and amazement, providing everything that clients need to develop their idea, as well as to bring it to life and run it flawlessly.
Strategic acquisitions
It’s been a busy few years for the RWS Entertainment Group team, with the acquisition of award-winning creative studio JRA in November 2021 and then the addition of leisure entertainment experience company ted in April 2022. Reflecting on this period of growth, Stana says:
“We were thrilled to add the JRA team to RWS Entertainment Group in 2021. The company brought with them some of the most talented designers and project managers in the business and helped round out our client trajectory. We already had the tools to fabricate and operate projects. Adding JRA meant we could also create and design attractions as well.
“We weren’t actively looking for another company to acquire. But after talking to Robin Breese-Davies (the owner of ted at the time) in early 2022, I knew this was the missing piece. With ted, RWS Entertainment Group could broaden the reach of its current offerings into EMEA and APAC while adding new services such as music and media, fitness and wellbeing, and retail and merchandising.”
In addition, with Binder Casting, which RWS Entertainment Group acquired in 2016 and which has recently rebranded as ARC, the firm has the best names in casting for Broadway, Commercials and TV & Film. This stretches its client base even further and creates new opportunities for its existing talent base.
Presenting RWS Global
Uniting these four companies under one banner has culminated in the formation of RWS Global.
RWS Global’s chief creative officer, Craig Laurie, will now steward the creative direction of all four companies, making sure that RWS Global pushes the boundaries of innovation, creativity, and quality in all that it does. The marketing, business development, and talent casting and recruitment departments have also become RWS Global teams. This ensures that needs are met and opportunities are maximised across all brands.
For Stana, this unification is a no-brainer:
“The greatest highlight of the past 18 months has been witnessing our teams synergize. We’ve already worked with some amazing clients together – such as RWS creating a live show program for MSC Seascape as JRA designed the heart-stopping Robotron attraction. Or ted and RWS partnering on entertainment for Iberostar Resorts. ted and JRA have multiple joint projects in development, and RWS-ted-JRA creations are also in the works.”
“These collaborations enable our team members to stretch their skills and talents in new and unique ways.”
RWS Global is four powerhouse companies with one mission – to elevate experiences everywhere.
“Together we’re raising the experience of clients, teams, and talent, both on land and at sea, all over the world. Whether master planning a theme park, scripting a live show, implementing an onboard fitness program or developing bespoke characters for a retail merchandise campaign, we do it all. Our goal is to shatter your expectations about what live moments could and should be.”
It’s all about the people
For Kevin Kreczko, SVP of global marketing and business development at RWS Global, this rebrand is “truly a dream come true!”
He elaborates:
“I always admired what Ryan wanted to do. It takes me back to emails dating to 2012 when I was stage managing and wanting to work with him – I always wanted to be part of creating the biggest and best thing in the entertainment world and here we are. Many people ask me why. It is because Ryan cares about the people. At the end of the day when our talent and team succeed, we succeed.
“Ryan wants to create a career for all team members and talent – from our designers to our performers to our payroll accountants. Our people are what makes us the world leader in live moments because every day we are true believers in raising the experience for everyone. People trust us to deliver. And we do it time and time again because we hire the best of the best.”
A one-stop shop
RWS Global is a one-stop shop – and then some! It offers ideation, design, fabrication, casting and operations, all at the highest level.
“We offer everything (and everyone) you need to deliver an unmatched guest experience – from ideation to operation – anywhere in the world,” says Stana.
“Whether you’re looking for ted’s offerings in the EMEA or RWS’ offerings worldwide, services include concept and design, show production, seasonal experiences, talent recruitment, AV & technical, music & media, fitness & wellbeing, retail & merchandising, costume design & build, leased experiences and guest acts. We call it ‘360 degrees of total awe and amazement!’
“If you’re looking to develop an attraction, JRA are the creators of extraordinary destinations, providing master planning, writing and content development, experience planning and design, executive media production, graphic design and art direction, as well as project management and fabrication. With JRA, imaginary worlds become real, as guests are transported out of their daily lives.”
“And with ARC, our services also include theatrical casting, commercial casting and TV & film casting. This is casting for the 21st century. It goes beyond the known names and focuses on fresh talent, finding the right talent for every role.
