SYMPOSIUM THEME: THE TENSION BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY IN THEMED EXPERIENCES

You are proudly wearing your Gryffindor House robes, waving your dragon heartstring core wand, wandering through a wintry, snow-covered Hogsmeade Village while packed like a sardine amongst thousands of Muggles in the broiling 95° Florida heat.

Themed experience visitors, cast members, designers, writers, engineers, analysts, operators, managers, suppliers, and scholars must navigate through complex environments that shift between the real and the unreal, the fantastical and the actual, the fictitious and the true. 

Visitors to themed experiences must traverse between “fake” digital scenery and “real” physical sets that impact emotion and memory. Fantasy world-builders create entire dreamscapes of surreal imagination that must include toilets and garbage removal systems. Artificial simulations of truth abound across museums and visitor centers. Cast and team members walk a tightrope of guest interaction between make-believe presentation and true identities. Legal fictions prevent The Incredible Hulk from leaping a mere 15 miles across an invisible contracted barrier in Orlando. Accountants depreciate billion-dollar capital investments in new attractions into expenses that do not involve any expenditure of cash.

The pursuit of magic and wonder in themed attractions is a quest to bridge the intangible worlds of imagination with the tangible realities of design, engineering, operational complexity, and commerce. As immersive environments strive to bring fantastical (or historical) realms into physical (or virtual) space, they challenge us to examine what constitutes authenticity and how these experiences resonate with visitors’ desires for genuine connection. As scholars of themed experience and attractions, we must take a hard look at the divergent, convergent, and transformative boundaries between the tectonic plates of real and unreal to find a rich area of exploration for a variety of academic disciplines.

The broad theme for TEAAS 2025 is The Tension Between Fantasy and Reality in Themed Experiences. 

Abstracts will be considered from a wide range of academic disciplines, including, but not limited to:

• Creative Arts and Design of Themed Entertainment and Media
• Science, Technology, Architecture, Engineering, and Operations of Themed Experiences, Rides, and Attractions
• Gaming Studies
• Guest/Visitor Experience, Guest/Visitor Behavior Studies, and Fandom
• Theming and Hospitality, Lodging, Food & Beverage
• Humanities
• Social Science Research of Theming (Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Human Geography, etc.)
• Management and Business Operations in Themed Environments
• Themed Experience History, Evolution, and Philosophy
• Pedagogical and Educational Research in the area of Themed Experiences, Rides, and Attractions
• Interdisciplinary analyses of Themed Experience and Attractions
• Artificial Intelligence

Proposals are due by 10 pm (Eastern Daylight Time), Friday, September 12, 2025.  Acceptance notices will be sent on a rolling basis, with all notices sent out by Tuesday, September 30, 2025.  

All proposals will be double-blind reviewed. The Symposium uses the Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit to manage submissions.

Submissions can be made to: Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit submission link will be available shortly.You will need to register on Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit to submit.

General Submission Guidelines – There are two types of submission:

• The Symposium invites abstract submissions for EITHER 
  • 15-minute oral presentations on stage (Submit 1000-word minimum – 1250 word max. extended abstract)
  • OR a poster presentation (Submit 500-word minimum – 750-word max. abstract) for consideration for inclusion in the Symposium program.
• Please clearly designate whether you wish to be considered for either an oral presentation or a poster presentation. Submit an abstract of appropriate length.
• Please clearly designate your academic title and standing (e.g., Asst. Professor, Masters Candidate, etc.). Proposals from academic faculty and students can be considered for either oral or poster presentations.

Oral presentation slots on stage will be allocated to proposals based on quality of scholarship, impact and contribution, originality and innovation, a consideration for presentation readiness and quality, clarity and organization, diversity of discipline, adherence to the submission guidelines, and connection to the Symposium theme.

Poster presentations should feature research in progress or just completed. For display, posters should be 48 inches X 36 inches. Additional poster parameters will be distributed closer to the Symposium.

