Friday, March 29, 2019

ITEC Entertainment Los Angeles Office to Provide Local Support for Themed Entertainment Projects


ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, today announced the opening of a West Los Angeles office. The new location enables ITEC to improve services and support for West Coast and Asia clients. The office is being led by Steve Alkhoja, Executive Vice President of Entertainment Technology for the company.
“This office expands ITEC’s existing relationships and presence and allows us to reinforce on-site support for our long-standing entertainment clients in areas such as creative design, entertainment technology, and sustaining engineering capabilities for attractions and shows,” says Steve Alkhoja. “It’s also well positioned for meetings with our international clients, especially those headquartered in Asia.”

ITEC Entertainment is a 30-year veteran in the industry, providing planning, creative design, entertainment technology, and project development for the largest companies worldwide including Universal Studios Theme Parks, Six Flags, Sony, and Wanda Group. ITEC’s turnkey Experience Design Process (EDP) creates a story that serves as a project foundation, orchestrating all components of development to build the most immersive, comprehensive and iconic guest experiences for theme parks, attractions, retail, themed dining, resorts, and more.

“Creating world-class immersive guest experiences requires a great deal of strategic alignment, creativity, and collaboration at various milestones throughout the development process,” said Bill Coan, president, and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “Through this process, our team is able to consistently deliver upon the high expectations we’ve been known for over the last quarter-century. Being closer to many of our industry-leading entertainment clients will help strengthen our approach in this region and explore opportunities beyond themed entertainment design such as mixed-use, office campuses, and retail.”

Some of ITEC’s recent Los Angeles projects include Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™; Despicable Me Minion Mayhem; Jurassic Park; Kung Fu Panda; and Fast & Furious – Supercharged – all at Universal Studios Hollywood.
For more information on ITEC Entertainment and their turnkey entertainment solutions, visit www.ITEC.com.

About ITEC Entertainment Corporation

ITEC Entertainment Corporation is a global industry leader of award-winning, entertainment solutions that ignite the dreams of hundreds of millions of people all over the world. ITEC’s culture of performance and innovation pushes the frontiers of themed entertainment design, production, and technology to new heights. Founded in 1985, ITEC has delivered over 300 of the most successful and comprehensive guest experiences spanning: theme parks, rides, and shows; cultural attractions; resorts and mixed-use; themed dining; entertainment centers; and themed retail. ITEC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.ITEC.com.

Friday, March 22, 2019

Things we learned from Charlie Wissig's Speaker Series discussion

A big shout out to teachers everywhere for inspiring students who eventually turn into talented artists, designers and even Creative Directors like our Charlie Wissig!
Charlie’s high school art teacher, Tom Knowland, at Centereach High School in Long Island, New York encouraged him to keep honing his craft and passion. His advice stayed with Charlie for decades and helped him acquire skills that took him through his storied career and eventually to ITEC.
ITEC staffers were intrigued to hear of Charlie’s experiences and the advice he passed along:
  1. Say “yes” to every opportunity to learn something new;
  2. If you don’t already have the skills you need to get ahead, learn them on your own;
  3. Don’t be discouraged if one door closes. Another will always open, and
  4. Keep reinventing yourself.


Thursday, March 7, 2019

CHARLIE WISSIG JOINS ITEC ENTERTAINMENT AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Former Walt Disney & Dreampark International Senior Art Director To Join ITEC’s Creative Leadership Team


ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, today announced that Charlie Wissig will join the company as Creative Director. Wissig has over three decades of experience in creating, overseeing, and implementing new concepts in mediums for themed entertainment design and development. As an expert illustrator and designer in the theme park industry, he will spearhead creative projects for ITEC’s clientele.

“Charlie understands the evolving theme park industry and the ever-expanding creative role within it,” said Bill Coan, President, and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “His expertise and vision comprise all aspects of the creative and development processes unique to themed entertainment, allowing us to continue to provide our clients with best-in-class guest experiences.”

Wissig joins ITEC from Dreampark International, where he served as the Senior Art Director and oversaw the creative design of all themed structures, walkways, and rides for projects throughout Asia while maintaining the integrity of intellectual property for accuracy and quality. Prior to Dreampark, he worked at Walt Disney World Company as a contracted Senior Art Director and managed the design and installation of multiple Disney displays in Asia regions. He also served as a designer and illustrator for Universal Studios and designed multiple attractions for Islands of Adventure, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Halloween Horror Nights.