“No one else provides all this – that’s why we’re the world leader in live moments.”
Kreczko adds:
“We are not a cookie-cutter company. Everything we do is bespoke to the needs of the partners we work with. But with the combinations of RWS, ted, JRA and ARC, I believe there’s nothing we can’t do to create an immersive experience that drives true ROI. I do not know a company that can drive marketing and commercial talent, see that plan through design, create it, install it and then operate it.
“It truly is magic when you see all the teams come together.”
The RWS Global Team
Because of this overlap in the range of services that RWS Global can offer, there is now also an RWS Global Team emphasising shared services across the four companies.
“Our Global team will focus on streamlining our shared services. This means that any time our talent, our vendors, our clients or their guests experience a production from an RWS Global company, they experience the same quality and high level of attention to detail that has become our signature,” says Danielle Kramer, EVP of RWS.
RWS Global is dedicated to ensuring that its subsidiaries work together as one team creating endless possibilities for its projects and people.
“The diversity amongst our subsidiaries, our teams and our offerings is what makes RWS Global special. It’s the thread that ties us all together and creates unmatched excellence in our industry,” continues Kramer.
“Diversity, not just in this context, but in every way, is important to us. It is way more than a box to check – diversity is core to the RWS Global culture. We value it, promote it, protect it and hire for it.”
A better experience for RWS Global clients
From the point of view of RWS Global’s clients, and its clients’ guests, what does this rebrand mean in practice, and how will it enhance their experience?
“Because of our diverse portfolio and turnkey solutions, we can provide ideation, design, technical services, casting and operations for custom entertainment, live events, exhibits, destinations, décor and branded attractions,” says Kramer.
“On land, at sea and everywhere in between, we create over one million live moments every day. We pride ourselves on our wide reach. This allows us to give a large number of patrons access to entertainment who may not have been exposed to it otherwise. Sharing our passion for what we do also allows us to raise the experience of every guest.”
Stana adds:
“Your average guest will never know that the experience they enjoyed was developed by RWS Global. But we hope the inspiration they feel after interacting with a JRA-designed exhibit, the chills they feel after visiting an RWS-developed scare zone, the amazement they feel from seeing an ARC-cast Broadway show or the joy they feel from squeezing a ted-fabricated plush truly resonate.
“These are the emotional (and physical) souvenirs that RWS Global hopes to create for every guest, every day, everywhere.”
Offering a consistent service
Essentially, the rebrand is about consolidating the companies’ services on a global level to provide a consistent experience across all brands and to all clients.
“Since the acquisition, we have successfully scaled up resourcing and promoted shared services, says Robin Breese-Davies, EVP of ted. “We want to keep this momentum, drive more efficiency, and also make sure we are working as a collective team. By centralizing our global leadership, we will be focused on driving, creating and implementing the overall strategy of the four businesses.
“This approach supports our aim to provide a bespoke offering to all our clients across their respective industries, no matter where they are around the globe.”
Mark Amos, EVP at JRA adds:
“For our clients, it means that there is a larger design and implementation team that can provide a much broader array of single-shop services and talent. For visitors to our projects, it also means more cohesive, more fully immersive experiences. That is because the venue, shows, talent and guest experience door-to-door can be done with the same internal group of creators and collaborators.”
More opportunities for the RWS Global teams
Meanwhile, for RWS Global’s internal stakeholders, teams and talent, there will be positive impacts as well. The teams are already working on multiple projects together with more in the pipeline. So, this creates incredible opportunities for colleagues to expand their skill sets. And, with more global projects, there are more opportunities for talent, both on land and at sea.
“The change will allow more opportunities for the teams to further expand their roles, move into new areas of the business and explore more areas of growth as RWS Global continues to expand its offerings,” says Kramer.
“As we continue to reinvent our processes, we encourage our team members to collaborate with the teams in all subsidiaries to foster new ideas, best practices and personal development by being exposed to new ways of doing things.”
Ryan Saab, SVP of talent casting & recruitment at RWS Global, adds:
“By expanding our portfolio to a global scale and consolidating all talent opportunities under one umbrella, it offers an unparalleled opportunity for performers who are just starting to build a long-term, sustainable career within the RWS Global portfolio. No other company, including major in-house entertainment operations, can offer this.
