Themed Entertainment Association 2017 Conference is at CalArts this week. | Photo courtesy of Themed Entertainment Association
CalArts is this year’s host of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) SATE conference, being held on campus this week from Oct. 5-6, culminating with a NextGen student event on Oct. 7.
SATE (which stands for Storytelling + Architecture + Technology = Experience) is the yearly conference of themed entertainment industry professionals, focusing on the fundamental elements of experience design. This year’s conference theme is Beyond the Screen, the Future of Immersive Realities. “CalArts is proud to host this year’s TEA SATE Conference,” says President Ravi S. Rajan. “The conference presents an amazing opportunity for our students to engage and learn from the top theatrical thinkers working in many fields that the conference will bring, all here on our campus.”
CalArts is pleased to partner with Goddard Group, Perfect World Education, and Acomb Ostendorf & Associates (AOA) to realize this special event.
The keynote speaker is CalArts alumnus and faculty member Michael Jung (Theater MFA 94). Jung will discuss the future of Experience Design with Travis Preston, Dean of the CalArts School of Theater and Artistic Director of the CalArts Center for New Performance. As Creative Executive of Theatrical Development for Walt Disney Imagineering Live Entertainment, Jung is in charge of growing theatrical experiences for the Disney theme parks, cruise lines, and resorts around the world. Some of his recent projects include Happily Ever After at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular at Disneyland Paris.
Other conference speakers include Theater faculty and alumnus Jason McManus (Film/Video-Theater BFA 10), art director at Thinkwell Group, who will discuss “How ‘Millennials’ Tell Stories”. Special performances throughout the week include Herb Alpert School of Music dean David Rosenboom (“The Experiment“), Music student/alumni group Primero Sueño, Nani Agbeli with the Aza Ensemble, and a new installation by Ulrich Krieger (“Deep Down Below“)
The sold-out conference is expected to draw approximately 400 attendees. CalArts students and faculty will be able to attend conference sessions and events, networking with industry professionals and learning about the newest developments in themed entertainment and the future of theater.
For a full description of events, visit the SATE CalArts website.
Event Details
TEA SATE 2017 Los Angeles Conference
Thursday, Oct. 5 to Friday, Oct. 6 with a NextGen Student event on Sat., Oct. 7
8:45 am – 5 pm
CalArts Campus, Mod Theater
24700 McBean Pkwy., Valencia, CA