IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, is gearing up for this year’s IAAPA Expo 2023 in Orlando, Florida, following a record-breaking IAAPA Expo Europe in Vienna, Austria. Details have now been revealed for the annual Legends Panel, which has been running for 26 years, moderated and curated by Bob Rogers, founder & chairman of BRC
Imagination Arts.
This year’s panel will take place on 15 November. It will examine the important insights, methods, and techniques that allowed Universal Beijing Resort to reopen despite lockdowns, Covid quarantines, and other obstacles. From groundbreaking through ribbon-cutting, UBR overcome each extraordinary obstacle with resourcefulness, tenacity, and leadership.
Legends share insights into lessons from Universal Beijing
Three incredible Legends will impart lifetime lessons, strategies, and insights that attendees will be able to start implementing in their own careers.
The session will be moderated by Rogers, who developed and produced two generations of post-shows for Epcot’s GM Pavilion, including Bird & the Robot, and the original Impressions du France, which continues to be played at the French Pavilion. In addition to being nominated for two Oscars, Rogers has received a Thea Lifetime Achievement Award and been inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame. Rogers began his career in attractions as a magician at Disneyland’s Magic Shop.
He will be joined by Tom Mehrmann, Sylvia Hase and Mike Hightower.
During Universal Beijing Resort’s construction, Mehrmann served as both the resort’s president and general manager. He worked to create the teams and strategies that would operate the park in collaboration with Universal Creative, the Chinese government, and Chinese partners.
He currently serves as president and chief operating officer of Universal destinations and experiences, Pacific Rim.
Mehrmann used to be the CEO of Ocean Park, where for 13 years, he successfully fought back and won, maintaining an advantage over the newly arrived Disney Hong Kong. In his book Taming the Mouse, he explains the crucial leadership and management techniques that helped him compete against Disney in Hong Kong and emerge victorious.
Sylvia Hase is the president of Hasbas Entertainment. Throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and South America, she has created and produced an outstanding array of live events and world-class productions that have won numerous awards.
She was the driving force behind the writing, music, choreography, and special effects that turned the How to Train Your Dragon movie into the Award-winning stage production Untrainable – The How to Train Your Dragon Stage Spectacular at UBR.
In addition, Hase oversaw the creative conception and execution of the park’s daily Universal on Parade, which included themed performers, floats, and characters drawn from the Madagascar, Despicable Me/Minions, Shrek, and Kung Fu Panda properties by Universal.
Mike Hightower was the president of Universal Creative before his retirement, a position he attained after working with Universal Parks & Resorts (UPR) for 26 years. He was responsible for every facet of the worldwide planning, designing, and building of Universal theme parks, resorts, CityWalk locations, and new projects.
From concept to opening, he has supported projects all across the world, including those in the United States, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Dubai, and China. Hightower oversaw the construction of Universal Beijing Resort, UPR’s largest property to date, in his previous position as senior vice president.
He worked as an engineering project manager in the aerospace and defence contracting sector before joining Universal Parks & Resorts.
IAAPA Expo 2023 will take place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from 13 – 17 November.
IAAPA recently announced that second vice chair of IAAPA’s Board of Directors for 2024 will be Luciana Periales, CEO of Neverland Park in Argentina. Periales will serve as the first vice chair of IAAPA in 2025, and will then lead the association as the chair of the board in 2026.