“I look forward to supporting ITEC Entertainment as a key player in development markets globally,” said Wissig. “My extensive experience working on major themed entertainment projects in China, Korea, and Thailand will allow me to continue growing ITEC’s international presence in the market in addition serving to our domestic clients.”

About ITEC Entertainment Corporation

ITEC Entertainment Corporation is a global industry leader of award-winning, entertainment solutions that ignite the dreams of hundreds of millions of people all over the world. ITEC’s culture of performance and innovation pushes the frontiers of themed entertainment design, production, and technology to new heights. Founded in 1985, ITEC has delivered over 300 of the most successful and comprehensive guest experiences spanning: theme parks, rides, and shows; cultural attractions; resorts and mixed-use; themed dining; entertainment centers; and themed retail. ITEC is headquartered in Orlando, Florida with offices throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.ITEC.com.

ITEC ENTERTAINMENT UNVEILS ‘EXPERIENCE DESIGN PROCESS’ AT IAAPA ATTRACTIONS EXPO

Transforms Property Developments into Comprehensive Guest Experiences

ORLANDO, Fla. – ITEC Entertainment Corporation, an industry leader of worldwide entertainment solutions, unveiled its Experience Design Process (EDP) at IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Fla. ITEC’s end-to-end methodology transforms property developments into compelling guest experiences. EDP creates a story that serves as a project foundation, orchestrating all components to build the most immersive, comprehensive and iconic guest experiences.

The company transforms projects from concept through construction including mixed-use complexes, lifestyle centers, commercial centers and more. The EDP process spans program & planning, design, project development, as well as the orchestration of technologies that bring entertainment experiences to life:

Program and Planning: The process begins with a robust validation and planning stage, which establishes master site and facility plans to define project parameters and organization. It addresses such issues as the Client’s vision and objectives, market, visitor profiles, annual attendance, key entertainment, and support activities while developing multiple high-level concepts that could become the best use of the site and/or facility.


Design: The entertainment experience and creative content is developed in this stage. After confirming the programming and provisional land and facility opportunities, ITEC leverages its team of writers, illustrators, graphic artists and production designers to establish the story narrative and theme which becomes the foundation for a memorable Guest experience. This stage also adds design details to the creative content and program while communicating those ideas and design principles through narratives, illustrations, and digital modeling.

Entertainment Technology:
ITEC’s Entertainment Technology team is responsible for building the complex backbone and technical elements of projects that bring the story to life. Their work ensures ITEC provides the most immersive guest experiences governed by the highest ride and show safety standards in the industry. ITEC’s Attraction Technical Design team, Manufacturing team, and Sustaining Engineering Group work collaboratively to develop, build, install and commission a variety of entertainment systems. They are responsible for ensuring its developments are well-maintained for maximum enjoyment and minimal downtime from inception through opening day.

Project Development: The ITEC Production Management team executes and delivers themed entertainment projects by utilizing a variety of strategic delivery and management processes. From basic creative and technical oversight to comprehensive turnkey project delivery, the team is engaged from the later stages of design through the handover of projects. The resources and disciplines required vary according to individual project requirements, and may involve Project Managers, cost controls, Schedulers, Show Production Managers, Creative Directors, Technical Directors, Show Architects, Procurement Managers, automation and Controls Managers, and Ride Managers – all of which ITEC is expertly able to provide.

“Transforming land into enthralling, immersive experiences require a diverse and unique orchestration of skills ranging from design, technology, architecture and the financial and project management capabilities to ensure all aspects of a development are seamlessly woven together,” says Bill Coan, President, and CEO of ITEC Entertainment. “We are proud to offer this end-to-end service to some of the most coveted names in themed entertainment and commercial real estate.”


ITEC offered a personal tour of its Experience Design Process at their booth at the IAAPA Attractions Expo in Orlando, Fla. As part of the process, the company offered private hands-on demonstrations of how the guest experience is vetted by clientele prior to production through immersive VR Head Mounted Displays (HMD), as well as a chance to play their new mobile game Icebreaker – Rescue, featuring line breaker style gameplay that allows players to control a ship and cut back and forth between ice flows. While experiencing the game, ITEC representatives discussed how gamification and innovations in technology will impact the themed entertainment industry moving forward.

For more information on ITEC’s services, visit, itec.com.