“With the addition of our new casting arm, ARC, we can offer theatrical opportunities on Broadway and internationally, as well as commercial, TV and film opportunities.”
A new look for RWS Global
The changes are supported by a new visual identity. This includes a new logo for RWS Global, refreshed company logos and a logo celebrating the team’s collective 120 years in business. With this, RWS Global has a cohesive visual representation of its combined companies. This means that talent, team and clients can clearly see which brands fall under the RWS Global umbrella.
As part of the rebrand, RWS Global presents five new websites. RWSGlobal.com will serve as the main portal to the company sites.
“Visitors to our website are first directed to rwsglobal.com. Here, they can see all of our brands on the homepage,” explains Stana.
“They can then choose which services or combination of services they need, which will determine where they go next. But all the brand sites link to each other. For example – someone may visit experiencejra.com for master planning services and then decide they want to visit experiencerws.com – or experienceted.com if they are in Europe – to add talent casting, AV or merchandise.
“Everything is interconnected through a seamless user experience.”
“Our new websites champion and showcase our unique value proposition – the breadth of services that we offer,” says Kreczko. “The sites are visually stunning, as are our new social media icons, our new RWS Global LinkedIn channel and all the other snippets of branding our clients and colleagues will see in the coming weeks and months.
“What I am most excited about is how we are showcasing RWS Global. It truly allows everyone to understand that we are one powerhouse team.”
A New Talent Portal
The company will now use RWS and ted’s Facebook and Instagram primarily as talent casting and recruitment channels, instead of positioning them as B2B channels. Explaining this decision, Saab says:
“We have the audacious task of casting thousands of roles per year. This includes musicians, singers, dancers, singer/dancers, speciality acts, cruise directors, costume characters and many more. We also recruit behind-the-scenes talent such as technicians, lighting riggers and soundboard ops. In addition to the auditions page on our website, we have discovered that Instagram and Facebook are the best ways to target talent where they scroll. “
“Our Talent Casting & Recruitment social media manager makes sure that our team is offering dynamic, fun and eye-catching photo and video content that cuts through the clutter and gets people applying and auditioning. We also recruit members of our onsite talent as brand ambassadors. In the age of the selfie, we figure they are the best envoys to capture compelling content on cruise ships, at ports of call, in theme parks and anywhere else their RWS Global adventures take them!
“We’ll also be adding an RWS TikTok channel soon.”
The evolution of JRA
As well as the overarching changes to parent company RWS Global, there are also significant changes happening within JRA and ARC.
At JRA, Mark Amos is taking on the role of EVP. He will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the company. Amos has worked with the company for almost two decades. During this time, he has contributed to notable projects like Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Angry Birds Activity Park, The Land of Legends, View Boston and Robotron on MSC Seascape.
“My new role as EVP involves managing the design studio while also being responsible for the overall operations and accountability of JRA,” explains Amos. “This involves developing the existing talent and bringing in new, as well as relying on an incredible group of leaders to drive our company forward.
“I’ve been at JRA for nearly 19 years. My biggest highlights are winding my way from drafting to design to project management to directing projects to VP and head of the design studio to the EVP of the company. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with some of the best colleagues and experts in our industry.”
Meanwhile, JRA’s long-time president, industry veteran Keith James, will transition to the role of Chairman. This positions the company for future growth while recognising James’ role as JRA’s biggest champion.
“Since the sale/acquisition of the company, Keith has been getting back to what he enjoys – being a steward for JRA and the industry as a whole by being on the road, going to events and tradeshows, connecting with his friends and colleagues and mentoring and inspiring the next generation,” says Amos.
“We are proud of his accomplishments, and even prouder of the talent he’s developed to steer our company forward.”
The next generation of leaders
At the moment, JRA is investing internally in its staff and working to provide them with greater opportunities:
“We’re bringing in new talent with varied experiences, shifting to provide more emphasis on initial ideation and creativity and pushing true collaboration into every facet of what we do.
“I’m incredibly fortunate to have been mentored by founders of the industry, challenged by some of the toughest personalities and been given opportunities that many dream about. I’m super excited for the future and being able to repay all of those offerings to those around me – the next generation of leaders in our industry.”
