IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, is preparing to welcome attractions professionals in-person to IAAPA Expo in Orlando once more. The event takes place from 16 – 19 November, and one of the highlights will be the annual Legends Panel.
This year, the Legends Panel will be held on Wednesday 17 November at 3.30 pm and will feature Thierry Coup, Phil Hettema and Scott Trowbridge, three of the top creators and masterminds of the original Spider-Man attraction at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The event will be hosted, as usual, by Bob Rogers, founder and CEO of BRC Imagination Arts.
Insights from the creative team
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man opened just over 20 years ago, changing immersive indoor attractions in the process. Now, three of the team behind the successful ride will share how they brought it to life.
Coup, who was creative director at Universal Creative at the time, was credited as production designer for the attraction. He went on to work on projects like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Transformers: The Ride and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. He is now senior VP and chief creative officer at Universal Creative.
After the opening of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, Hettema was credited as senior VP attraction development of Universal Creative. He is now president and creative director of The Hettema Group (THG) and has received many awards during his career, including The Buzz Price Thea Award for a Lifetime of Outstanding Achievements.
Trowbridge was the show producer on the original Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man while working as VP, creative studio leader for Universal Creative. Today Scott is a portfolio creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. He has been a lead on the creation of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including the Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
The annual Legends Panel has been curated and moderated by Rogers for nearly 20 years. Rogers is the founder and chair of BRC Imagination Arts (BRC), a member of the IAAPA Hall of Fame and winner of a Thea Lifetime Achievement award. BRC is a full-service strategy, design, and production company.
Last month, IAAPA named Jakob Wahl as its new executive vice president and chief operating officer.
