The Big REthink

From amusement park rides to arena concerts and high school theaters to TV studios, there are countless ways that people, technology, and innovation come together to bring storytelling to life. As president of InterAmerica Stage, a Florida-based entertainment production company and manufacturer, Mark Black leverages all three. On this episode of The Big REthink, Black joins host Susan Campbell to pull the curtain back on some of the training that goes into entertainment production (physics, fine arts, and rope-climbing are all in the mix) and how pioneering pieces of equipment and capabilities (3D modeling, for example) have changed the game. Plus, he shares where he thinks entertainment is going—and why in-person experiences still matter.

At first glance Schenectady, New York, may seem an unlikely place to be on the leading edge of technological innovation. But the leafy, mid-sized city, which sits about 160 miles north of Manhattan, is quickly becoming a smart city: building and adding far-reaching enhancements to its infrastructure and municipal operations that, according to Police Chief Eric Clifford, improve everything from public safety to climate-change resilience. On this episode of The Big REthink, Clifford joins host Susan Campbell to discuss how he and his colleagues are transforming Schenectady, and what other cities can learn.

Each year for two nights in September, downtown Binghamton, NY, transforms from a business district into a wonderland of immersive storytelling, projection mapping, and magic under the stars. The annual LUMA festival kicked off in 2015 and has since become a focal point for the city, attracting thousands of locals and tourists to take in the experience. On this episode of The Big REthink, LUMA founders Tice Lerner and Joshua Bernard Ludzki join host Susan Campbell to discuss what inspired the festival, the hurdles and triumphs of producing a grassroots event, and the power of art and technology to build community.

What, exactly, is web3? What are NFTs again? And how do they relate to marketing, content, and brand-building? On this episode of The Big REthink, host Barry Ross speaks with Jason Keath, co-founder of Social Fresh and Sofresh Labs, about exactly what these technologies are and how innovations in blockchain and infrastructure can inform marketing strategies now and down the line. Plus, he talks about how a luxury brand bounced back from an early NFT misstep to pioneer and showcase new ways of collaborating with and engaging consumers.

Theme park attractions wow visitors with their thrilling, immersive experiences, which meld together lighting, video, sound, and motion. Behind the scenes, big-thinking creative designers and pragmatic engineers have to work together to make it all happen. On this episode of The Big REthink, Brent Pritchett, VP of Systems Integration for 4Wall Entertainment, joins host Susan Campbell to explain how he and his team—who specialize in lighting systems integration for theme park attractions and entertainment facilities—use technology to bring those big creative visions to life. He also reveals two of his own favorite theme park attractions and describes the impressive technologies behind both.

Stuart Duncan is a web developer and the father of an autistic son. When his son faced difficulties interacting with the wildly popular game Minecraft, Duncan responded by creating Autcraft, which he describes as the first Minecraft server dedicated to providing a safe and fun learning environment for children. Today, Autcraft has 16,000 subscribers. On this episode of The Big REthink, and in honor of Autism Acceptance Month, Duncan joins host Brian Rowley to explain how Autcraft meets its users’ emotional and social needs, and to discuss the importance of accessibility in technology.

In celebration of March’s Women’s History Month, host Susan Campbell looks back at three episodes of The Big REthink featuring creative female leaders at the intersection of education, business, technology, and science. Our guests include an Ivy League university dean who’s pioneering a new approach to engineering, the CEO of a company that trains individuals for new careers in tech, and a master storyteller who’s making waves in the world of AV. 

Whether taking guests on a live-streamed visit to Atlanta’s historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood in celebration of Black History Month or a live, virtual tour of Stonewall National Monument in honor of Pride, Unexpected Virtual Tours offers immersive, interactive virtual tours. Today, host Brian Rowley welcomes Akila McConnell, founder and owner, for a conversation about this immersive storytelling platform and team building concept, and why a focus on DEI is critical for companies in all industries.

At Give Kids the World Village, a nonprofit “storybook resort” in Orlando, Florida, critically ill children and their families can escape from shared emotional weight thanks to a number of meaningful, immersive experiences, many of which are technologically driven. On this episode of The Big REthink, Ian Cole, chief innovation officer, joins host Susan Campbell to discuss how technology is used to bring experiential storytelling to life for the Village’s guests. He also explains how automation is used to streamline behind-the-scenes operations, allowing resort staff to fully focus on guests.

Today, as climate concerns continue to rise, consumers, employees and investors are looking for a lot more transparency from the companies they buy from, work for and support. On this episode of The Big REthink, Lee Taylor, co-founder and CEO of REsurety Inc.—an analytics company serving clients in the renewable energy industry—talks to host Brian Rowley about the current state of clean energy initiatives, what his own company is doing to make a positive impact, and what the future of clean energy looks like. He also breaks down what it all means for business.