Corie Flood, designer, creative at JRA, says that being a part of RWS Global will open many doors for the teams at JRA:
“Working together, we will be able to leverage each other to offer better guest experiences. As designers, we are also storytellers. Together at RWS Global, we will be able to be one team of people creating and visualizing a story for theming and interactives, live content, and media seamlessly. Also, more recently, we have seen the impact of working with RWS being able to do more cruise ship work and show sets.”
Binder Casting becomes ARC
There are also changes at ARC. Explaining the new name and website, Saab says:
“Every story has a beginning, middle and end. ARC helps producers and directors find the best storytellers. We’re not just casting incredible talent to develop the arc of a theater, film, TV or commercial story. We’re also developing that talent, adding to their professional experience and accelerating their growth.
“The website will illustrate not only the breadth and depth of our experience but also our core values, our integrity and our exacting artistic standards. ARC, through both its previous iteration as Binder Casting and now with the addition of renowned casting director Duncan Stewart, builds upon decades of casting experience while offering a fresh perspective to the industry.”
“Our casting process adapts to any project, going beyond the known names to discover fresh talent while respecting the artists on both sides of the table. The site will showcase our incredible team, our commitment to inclusion and our expertise in casting over 1,000 film, TV, theater and commercial projects, including over 150 Broadway and touring productions.”
On how ARC will contribute to RWS Global, and how it will reshape the casting industry, he adds:
“With Stewart at the helm and with offices in New York and London, ARC will source talent for theater, film, television and commercial projects. Duncan is committed to treating everyone with respect. His reputation for having one of the most discerning eyes for talent in the industry will elevate our already powerhouse team.
“We look forward to maintaining our current Broadway productions. This includes Life of Pi, Disney’s The Lion King, Chicago the Musical, and the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes. We also look forward to what the future will bring as we launch this new venture.”
A new brand, 120 years in the making
As part of the rebranding approach, RWS Global was keen to assure stakeholders that the teams they know and love aren’t going anywhere.
“From a visual identity standpoint, you’ll notice RWS and ted’s logos are strikingly similar to their previous versions, with JRA getting a refreshed yet recognizable look,” says Stana. “ARC’s identity reflects a new era in casting. Together with the RWS Global logo, they form a cohesive, modern portfolio of brands, all while retaining their established brand equity.”
“RWS, ted, JRA and ARC have been elevating experiences for decades, each in their own way. When you add it all up, we now have over a century of bold making and mold breaking united under one banner. Together we can leverage our collective creativity and know-how in brand-new ways. So, instead of looking back into the past, we chose to focus on the future.
“We’re not celebrating a combined 120th anniversary. We’re celebrating the launch of a new brand 120 years in the making.”
Kreczko adds:
“Nothing is changing in the sense that we are still all about the people. All of our brands have been the “people business,” and that will never stop.
“Twenty years ago, RWS Entertainment Group was built on the idea of creating the first touch point for children to experience a show. We are still doing that, but we have built upon it over these last two decades. Now we are creating the first touch point for everyone to experience something they will never forget – the emotional souvenir.”
Staying true to the firm’s roots
For Kramer, the rebrand is an exciting new chapter that emphasises RWS Global’s strengths:
“Our core values of dedication, innovation, creativity, connection, collaboration, trust and fun give us guiding principles that have kept us malleable and relevant in an ever-changing environment. We have learned that if we continue to stay true to our roots, yet are also willing to evolve and improve, we are unstoppable.”
“I am proud to have been a part of RWS Entertainment Group since its inception, and to be a part of our growth into a global powerhouse has been nothing short of inspirational. And this is just the beginning! There are no limits to what our talented teams can achieve…together.”
What makes RWS Global?
Elaborating on those values, and how they remain a central pillar of RWS Global going forward, Stana says:
“Dedication is a pledge of passion to our work. Innovation is a “bold or bust” approach. Connection is working in harmony – synergizing and sharing to make an impact. Creativity is asking the daring question, embracing an idea and dreaming even bigger. It takes a village to raise a curtain, so collaboration brings inspiration from all directions. Trust is earned with every promise kept. And fun is leaving our talent, team and clients wanting more and letting our personality pave the way.
“Operating with these collective values in mind, we truly are one team with endless possibilities.”
