To all who come to this happy place, welcome -
June 10, 2025
Friends, This year’s conference is somewhat unique, and it calls for a different kind of introduction.
On this day, June 10th, thirteen years ago, 20-yearold me boarded a plane in Manchester, England, bound for America to begin the Disney International Program in Orlando, Florida.
I spent the next three months working 14-hour shifts in the swampy Florida summer, popping popcorn for anyone in need of a salty snack during their visit to the Magic Kingdom. I learned the dance moves for the 3 o’clock parade, and how to answer when someone inevitably asked what time the 3 o’clock parade was. I could synchronize my hand movements with the nightly fireworks like a conductor of the sky’s orchestra. And my Mickey Mouse impression? Let’s just say it’s out of this world, haha.
But what stuck with me more than anything (aside from my wife, who I met during the program) was how the tiniest details came together to create a completely immersive experience. Entering the Magic 2
Kingdom felt like stepping into a movie, with me as the main character. I soaked up everything I could about how Imagineering (the division of Disney responsible for designing its theme parks) told stories through physical space. Every sight, smell, and texture was carefully crafted to spark an emotional reaction in the 100,000+ people who passed through the gates each day.
20-year old Phil slinging ice creams on Main St USA
The more I learned about these design choices, the more I discovered that what I was experiencing was the magic of movie making applied to something called urban planning. Somewhere, real people were using these techniques to build real places!
Some of you reading this already know me or at least recognize me from LinkedIn (an honor for which I profusely apologize). For those who don’t, I hope to share a bit more of my story over the coming months and why chairing the 2025 APA-IL State Conference is so deeply personal to me.
APA-IL has been a constant since I first arrived in the U.S. It has shaped my career in ways I never could have predicted. Each year, the conference fills my cup: it connects me with some of the most wonderful people, doing the most wonderful things in the most wonderful ways. This year’s conference is a celebration of that work. Even more so, it’s a celebration of the people doing that work.
At our core, planners are storytellers whether we intend to be or not. I’m thrilled to bring that message to this year’s event. With a record-breaking number of sessions submitted, I have a feeling you’re just as excited as I am. I’m also beyond excited to 4
welcome our keynote speaker, Margaret Chandra Kerrison, who brings an extraordinary creative background—including her work as a lead storyteller on multiple award-winning projects at Walt Disney Imagineering. See, there was a reason I was telling you about my time popping popcorn after all!
What I love most about this profession is how we learn from every angle. We take the unexpected, the seemingly unrelated, and apply it to the work of building great communities. Registration for the conference is open now. I can’t wait to see how the insights you take from Margaret and from each other shape what you do next.
If you want to talk about the conference, my Mickey Mouse impression, or literally anything else—you can always reach me at phil@ilapa.org.
