07 November 2017

From amusement park cleanup to brand experience expert: Geoff Thatcher, Creative Principals

Geoff Thatcher working with producers from The Brand Experience
at StudioEIS, a sculpture studio in Brooklyn in May 2017.
Geoff launched his own company, Creative Principals, in July 2017.
Photo Credit: Elliot Schwartz.

Geoff Thatcher, grownup, brings the same enthusiasm to his work that Geoff Thatcher, teenager, brought initially, years ago, to Lagoon Amusement Park – whether it was cleanup, feeding the animals or writing titles for training slideshows.

“Geoff always had it in him, even when he was 14. We all knew, ‘this kid’s gonna do something great,’” said Lori Capener, Geoff's former supervisor at Lagoon. "He was always ready and willing to do whatever new thing came down the chute, and he was good at motivating others. He was rarin’ to go.”

Geoff's career took him from journalism to JRA, and then to creating corporate branded experiences, where he's had great success applying what he calls "The Experience Model."

As brands and IP have assumed a new prominence in entertainment attractions, Geoff has returned to the heart of the attractions industry - now, as founder and Chief Creative Officer of his own company, Creative Principals.

Read the full story by Judith Rubin for InPark Magazine issue #70, Nov 2017.


15 Candles: The Hettema Group

The driver of this company’s work is “aiming for awe” – creating projects that give guests goosebumps; borne out by some of their best-known work, such as One World Observatory, High Roller and “Beyond All Boundaries,” each of which has become an icon in its own way.

The Hettema Group got its start when Jeffrey Katzenberg, a longtime collaborator and client, recommended Phil Hettema for a project in Jordan. Katzenberg, whose current company is WndrCo, said, “I’ve known Phil for more than 30 years, having worked with him collaborating all the way back to the days at Disney. I worked with him during his time at Universal when DreamWorks had a theme park deal with Universal, and then with him directly at DreamWorks Animation.

“Phil is one of the most innovative and creative and dynamic storytellers in the world of live experiences,” said Katzenberg. “He’s done so many amazing projects over the years – everything from Seuss Landing at Universal, to One World Observatory in New York. He’s just incredibly diverse and skilled at all the many elements of three-dimensional storytelling. He is pretty unique.”

Click for full story - this was the cover feature for InPark Magazine issue #70, November 2017.