Meet the Thea Awards Chairpersons

The Thea Awards Judging Committee is a distinguished group of industry figures, headed by a new Chair each year. Leading the 28th annual Committee, which oversaw the current slate of recipients honored in this program, is Luc Mayrand of Walt Disney Imagineering. (See p. 7 for a complete list of Committee members.) Succeeding him to lead the 29th annual Committee is Fri Forjindam of Mycotoo, who was previously in the position of Vice Chair. We posed a few questions to each to shed light on the process, the significance of the Thea Awards and what sets them apart.

What sets the Theas apart from other industry awards? How do the awards enrich TEA and the industry?

Fri: The Theas are distinguished from other industry awards by an obligation and ability to be more responsive to new audiences, one awards cycle at a time. In some ways, that distinction is getting less and less defined, partially to do with the exponential reach of the themed entertainment industry, standing at the intersection of multiple trade disciplines in film, music, retail, dining, education, healthcare, etc., and also to do with the everchanging growth, demand and evolution of what is deemed an "experience." That said, as we continue to adapt and evolve with our audience, so too will the Theas, in how they expand the celebration of excellence to include ever more diverse projects.

Luc: Our industry collectively entertains hundreds of millions of guests each year. Every one of our peers pours their heart and soul into that, pushing it at every scale; some experiences leave our guests inspired for life or touched to tears, and all of them aim to make their life happier and more fun. It’s a high bar, and every year experiences stand out. The role of the Theas is to celebrate the excellence our peers achieve.

It turns out that on top of being good for the soul, entertaining people is good business too. It’s also how we make a living, and that’s what the TEA exists to serve: The vibrant industry that has evolved as the art of experience has re-invented itself again and again. The Thea Awards Case Studies held during the TEA Summit bridge the Theas with the TEA, as the awarded teams share their learnings with their peer community.

© Disney

Luc Mayrand

Fri Forjindam

Each Thea recipient project is documented with a comprehensive credits list, published by TEA. Can you comment on the importance of the credits lists?

Luc: Our industry is made up of a fantastic array of creative individuals, from choreographers to sculptors, writers to estimators. For the most part, owners don’t typically publish their projects’ credits; our industry doesn’t have an established practice or culture of documenting credits such as the movies do, for example.…except for this one occasion that is baked into the Theas. It is a requirement that projects publish a credit list to receive an award. We want a Thea Award to recognize not just the project and the work, but the persons and companies that worked on it. This helps further define our community and bring it together. We encourage the project producers to make the lists as complete as possible - it represents the full breadth of our industry.

Fri: No other award, to my knowledge, requires transparency and full disclosure of the consultants, vendors and full team members whose expertise contributed to the project award distinction. The requirement of a credit list is a very big factor as to why the Theas are in a league of their own.

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to participate in the Thea Awards?

Luc: The best way to have your voice heard is to submit candidate projects and people. If you see something great, please submit it, detail why you loved it, why you think it’s excellent. By the way, it doesn’t matter if the specific form of the experience matches an existing category. The world of our industry is evolving all the time, and the awards will move with it.

Fri: The awards submission process is and has always been open to anyone AND everyone. I encourage the embrace of what makes your submission unique, objectively noteworthy and a beacon of excellence. If you can honestly say you would vouch for and/or sing the praises for a project, regardless of whether you were part of the team, or regardless of it's being the work of a competitor, that's a strong contender. If you have nothing to gain from a project's accolade, and still feel strongly it should be recognized, then that's a good barometer of excellence. The finished product is always exciting to see, but distinction in the genesis of the project, and the design/management approach can be equally inspiring.

Luc, what are you proudest of from your time as Thea Awards Judging Committee chair?

I’m happiest about the dedication, diligence, and frankness of everyone on the committee throughout the process. This is a powerful group of visionaries, poring over hundreds of submissions and making very difficult decisions. It can only work in a setting of absolute collaboration and respect.

The two years of the pandemic have been the years I was vice chair and now chair: I’m proud of several accomplishments: that we chose to continue the cycle of the Theas in spite of the pandemic, that we created the Thea Catalyst award, that we increased the diversity of the committee members and recipients, that international project recognition was broadened even beyond an already substantial reach, that we transitioned the Theas to a digital platform (with prior chairs David Cobb and Susan Bonds), and that several of the Committee members found the time and energy to be involved in TEA’s presenting the annual Thea Awards Case studies in a digital format for two years. A lot happened, with great creative outcomes, and we all worked together through it. It’s been humbling and totally lifeaffirming.

Fri, any special plans for the 2022-2023 cycle of the 29th Thea Awards? Why was this a role you wanted?

As we turn the corner on a period of more than two years that we can collectively describe as unprecedented due to the pandemic, I'm honored to serve as the first woman of color on the Thea Awards Judging Committee (now my third year being active on the Committee) and future Chair for the 29th cycle. The milestone of this position is an honor that's not lost on me, as I stand on the shoulders of hundreds of women and women of color in our industry who've paved the way in design, management and leadership. These often-unsung heroes will be all around us during the weekend of the TEA Summit and Thea Awards: designers making magic from a blank canvas, gifted project managers who wrangle people, time and money; executive leaders who strive tirelessly to break systemic practices within their companies to allow for more inclusivity for the next generation, and more.

But we have a long way to go.

I'm looking forward to embracing the vast array of submissions that reflect the rich diversity in audience, global reach and impact. This year's introduction of the Thea Catalyst Award highlights one of the many steps the Committee is taking towards recognizing excellence and broadening the conversation to include and celebrate individuals, not just projects, whose impact will forever change how we experience themed entertainment.

The Catalyst Award recognizes individuals who have made an impact in the creation of compelling experiences now or very recently, without regard to length of career.

This award, like the Committee's mission, is to nurture and model greater inclusion within the TEA and our industry, with consideration given to individuals representing diversity in age, gender,

region and ethnicity. Our industry's most prestigious award - the Thea - now includes the opportunity for anyone whose work influences and shapes what we do.

For the 2022-2023 cycle, I plan to reinforce that vision by a continued focus on inspiring and proactively welcoming a broad range of submissions.

I welcome the opportunity to champion new voices in the spaces I occupy, and in this case, that new voice is my own. And while it's the first in its category, I feel confident it will not be the last. To say I wanted the role is to assume the role of Chair is something to be coveted. It is not. It is, however, a responsibility to bear, and comes with a long list of expectations to live up to….and to challenge. The submissions the committee will receive in the next cycle - if it is anything like the previous year - will be a continued reflection of how resilient, adaptive, innovative and far-reaching our industry is. (An industry in which a Cameroonian girl with theater tendencies can grow up to find a home!) I have no doubts about the inevitability of spirited and enlightened discussions amongst the Committee. My role will be to keep the North Star constant.

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