Shelby Honea is executive producer at Universal Creative, which is responsible for designing, developing and delivering rides, attractions, parks and resorts for Universal Destinations & Experiences. Honea studied entertainment engineering at the University of Nevada and since then has had a variety of positions across themed entertainment.
Honea started her career in creative roles for Las Vegas casinos. She was in technical show support at Cirque du Soleil before working as an assistant producer for Walt Disney Imagineering on projects such as Pandora – The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. One of her recent projects for Universal Creative was Universal Orlando’s new Jurassic World-themed VelociCoaster.
“Being theme park designers and getting to play in a theme park setting was awesome. We worked with the filmmakers to define this new little piece of the canon,” she told blooloop. “The story gave us a lot of opportunities to play with theme park tropes and deliver a really compelling, immersive story.” She added: “Something I love about Universal Creative is we are always asking ourselves how we can innovate – how can we bring something new to the guests?”
One person who nominated Honea said: “In a dynamic industry that thrives on innovation and imagination, Shelby consistently emerges as a trailblazer. Her ability to craft immersive and unforgettable experiences is a testament to her artistic vision and leadership. Her legacy extends beyond the attractions she has helped create; it lives in the hearts of visitors who have been transported to new worlds and in the inspiration she provides to the aspiring minds of the industry.”