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On 19 August, the International Board of the TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) selected as TEA's next president 40-year attractions industry veteran Rick Rothschild, founder and chief creative officer of FAR OUT! Creative Direction, and creative director at Global Immersion. Rothschild, best known for his three dec
ades as creative executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, will formally commence his term in November.
"I welcome the opportunity that the International Board of the Themed Entertainment Association(TEA) has extended in selecting me as President for the upcoming year," says Rick Rothschild, founder and chief creative officer of FAR OUT! Creative Direction. "For TEA, serving the global community of those who create compelling guest experiences and places, this next year is significant as it leads up to the 20th anniversary of TEA's founding. I look forward to leading the TEA International Board in its efforts, to building on the legacy of the past two decades, and to helping plan the next 20 years - as we look towards continued growth and improvement of benefits for the members of this important and unique association."
Creative plus technical expertise; museum plus theme park experience
A former creative executive with and current consultant to Walt Disney Imagineering, Rothschild's projects include directing the creation of Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and bringing back the Captain EO attraction. Blending a unique set of entertainment skills developed over 40 years of experience in the world of theater, Disney theme parks, media and museums, Rick Rothschild brings a deep technical knowledge together with a strong creative perspective to provide both vision and direction to any project.
Rothschild is also part of Global Immersion's creative technology team supporting the development of unique planetarium and immersive theater experiences worldwide. Along with the responsibility of creatively directing and producing over 25 separate Disney attractions during a 30-year tenure as a creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, Rick led and participated in a variety of concept development teams that explored new attractions, complete theme parks and other resort, recreation and immersive experience related business lines. His work at Disney also included consulting with a number of prestigious museums and institutions around the United States.
"Rick Rothschild's background with entertainment and education projects alike, and his understanding of both creative design and tech design enable him to effectively address the needs of museums along with theme parks and to speak to all TEA membership and market sectors," says sitting TEA president Steven J. Thorburn PE, of Thorburn Associates Inc.. "Rick Rothschild has all the 'right stuff' to take the Themed Entertainment Association and the business communities it serves into the new, post-recession global commerce environment: creative dynamism, innovative spirit, leadership quality plus rich experience and a long line of successes at the epicenter of our industry. I look forward to passing Rick the gavel in established TEA tradition this November, when TEA convenes at the IAAPA Attractions Expo."
About TEA
The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) is an international nonprofit alliance founded in 1991 and based in Burbank, Calif. TEA represents some 7,000 creative specialists, from architects to designers, technical specialists to master planners, scenic fabricators to artists, and builders to feasibility analysts working in more than 650 firms in 30 US states and 40 different countries. TEA presents the annual Thea Awards and the TEA Summit and hosts the annual SATE conference (Story, Architecture, Technology, Experience) held this year in Orlando Sept 30-Oct 1. TEA also produces a variety of print and electronic publications, including the TEA/AECOM Theme Index, TEA Project Development Guidelines, and TEA Annual & Directory. Visit teaconnect.org.