Our Morning Keynote Presenter:

Molly Murphy

Morning Keynote, Molly Murphy spearheads the development of cutting-edge attractions and experiences for Universal Destinations & Experiences. She oversees Universal Creative’s long-term vision, strategy, creative development, global project delivery, and daily operation. Prior to joining Universal, Murphy was Principal and Co-Managing Director at Gensler’s New York office. There, she co-founded the firm’s Digital Experience Design practice, blending interactive technologies with physical spaces to create immersive environments. Before that, she led Gensler’s global Brand Design business, focusing on emotion-driven graphic and digital storytelling in physical environments. Her leadership earned her recognition as a distinguished industry leader, with projects such as MGM Resort’s International’s acclaimed ARIA Campus in Las Vegas, a multi-billion-dollar entertainment, hospitality and retail district and the world’s largest LEED-certified campus at its opening solidifying her reputation. Murphy’s portfolio also includes an array of influential clients such as Brookfield, The Rockefeller Group, and Cadillac, as well as an impressive roster of world class brands across the travel, entertainment, and hospitality sectors. Murphy’s leadership approach is rooted in her comprehensive experience in design, architecture and business. She holds a Master of Architecture and an MBA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she received the Charles G. Rummel Graduate Fellowship. An Associate Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and an active participant in professional organizations, she is a steadfast advocate for innovation and design excellence.

Our Afternoon Keynote Presenter:

Bob Weis

Bob Weis is a dreamer who believes if you can imagine it, you can do it. He was an Imagineer over a forty-year time span from 1980 to 2023. In those years, Bob worked on every Disney park and resort around the world. 

His new book, Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering just released by Disney Editions on September 24th. 

He was president of Walt Disney Imagineering from 2016 to 2022, and a Disney Global Imagineering Ambassador after that. His passion for storytelling and creative collaboration, new technologies, and for the vibrancy of the guest experience has driven him through projects from Tokyo Disneyland (and later its accompanying park, Tokyo DisneySea) and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the reinvention of Disney California Adventure and on to Shanghai Disneyland. Weis also led the creative development of the new Triton class of cruise ships, the first of which was the critically acclaimed Disney Wish. 

Outside of Disney, Weis has served as a consultant to the Kennedy Space Center, Smithsonian, New York City’s Rockefeller Center, the U.S. Navy, and Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. 

He is a recipient of multiple theme park industry awards, including the Theme Park Entertainment Association’s Buzz Price Lifetime Achievement Award and the Marty & Leah Sklar Creative Visionary Award, and received a famed Mouser, an honor originated by Walt Disney, which was presented to him by Bob Iger for his contributions as a Disney Imagineer. 

Bob writes about entertainment and immersive design and storytelling, develops film projects, and is a creative consultant on design projects around the world. He resides in California with his wife, and is the proud dad to a daughter and son.