November 20, 2026 – Orange County Convention Center
The 2026 Symposium will take place on Orlando, FL on November 20, 2026, on the last day of the IAAPA Expo. Hosting this symposium during IAAPA Expo enables participating academics to enhance their research, knowledge transfer, and exchange through access to over 1,000 exhibitors of products and services representing the state of the art of the attractions industry and opportunities for networking with some of the 30,000 industry operators, manufacturers, and suppliers who attend IAAPA Expo. The schedule will also permit interested industry members to attend the TEAAS academic symposium program. Our symposium is organized by the TEAAS with the support of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The symposium will include oral presentations of selected research papers (conventional 15-minute academic presentations), structured networking sessions, and an extended lunchtime research poster session.
Our 2026 Keynote Presenter:
Bob Rogers
Bob Rogers is the Founder of BRC Imagination Arts, www.BRCweb.com, the legendary global strategic design and production company that translates brand and cultural stories into transformative human experiences.
Known as a master storyteller, film maker, inventor and writer, he is also the author of DEEP STORY; A Complete Guide to Creating Transformational Visitor Experiences. Deep Story is full of practical, step-by-step tools, techniques, and creative magic from BRC’s proven process for creating truly transformational visitor experiences, that change what people choose, recommend, study, buy, support, and do after they leave. More about Deep Story: www.BobRogers.com
BRC’s work has earned over 500 international awards for creative excellence, for some of the most respected and acclaimed brand destinations in the world, including The Johnnie Walker Experience, The Henry Ford, World of Coca-Cola, The NASA Kennedy Space Center, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium Tour, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, plus pavilions at numerous World Expos (world’s fairs), such as the European Union Pavilion at Expo 2015, plus the US Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Japan and many others.
Personally, Bob has been awarded his industry’s two highest honors: induction into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Theme Park Hall of Fame, and the Themed Entertainment Association’s Award for Lifetime Achievement.
He has personally been nominated for two Oscars and one Emmy. He’s a current member of the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Academy (the Oscars).
He has participated on multiple NASA committees designing the first missions to Mars and was subsequently awarded the NASA Public Service Medal.
His first job in this industry was as a magician in the Magic Shop in Disneyland.
Our 2026 Keynote Presenter:
Derek Ham
Derek Ham is the Director of Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He is an award-winning VR director, design educator, and immersive storyteller. Trained as an architect, he earned his PhD in Design Computation from MIT, a master’s in architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and a Bachelor of Architecture from Hampton University. In his research, he continues to investigate both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology to find ways these tools can expand the way we work, play, and learn. As Director of the ETC he works with interdisciplinary teams across diverse backgrounds: game design, location based entertainment, and robotics in what he calls an “undisciplined” design approach, a frame of thinking that breaks down traditional rules.