Innovation, Nostalgia & Gratitude: My Biggest Takeaways from IAPPA 2025

Last week I had the chance to attend IAPPA, one of my favorite conventions for creativity, imagination, and the art of designing for joy. Every year, it reminds me why I fell in love with creating experiences—whether that’s for brands, books, or families.

Trend Spotlight: Retro Meets Immersive—The Bowling / Pinball Boom at IAPPA

While I was walking the floor at IAPPA and bumping into old and new acquaintances, one question kept resurfacing in every conversation: “So… what trends are you noticing this year?”

My answer came quickly—and every single time, I got the same response back:
A raised eyebrow, a knowing laugh, or even this comment from an industry friend: “I was thinking the same thing but didn’t want to say it out loud.”

So what was it? Bowling. Everywhere. Not just traditional bowling—reinvented bowling experiences popping up across the show floor.

I saw:

🎳 Pinball-inspired bowling hybrids
🎳 Enclosed mini-lanes that lit up like interactive art pieces
🎳 Lounge-style bowling with modern, elevated aesthetics
🎳 Fully customizable lanes designed to match a brand, theme, or location

It wasn’t the “bowling alley” of the past. It was bowling reimagined—stylish, tech-driven, social, and selfie-ready.

And that’s when I realized something:

Bowling has been a staple of American fun for decades—whether that love started in the 50s, 60s, or 70s. Families did it, friends did it, teams did it. It was simple, nostalgic, and universal.

Now we’re seeing the same timeless activity redesigned through a 2025 lens:

✨ Retro meets immersive
✨ Classic meets customizable
✨ Analog fun meets digital storytelling

Bowling is comfort.
Bowling is memory.
Bowling is something everyone already knows how to do.

And yet here it is—refreshed, reimagined, and ready for a new generation.

It’s the perfect metaphor for where the themed entertainment industry is heading:
We’re not abandoning the classics—we’re upgrading them.
Which, in a way, feels fitting for Thanksgiving week:
A holiday rooted in tradition, nostalgia, and family—but always evolving as new memories are made.

Universal's TEA Award-Winning Technology That Stood Out

Which, in a way, feels fitting for Thanksgiving week—a holiday rooted in tradition, nostalgia, and family, yet always evolving as new memories are made.

Universal has revealed a groundbreaking technology: the upcoming Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift will feature 360-degree rotation of individual ride vehicles as guests travel along 4,100 feet of elaborate track—the equivalent of nearly 12 football fields—engineered with advanced sound-reduction technology.

This cutting-edge ride system earned recognition at the TEA Thea Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Attraction Design.

👉 Learn more about the technology and award announcement here:
Universal’s Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift – Additional Details & TEA Award Info

SeaWorld Unveils Next-Gen Ride Vehicle for SEAQuest

SeaWorld introduced a cutting‑edge ride vehicle focused on delivering an immersive suspended dark‑ride experience — with three‑person “submarine” style seats that rotate and swing, powering a deep‑sea expedition like never before.

👉 Learn more about the technology: SeaWorld Orlando unveils ride vehicle for SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep

Brother Duo Behind Egan Escape Productions Wins Big with TEA Award

Egan Escape Productions / Egan Productions is redefining immersive entertainment with a portfolio of interactive haunted houses, horror-themed escape rooms, and live experiences.

Known for Escape IT – The Funhouse and this year’s award-winning John Wick Experience at AREA15—winner of the 32nd Annual TEA Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in Attraction—the company proves that bold creativity and entrepreneurial vision can shine even in a big-budget industry.

To learn more, visit their website: eganproductions.com

Falcon’s Creative Group — 25-Year Anniversary Milestone

Falcon’s Creative Group (originally founded as Falcon’s Treehouse in 2000) is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025.

What started as a small studio has grown into a global creative design firm, specializing in master planning, attraction & experiential design, digital media, and licensing.

👉 Learn more about their journey:

Falcon’s Creative Group – 25th Anniversary Celebration

Innovation as Gratitude Practice

IAPPA reminded me of something beautiful: Innovation is an act of gratitude.

It honors:

✨ The ideas that came before
✨ The teams who paved the way
✨ The lessons we’ve learned
✨ The ability we have today to imagine something better

Every new technology I saw wasn’t just impressive—it was built on years of learning, curiosity, and collaboration.

As we head into Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for the chance to witness this kind of creativity firsthand. Innovation reminds us that every idea, big or small, builds on the past and has the power to inspire the future.

Here’s to staying curious, celebrating every lesson learned, and continuing to create experiences that spark joy, wonder, and connection.

And just like innovation, sitting around the Thanksgiving table with those you love can be its own quiet, immersive experience—a private tradition that invites reflection, shared stories, and a pause to truly savor the moments that matter most.

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