Experiential Immersive Entertainment Demands Out of the Box Thinking On A Daily Basis
Phil Hettema Addresses the Kellogg Innovation Network Summer 2008 Dialogue
September 9, 2008
"Innovation in Experiential Entertainment is the intersection of the big breakthrough idea, the adaptable, available technology and a very intense construction schedule with a precisely defined Opening Date, " Phil Hettema president and creative executive of The Hettema Group explained speaking at the Kellogg Innovation Network's Summer 2008 Dialogue at the Herman Miller center in Holland, Michigan.
Hettema introduced 55 + corporate executives to the Out-Of-The-Box thinking demanded, on a daily basis, in the world of immersive and experiential entertainment. Hettema introduced the group to the day-to-day-challenges of applying innovation and creativity to create something never before seen...and frequently totally unexpected outlining a typical day at The Hettema Group.
The client’s got 200 + acres in a very sunny country in the UAE.
But we don’t know exactly where the site is—so we design with no geological restrictions.
The client is a huge brand but has no well known IP.
The client wants something--totally new and unique and never been done before.
Something that will reflect the Brand (remember they don’t have well known IP)
It’s a theme park. But it’s not a theme park.
It’s a destination resort. But it’s much more than that.
The project budget will probably be about $1 billion
Oh, and it needs to be open in 4 years.
And, and did I mention it needs to make a Return on Investment of 20%?
“ I’ll bet by now you’ve caught on to the challenges” continued Hettema, “The sky’s the limit. Except that the client always wants something totally new and totally breakthrough. And except that the construction schedule shows that we should be laying the deep utilities right now! So we needed the Big Idea yesterday. There’s no time for R&D. No time for market studies.
Getting to the big idea fast…very fast is crucial to success in the world of immersive and experiential entertainment.”
Kellogg Innovation Network is a by-invitation only group of experts across a broad range of businesses and disciplines who meet regularly to investigate contemporary business challenges and seek innovative solutions. The KIN Dialogue Summer 2008 focused on "Optimizing the Marketing and R&D Relationship for Innovation Success".
KIN creative director Jeffrey Ernshoff notes that Phil Hettema was selected to address the group "because he's been on the cutting edge of innovation for so many decades--- first with Disney, then with Olympics and Ceremonies, then with Universal, and most recently with his own company The Hettema Group. We could not have selected anyone with more experience in the development of innovative and breakthrough solutions."
In addition to THG’s Phil Hettema other highlighted speakers included Anna Catalano (former Chief Marketing Officer, BP, PLC), Dr. Gary S. Lynn (Chief Innovation Officer & Senior Managing Director the venture capital company Spencer Trask), and Dr. Phil Kotler (S.C. Johnson & Son Professor of International Marketing at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University).