Entertainment + Culture Advisors (ECA) has announced the retirement of its co-founder Raymond Braun, who will now serve as a senior advisor at ECA on a consulting basis.
Braun co-founded the firm in 2010 alongside partners Christian Aaen, Matt Earnest, and Ed Shaw. ECA quickly became the leading economic advisory firm for entertainment development projects, working globally with major brands such as Universal Destinations & Experiences, Warner Bros. Discovery, Merlin Entertainments and Legoland, KidZania, and more.
Before forming ECA, Braun was the head of the entertainment practice group at Economics Research Associates (ERA). This was founded by Harrison Price, a pioneer in the field of economic analysis of location-based entertainment (LBE).Â
Braun has worked on big projects such as Universal Studios Beijing, Legoland theme parks worldwide, KidZania venues across the globe, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter.
As for urban entertainment developments and cultural projects, Braun’s portfolio includes Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, L.A. Live, LA’s Getty Center, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Iowa State Fair and the Orange County Fair.
He has been a long-time member of and frequent speaker for key industry organisations, including the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
Next-generation attractions
His career was featured in an article in blooloop on next-generation attractions, and he was named a blooloop influencer in 2018. Braun was a contributing author in two books for ULI, Developing Urban Entertainment Centers and Developing Retail Entertainment Destinations, and was chosen as a TEA Master in 2020.
“It has been a long and enjoyable ride, and I am certain that my partners will continue the excellent work that ECA is known for,” said Braun.
Last year, ECA and blooloop announced the Global Attractions Landscape, a new resource to navigate a diverse, dynamic and interconnected attractions industry.
