Mk Haley to ignite imagination through talks at Te Papa

Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Florida State University and Creative Program Manager at Walt Disney’s Imagineering, Mk Haley, will be delivering a series of talks hosted by Mahuki, Te Papa’s innovation hub.

The two talks will run on Tuesday 2 May and are open to members of the public.

Professor Haley’s talks will draw from 25 years’ experience as an educator on a variety of University programmes including the Disney Imagineering – UCLA partnership in Themed Entertainment Design.

Professor Haley has been with The Walt Disney Company since 1994 serving primarily with Walt Disney Imagineering in both technical and creative roles with the Virtual Reality teams, R&D, Special FX, Show Quality Services, and the Disney Research Labs.

General manager of Mahuki, Tui Te Hau, says Professor Haley’s series of talks is an exceptional opportunity for people to hear from a world leader in themed entertainment.

“Professor Haley is working at the cutting edge of experience design to enrich and manage visitor experience and maximise commercial returns. We are thrilled to be partnering with the US State Department to bring her to New Zealand.”

The morning talk, The Importance of Story in GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) will explore what a story is, and why this is important for visitor facing experiences as well as setting the tone and culture within a team. Register here.

In her afternoon talk The Experience Economy, Professor Haley will explore the history of themed entertainment and will look at how creating experiences generates a deeper levels of learning and happiness for audiences. Register here.

The Importance of Story in GLAM and The Experience Economy are free of charge though attendees must register. The talks will be held in Soundings Theatre at Te Papa.