Alternative presentation and poster formats can be considered, noting that: a) purpose is to share scholarship and research rather than exhibit creative work; b) the technology setup available to the Symposium through IAAPA’s generosity is standard (screens, projectors, audio for PowerPoint presentations, wallboards for displaying posters), so new or non-standard tech will be the responsibility of the presenter. Those submitting alternative formats should please email the Symposium Chair Dr. Martin Lewison to discuss:  lewisom@farmingdale.edu.

Specific Submission Requirements

Each submission should include: 

One Document – Including Title and Extended Abstract but no Author Names, Affiliation, or Academic Standing (those are submitted separately in Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit). The document must be submitted in a .doc or .pdf format and meet these criteria: 

• Include title and also a brief abstract (up to 200 words), main body abstract, figures, tables, and references

• The main body must be at least 1000 words for consideration as an oral presentation, or at least 500 words for consideration as a posters. The word count does not include the brief abstract, figures, tables, and references. Failure to abide by the abstract minimums will result in rejection.

• Use 12-point, Times New Roman font, single-spaced

• Margins should be 1-inch on all sides

All proposals will be double-blind reviewed. The Symposium uses the Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit to manage submissions.

Submissions can be made to: CMT submission link will be coming shortly. You will need to register on Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit to submit.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For any inquiries regarding the Symposium submission requirements or submission mechanics, please contact the Program Chair, Dr. Martin Lewison, lewisom@farmingdale.edu

For all general inquiries about the Themed Experience and Attractions Academic Society, please contact: teaacademicsociety@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando at the Themed Entertainment and Attractions Academic Symposium.

Symposium Program Committee:

Dr. Martin Lewison, Chair, Farmingdale State College

Dr. Moniek Hover, Breda University of Applied Sciences

Dr. Jennifer Terrell, Indiana University

TITLE OF THE PROPOSAL: (LEFT-ALIGNED)

BRIEF ABSTRACT (LEFT-ALIGNED)

Brief abstract up to 200 words that describe your proposal. Indent the first sentence of each paragraph. If multiple paragraphs are used, single space between and within each paragraph. Do not number the pages. 

INTRODUCTION (left-aligned, no indentation)

            Although particular sub-headers are not required, please include information pertaining to each of these typical sections of academic work in the main body (extended abstract). 

• Background
  • Prior knowledge/Literature
  • Methodology/Theoretical frame
  • Results/Observations
  • Implications for Scholars/Industry

TABLES AND FIGURES (if appropriate/not required)

Tables and figures should appear at the end of the text. They are not included in the word count, but along with references are part of the 4-page total. Tables and figures should be numbered sequentially (e.g. Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc.), and should bear titles that explain their content. 

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is a serious ethical violation that is not tolerated by TEAAS. Submissions to the TEAAS Symposium are expected to adhere to academic standards regarding authenticity of authorship and proper citation and referencing of outside sources. It is not permitted to offer another person’s ideas, words, or work as your own without proper attribution, including direct quotes, paraphrasing, or reusing figures, tables, and data without giving proper credit. Proper citation (in-text and in a reference list) is obligatory.  Please refer to APA 7^th Edition style for more information.

REFERENCES 

References must be listed immediately following the main text of the proposal. Use APA 7^th Edition style, alphabetizing by first author’s last name. See examples below:

American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style (7^th ed.). American Psychological Association.

Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing manuscripts for journal publication. American Psychological Association.

Davis, F. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340.

Fu, X., Baker, C., & Zhang, R. (2023, April). Theme park storytelling: Deconstructing immersion in Chinese theme parks. Journal of Travel Research, 62(4), 893–906. https://doi.org/10.1177/004728752210989

Henry, W. A., III. (1990, April 9). Making the grade in today’s schools. Time, 135, 28-31

Milman, A., & Tasci, A.D.A. (2023, July). The influence of dynamic pricing on consumer trust, value, and loyalty relationships in theme parks. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 29(3), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/135676672210955

The Microsoft CMT service will be used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service is provided for free by Microsoft and they bear all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.

For any inquiries regarding the Symposium, please contact: Dr. Martin Lewison,  lewisom@farmingdale.edu.

For all general inquiries about the Themed Experience and Attractions Academic Society, please contact: teaasmail@gmail.com